April …

The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) in Kansas City, MO preserves and celebrates the history and legacy of Black professional baseball and its impact on American society and culture.

The museum was founded in 1990 by a group of former Negro League Baseball players, including Buck O’Neil, Alfred Surratt, Horace Peterson, Larry Lester, and Phil S. Dixon. It first opened to the public in April 1991 in a modest one-room office in the historic 18th & Vine Jazz District.

The museum relocated to a larger space in 1994 and, in November 1997, inaugurated a purpose-built 10,000-square-foot facility within the museums at 18th & Vine complex. This established a permanent home near the location where Rube Foster founded the Negro National League in 1920.

The NLBM emerged from the archival and preservation efforts of the Black Archives of Mid-America and the advocacy of former Negro leagues players and historians dedicated to rescuing artifacts and stories from obscurity.

The museum’s exhibits detail the rise of the Negro leagues, showcasing game-worn uniforms, photographs, and memorabilia from notable figures such as Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Buck O’Neil. Interactive displays and oral histories connect the game to broader themes such as migration, segregation, entrepreneurship, and community resilience.

Founding leaders, particularly Buck O’Neil, played a pivotal role in popularizing the history of the Negro leagues for new generations. Under the subsequent leadership of president Bob Kendrick, the museum has enhanced its operations, expanded educational programs, and increased its national presence through partnerships, traveling exhibits, and media collaborations.

The NLBM’s mission is both educational and commemorative:

• to foster understanding of the Negro leagues’ significance in American history;
• to honor players, executives, and communities; and
• to inspire civic pride and youth engagement through outreach, research, and award programs.

Its audience spans students, scholars, baseball enthusiasts, and the general public — locally, nationally, and internationally &mdas; and it serves as a cultural cornerstone in Kansas City’s 18th & Vine district. The museum has received notable recognition, including a national designation by the U.S. Congress in 2006 as “America’s National Negro Leagues Baseball Museum,” and has earned accolades such as the Gold American Award for Nonprofit Organization of the Year from the American Business Awards in 2019.

Additionally, the annual Legacy Awards and Hall of Game events of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum celebrate ongoing contributions to baseball and community leadership.