LSM&F SHATTERS SINGLE-MONTH ATTENDANCE RECORD
July 2010 was a record-setting month for Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory with 48,424 guests, the highest single-month attendance in the museum's 14-year history.
With ongoing awarenes of the facility's 2009 renovation and a strong month of conventions and special events, Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory eclipsed its previous single-month high by almost 13%. The previous record was 42,907 patrons in July 2007.
Thank you to everyone who helped us break this record.
Click here to read the entire press release announcing our record-breaking month.
THE STORY OF NEGRO LEAGUE BASEBALL NOW OPEN
Now through Sept. 6, Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory is hosting a very special temporary exhibition - The Story of Negro League Baseball. Based on the award-winning book WE ARE THE SHIP: The Story of Negro League Baseball by author and artist Kadir Nelson, the exhibit is filled with stunning one-of-a-kind paintings and sketches. Along with Nelson's artwork, the exhibit features rare baseball artifacts from some of the Negro League's greatest players such as Satchel Paige, Roy Campanella and Willie Mays. Artifacts are on loan from the private collection of Ron and Mitchell Leff, 7mainstreet.com.
"This is a moving and brilliant tribute to contribution of African Americans to the game and our nation's culture," says Anne Jewell, Executive Director of Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. "We believe our visitors will be inspired by Kadir Nelson's exquisite storytelling, and the additional artifacts are rare historic pieces, some of them never before displayed publically."
For more information on The Story of Negro League Baseball, click here.
NICKELODEON NAMES LOUISVILLE SLUGGER MUSEUM & FACTORY #1 TOURIST SPOT
Drum roll, please! The votes have been counted and the winner is ... Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, home of the Big Bat, for "Best Tourist Spot" in town.
The contest was sponsored by ParentsConnect.com, a popular website created by Nickelodeon, best known for child and family-friendly hit television programming like SpongeBob Squarepants and ICarly. ParentsConnect.com, which offers advice on raising children from babies to teens, asked visitors from all over the country for their favorite local family-friendly places. Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory emerged as the city's top tourist attraction.
To view the complete press release, click here.
LOUISVILLE SLUGGER MUSEUM & FACTORY INTRODUCES DAILY PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE
As part of our renovation, we've added fun daily activities and programs for our guests to enjoy. Throughout the day, guests can experience live character performances, behind-the-scenes tours, hands-on activities and much, much more. Be sure to pick up a Daily Programming Schedule at the information desk during your visit.
Among the activities currently rotating through the daily programming schedule are:
Louisville Slugger Enlists - A live costumed character performance describing how Louisville Slugger pitched in during World War II.
Tales from the Bat Vault - Visit the Fort Knox of Louisville Slugger. The bat vault contains models used to create bats for some of baseball's all-time greats including Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Hank Aaron and many, many more.
Art and Architecture - Take a tour of Louisville Slugger's corporate headquarters and get a look at the Hillerich family's extensive collection of baseball artwork.
All daily programs are free with a museum and factory tour ticket.
Questions and answers about the emerald ash borer
What is the emerald ash borer?
As described by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the emerald ash borer (EAB) is a very small beetle that is destructive to all ash trees, including northern white ash that for decades has been the wood of choice for professional grade baseball bats. Metallic green in color, the EAB measures ½ inch long and 1/8 inch wide. The average adult emerald ash borer fits easily on a penny.
EAB is native to China and eastern Asia. It is believed to have arrived in North America hidden in wood packing materials commonly used to ship consumer goods. While no one can say for certain when the EAB arrived in the U.S., it was first discovered in southeastern Michigan in 2002. However, it is believed that the beetle may have actually arrived in the U.S. up to 12 years earlier.
Currently, EAB is responsible for the death and decline of more 25 million ash trees in the United States. In addition to Michigan, EAB has also been discovered in Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and parts of Canada.
What effect or impact does EAB have on the baseball bat industry and MLB players?
At this point there has been no impact on the bat industry or MLB. The insect has not reached the area along the Pennsylvania/New York border where Louisville Slugger harvests trees to make baseball bats. However, there is reason for serious concern. The EAB was discovered in western Pennsylvania in the summer of 2007. At the current rate of progression, the insect very well could impact the forests where timber for bats comes from within a few years, if not sooner.
Louisville Slugger’s timber division is working closely with the USDA and the state department of agriculture in Pennsylvania and other states to monitor the situation as these government agencies try to stop the emerald ash borers spread.
What if the EAB cannot be stopped and the ash trees used to make Major League Baseball bats are all destroyed?
Louisville Slugger is confident that it will find alternative sources of timber for MLB bats in the event the worst case scenario would become reality, i.e., the destruction of northern white ash trees in the Pennsylvania/New York border area.
Our company is always looking at other species of wood for potentially making baseball bats. This is something we have done for many years and will continue to do so. In addition to ash, we make bats from maple and have also manufactured some in recent years from beech. Hickory and oak were also used 70-80 years ago, but were found to not be conducive to making baseball bats. Other species of wood are being studied and tested for possible use in baseball bats.
What can the public do to help stop the spread of the EAB?
People unknowingly contribute to the spread of EAB when they move firewood. EAB larvae can survive underneath the bark of firewood, and when it's moved from one place to another, EAB can hitchhike to a new location....perhaps your family cottage, a favorite campground, or lakefront park. Please help stop the spread of EAB - leave your firewood at home! Buy it at your destination. When you do that, you help keep North America's trees healthy and safe and ensure ash bats will be a part of the game of baseball for many years to come.