Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards

Sports Legends Museum at the former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Camden Station

Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards was a non-profit sports museum in Baltimore, Maryland. The museum is owned and operated by the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum. It opened on May 14, 2005, with Julia Ruth Stevens, the daughter of celebrated baseball player Babe Ruth, in attendance.[1] The 22,000-square-foot (2,044 m2) museum, housed in the former Camden Station, was adjacent to the main gate of Oriole Park at Camden Yards and had artifacts and interactive exhibits profiling Maryland's sports history. Exhibits included such area teams as the Baltimore Orioles, Baltimore Ravens, Baltimore Colts, Maryland Terrapins, Baltimore Elite Giants, Baltimore Black Sox, and the Baltimore Blast.[2]

A replica of the Vince Lombardi Trophy from Super Bowl V was part of the museum's collection.[3] The original trophy from the Colts' 1971 Super Bowl victory was taken by former owner Carroll Rosenbloom[3] after he traded the Colts for the Los Angeles Rams in 1972.[4] A replica trophy was later made for the Colts, but in the Midnight Move of 1984, the team was not allowed to keep the trophy. That trophy stayed in the city of Baltimore's possession, and was placed in the Sports Legends Museum.[5]

After ten years of operation the museum closed abruptly on October 12, 2015, after failing to reach an agreement with the Maryland Stadium Authority for the continued use of Camden Station.[6] Geppi's Entertainment Museum, which opened in September 2006, was located on the upper level of the building, directly above where Sports Legends at Camden Yards was, until 2018. The nearby Babe Ruth Birthplace & Museum remains in existence as a separate museum on Emory Street, two and a half blocks from Camden Station.[7]

  1. ^ Stiehm, Jamie (May 15, 2005). "Sports history hits home at museum". The Baltimore Sun. p. 1B. Archived from the original on 2017-10-03. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
  2. ^ Lyght, Daniel (July 28, 2004). "Camden Yards expansion gives Ruth Museum a place to grow". The Baltimore Sun. p. 1C. Archived from the original on 2017-10-03. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
  3. ^ a b Simers, T.J. (29 January 2000). "There Are Many Who Believe Georgia Is the Original Trophy Wife". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  4. ^ "Big Deals". Los Angeles Times. 28 February 1996. Retrieved 3 October 2017. * July 13, 1972--Los Angeles Rams part-owner Robert Irsay purchases the remaining $19 million in stock and swaps franchises with Baltimore Colt owner Carroll Rosenbloom.
  5. ^ "Almost Religion: Baltimore's Colts". Babe Ruth Birthplace and Sports Legends Museums. Babe Ruth Birthplace Foundation, Inc. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  6. ^ Sherman, Natalie; Encina, Eduardo A.; Barker, Jeff (2015-10-12). "Sports Legends Museum closes its doors". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2016-03-06.
  7. ^ "Sports Legends has Moved Out". Babe Ruth Birthplace and Sports Legends Museums. Babe Ruth Birthplace Foundation, Inc. 12 October 2015.