THE NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM
COOPERSTOWN, NY
America's oldest Hall of Fame pays tribute to the country's favorite sport with a host of mementos that include Ty Cobb's sliding pads, Jackie obinson's warm-up jacket, and two of the Babe's record-making bats. Call 888-HALL-OF-FAME. Nearby, at Doubleday Batting Range (open seasonally), kids can practice their fast pitches and their grand slams. Call 607-547-5168.
BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME
SPRINGFIELD, MA
You're in the Fleet Center playing center against former Celtic great Bill Walton. You take the 6-foot 11-inch Hall of Famer down low, turn, shoot, score! It's virtual reality in the Elks FANtasy Basketball Area. Visitors can play offense and defense against a computer-generated version of Walton, while their movements are cheered by an electronic crowd and their mistakes critiqued by an animated coach. You also can test your hang time against Michael Jordan's and compare your shoe size to Bob Lanier's 22. Call 877-4HOOPLA or 413-781-6500 or visit their Web site.
GREEN BAY PACKER HALL OF FAME
GREEN BAY, WI
Over the top at this football mecca is the kicking and passing area, where new and seasoned sports lovers can drop back and punt official NFL pigskin. You also can try passing a ball through the center of a tire or booting it between the posts for a field goal. Touch screens put a wealth of trivia about the game and the hall's 113 inductees at your fingertips, and NFL blooper presentations offer up yards of amusing football faux pas. Call 888-4GB-PACK.
HOCKEY HALL OF FAME
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA
Not only can you practice wrist shots and slap shots in the Rink Zone here, you also can pull on goalie gloves and watch video footage in which your superimposed image defends the team's net. As a pair of opposing forwards advance and shoot, the computer registers your body movements and determines whether you have deflected the puck or allowed the other team to score. Call 416-360-7765 or visit their Web site.
INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING HALL OF FAME
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL
After viewing vintage newsreels of Johnny "Tarzan" Weissmuller and checking out the starting block Mark Spitz used for several of his winning races in Munich, you will probably want to take the plunge yourself. Go ahead, but watch out for the blur in the next lane--the hall's Aquatic Complex, featuring two Olympic-size pools, a diving well, and a swimming flume (a pool with a built-in current), attracts many Olympic record holders. To reach the Hall of Fame, call 954-462-6536 or visit their Web site; for the Aquatic Complex, call 954-468-1580.
OTHER GREAT SPORTS HALLS OF FAME
Once all their duckpins are in a row, kids can send them flying at the Bowling Hall of Fame and Museum in St. Louis, Missouri. Call 800-966-BOWL.A mechanical calf challenges first-time ropers at the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and Museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Call 719-528-4764 or visit their Web site.
Kids are human checkers on a giant game board at the International Checker Hall of Fame in Petal, Mississippi. Call 601-582-7090.
Walk through the belly of a gigantic muskie at the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward, Wisconsin. Call 715-634-4440 or visit their Web site.
Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Originally published in November 1996. Updated August 2002.
