Tampa Baseball Museum in Ybor City, Florida
Any fan of baseball should make a visit to the Tampa Baseball Museum, located in the former home of National Baseball Hall of Fame member Al Lopez, in Ybor City, Florida.
Ybor City
Ybor City is a neighborhood located to the northeast of downtown Tampa. The area is perhaps most known for being a cigar producing are founded by Vicente Martinez Ybor and other cigar producers. Ybor City is widely known for the influence of its Cuban immigrants. Italians and Spaniards have also played a considerable role in the history of the community.
Beginning in the 1880s through the years of the Great Depression, Ybor was known its cigar production. Historian Frank Lastra has stated that in 1929 more than 500 million cigars were rolled. Today, cigar makers ca still be found, with makers such as J.C. Newman Cigar Company, La Faraona Cigars, and Tabanero Cigars satisfying the tobacco needs of users across the country.
Visiting Ybor City
Whether you are in town departing or arriving on a cruise, taking in a sporting event, or a day tripper, a visit to Ybor City is worth your time.
Finding Ybor City is quite easy. From the north, the easiest route is I-275 South, taking the east I-4 exit and getting off at exit 1 for the Port of Tampa and Ybor City. From the east, travel on I-4 and get off at exit 1. I recommend using Google Maps for the most accurate route. Use the map embedded below or click the link in the prior sentence to find the best route for you.
The weather in Ybor City can be considered hot for much of the year but being located near the Gulf of Mexico, the worst of the summer heat is avoided. May through September have an average high of around 90 degrees with lows in the lower 80s. The winter months are a bit cooler, with highs in the low to mid 70s and lows averaging in the 60s. You will seldom need long sleeves.
The rain comes to Ybor City during the summer months. From June through September, you’ll have about a 50% chance of rain on most days. During July, the area receives rain on average two out of three days. Bring your umbrella. The remainder of the year is comparatively dry. Snow? Forget about it. Hurricanes and tropical storms? Definitely. Keep watch during the season and be prepared to evacuate if need be.
If you are a first time visitor, a stop at the Ybor City Visitor Center is a must. They will help orient you, suggest must see spots, suggest dining and hotel options, and much more. Visit the website and click Info Request. They’ll get you everything you need ahead of your visit.
Don’t miss the Gasparilla Pirate Festival each January. The Ybor Saturday Market, held during the non-summer months, is a must do event. Find local foods, music, art, plants, pet related items, jewelry, and more.
Tampa Baseball Museum
Located at
2003 N. 19th Street Tampa, FL 33605 813-400-2353
Hours Sunday during Spring Training and the MLB season: 11:00a.m. until 5:00p.m. Monday through Wednesday: CLOSED Thursday through Saturday: 10:00a,m until 4:00p.m. CLOSED on New Years Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas (They are not listed as closed on Easter but I would make that assumption.)
Admission $12 Adults $10 Seniors 65+, active military, first responders, teachers, students age 18+ (ID required for discount) $6 children Free children ages 5 and under
Bring your Baseball Attractions Pass-Port and get it stamped!
Follow the Tampa Baseball Museum on Instagram.
The island of Cuba has a long love of the game of baseball, and with the close association that Ybor City has with its Cuban heritage, it should be no surprise that baseball is important to the community. The Tampa Baseball Museum in the Ybor City neighborhood, is a great visit for baseball fans, history enthusiasts, locals looking to learn more about their community, or visitors soaking in the aura that makes this area so unique.
The museum is located in a circa 1905 home that was the boyhood home of National Baseball Hall of Fame member Al Lopez. The structure no longer sits in its original location. The home was moved during a 14 hour, mile and a half journey made possible through the Interstate Historic Mitigation Plan during a widening of I-4 in 2013.
The information below on Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa is taken from the museum website.
Hillsborough County
In addition to providing the land, the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners has awarded three Historic Preservation Challenge Grants to the Ybor City Museum Society to support the rehabilitation of the Al Lopez House and development of the Tampa Baseball Museum. The grants provide a 100% match for monetary and in-kind donations. Through the generosity of community partners and individual donors, the Society is actively funding from the most recent grant to complete exhibits for the Museum.
The City of Tampa
At the very beginning of development, the City of Tampa awarded a Community Redevelopment Area Façade Improvement Grant to the Ybor City Museum Society for the Tampa Baseball Museum. The grant provided financial assistance for exterior renovation, restoration, and rehabilitation as well as landscaping improvements. Then, the City gifted the house to the Society to help make this new museum a reality.
Who was Al Lopez
Al Lopez was born in Tampa in 1908 to parents born in Spain, who worked in Cuba, before moving to the Ybor City area in search of work in the cigar industry. Lopez’s baseball career began locally in 1924 when he signed with the Florida State League, Tampa Smokers, at age 16. At the young age, Lopez was already recognized as a promising catcher. Working his way through the minor leagues, he debuted in the major league in 1928 before becoming the Brooklyn Dodgers starting catcher in 1930.
Lopez’s career as a player would last until 1947, an unusually long tenor both for the era and for his position. He played for Brooklyn, Boston Bees, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Cleveland Indians. Upon retiring as a player, he had caught 1,918 games, a record that would stand until broken in 1987 by Bob Boone.
In 1948, the year following his last as an active player, Lopez began his managerial career, serving as skipper for the Pittsburgh Pirates AAA affiliate, Indianapolis Indians. He would stay with the team through the 1950 season before returning to Cleveland as manager in 1951. He resigned from the team following a disagreement with management after the 1956 season, boasting a record of 570 wins and 354 losses.
Lopez was far from finished in his career, signing on to be the field boss with the Chicago White Sox in 1957. He would stay with the team through the 1965 season, never winning less than 82 games. He then transitioned into a Vice President role with the team before returning to the field during the 1968 season.
During his long bench career he posted a record of 1,410 wins against 1,004 losses. His teams went to the World Series twice, losing both times however. Ten times, his team finished second in the American League, narrowly missing visits to the World Series. Lopez currently ranks 29th on the all-time list of major league wins for a manager.
Lopez was elected to the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1961 and later, in 1977, the Veterans Committee elected Lopez to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.
Lopez died in 2005, at the age of 97 after suffering a heart attack. Lopez had lived just long enough to witness his White Sox team win the World Series, their first in 88 years. An online memorial for Lopez can be found using THIS LINK.
The Museum
Here are a few photos from the collection and exhibits when we visited. It’s important to remember that museums are not static facilities. They need to change and update to survive. What you see below may or may not be on exhibit during your visit.
“Do what you love to do and give it your very best. Whether it’s a business or baseball, or the theater, or any field. If you don’t love what you’re doing and you can’t give it your best, get out of it. Life is too short. You’ll be an old man before you know it.” Al Lopez
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