American Jewish Museum Philadelphia

Ready to play ball, Philadelphia?

Now open at the National Museum of American Jewish History, Chasing Dreams: Baseball and Becoming American offers the first large-scale look at the role baseball has played in the lives and cultures of many American minority groups.

Rising five stories above Independence Mall, in the heart of historic Philadelphia, the National Museum of American Jewish History is a fitting place for a museum to explore the promise and challenges of liberty through the lens of the American Jewish experience — and now through the lens of America’s favorite pastime.

With more than 130 objects, interactive elements and amazing photography, highlights the contributions of not only game-changing players but also the fans, owners, promoters and others who had influence on the evolution of the game.

Read on for background, specifics and special events regarding this marquee exhibition.

The Exhibition

Running throughout baseball season, Chasing Dreams occupies an expansive gallery on the museum’s fifth floor and offers a comprehensive look at baseball’s role in uniting many complex cultural groups.

Drawing from the NMAJH’s permanent collection as well as from more than 50 other public and private collections and an online collecting initiative via Tumblr, the exhibit includes a huge range of one-of-a-kind artifacts and archival photography, as well as audio and interactive elements.

Throughout the display’s four primary sections, the exhibition covers early baseball history, questions of cultural identity on the field, the way baseball has affected racial, ethnic and gender integration, and, finally, the role it plays in family and many larger communities.

Truly, there are items that will thrill any baseball fan — from multiple recordings of Take Me Out to the Ballgame, which was written by lyricist Jack Norworth and Jewish composer Albert Von Tilzer, to such memorable highlights as Sandy Koufax’s Cy Young Award, Hank Greenberg’s uniform, Jackie Robinson’s jacket, Ichiro Suzuki’s rookie jersey and so much more.