Introducing the next chapter of the negro leagues baseball museum
From a one room office to America’s National Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. The journey, like the history we preserve, has been an amazing but improbable one! Few gave the NLBM any chance of succeeding. But a dedicated group of Negro Leaguers, led by the late, great Buck O’Neil, stayed steadfast in their belief that this story of triumph over adversity had to be preserved and celebrated. So they dug into their own pockets and took turns paying the monthly rent to keep the office open and with it our hopes and dreams of building a facility that would pay rightful tribute to a once ignored chapter of baseball and Americana.
In 1997, that dream became a reality when the NLBM moved into its new 10,000 square-foot home at Historic 18th & Vine. Today, over two million visitors have learned about and been inspired by the men and women whose passion for America’s national pastime changed the game and America too.
Over the course of three decades the NLBM has grown from an idea into one of the most important cultural facilities in the world. It’s a powerful civil rights and social justice museum seen through the lens of baseball that continues to foster a greater understanding of the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion.
The Negro Leagues fueled the dreams of African American and Hispanic athletes who refused to accept the notion that they were unfit to “play ball!”
We’re dreaming again. This time, of building the nation’s only Negro Leagues campus. An international hub for Negro Leagues and social history. A transformative complex featuring the Buck O’Neil Education and Research Center and a brand new, state of the art museum.
Why? So that future generations will be inspired by those who dared to dream. It’s our PITCH FOR THE FUTURE!
Thank You To Our Partners
Capital Campaign Pledges
The MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation (YDF) announced a $2 million grant to benefit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) in Kansas City, Mo. The grant will support the museum’s $30 million capital campaign to build a new 30,000 square-foot facility to enable the NLBM to utilize state-of-the-art technology to further the legacy and storytelling of the Negro Leagues and its players for generations to come.
The MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation (YDF) announced a $2 million grant to benefit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) in Kansas City, Mo. The grant will support the museum’s $30 million capital campaign to build a new 30,000 square-foot facility to enable the NLBM to utilize state-of-the-art technology to further the legacy and storytelling of the Negro Leagues and its players for generations to come.
Bank of America was our first donor to pledge $1 million in support of the new construction of our museum at historic 18th and Vine in 2023. They have made it possible for us to start paving the way to make this campus a reality, and we look forward to our partnership together.
Bank of America is our first sponsor to pledge $1 million in support of the new construction of our museum at historic 18th and Vine. They have made it possible for us to start paving the way to make this campus a reality, and we look forward to our partnership together.
ABOUT NEGRO LEAGUES BASEBALL MUSEUM
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) is the world’s only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich history of African American baseball and its impact on the social advancement of America. The privately funded, 501 c3, not-for-profit organization was established in 1990 and is in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri’s Historic 18th & Vine Jazz District. The NLBM operates two blocks from the Paseo YMCA where Andrew “Rube” Foster established the Negro National League in 1920. To learn more about the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, please visit nlbm.com.
For media questions, please contact Joe Villa with DKC.
STEP UP TO THE PLATE
DONATE TODAY
Join us as we honor the legends and build a new home for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
Pitch for the Future. Every contribution matters.
PENDULUM
Pendulum is an award-winning Kansas City, Missouri-based architectural practice specializing in the design and documentation of sports facilities, civic and commercial projects. Pendulum curates the built environment with a passion for detail, promoting a lifestyle rather than just a project.
