OT- Cooperstown for HOF weekend
So I'm heading to Cooperstown this July for HOF weekend to see my childhood idol, Ken Griffey Jr., get inducted into the Hall. Just looking for any advice on how to approach this. I tried getting a hotel room months ago, but they were already booked within a 90 minute drive. Me and my brother are planning on driving from Toledo early Saturday morning to get there and tour things that afternoon, then watch the ceremony on Sunday before heading to Boston.
I'd love to know if anyone has experience with HOF weekend, and what their recommendations are. How early should we arrive at the induction venue? How long will we wait to tour the musueum this weekend? Any good places to eat in the area? Does anyone know if the HOFers do autograph signings? Since we're not getting a hotel, we're planning on crashing in the truck for the night, so a location to park of the night would be great.
I'm sure some of the MGoCrowd has been in attendance, so just trying to get as much info as possible before we head to the Mecca of baseball. Thanks in advance!
Mike Piazza also got inducted
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My brother and I went years back. Getting a room then was even harder . It was the same weekend as Woodstock. Pretty sure it was 1999 .
I went to see my Idol Nolan Ryan be inducted .
I think we drove in the night before/morning of then we just drove back later that night . Im sure we stopped somewhere to sleep but I dont remember. We may have just slept in our vehicle . We went on the cheap as we were young and didnt have much money .
I really dont remember a lot about it. I do know there were a bunch of All stars and HOF'ers all over the place doing signings . Pete Rose was near by even though he couldnt be too close to the Hall itself .
Sorry i couldnt be more help to you . Have a good time .
Not to be a Debbie Downer but HOF weekend is truly the worst weekend to visit. Cooperstown is literally a small village of approximately 2500 residents and only has 1 stop light in town and yet over 15000 visitors come every week because there are 2 local baseball camps that go on throughout the summer. These campers and their families book up all of the hotel spaces and many B&Bs. As a few people mentioned earlier there are a few campgrounds that occasionally will have space. Because Mike Piazza is going in to the Hall as a Met you will have a significant crowd this year as well.
The induction ceremony takes place out at the Clark Gym which is about 1/2 mile from town. Parking can be a nightmare because there just isn't the space for that many vehicles in the town. People will rent out spaces on their lawns for anywhere between $20-$50. The locals are very nice and won't screw you over.
Visiting the Hall itself is an entire Greek tragedy unto itself. On most summer days it is completely packed due to the camp traffic. On HOF weekend it is a complete disaster. Best of luck trying to enjoy it with all of the people there but I understand that this might be your only chance to see it.
For food there is a very good pizza place called Sal's on Main St. There is also a local place called Doubleday Cafe which is always packed but is a quality local joint. Again, expect every place to be busy.
Finally, you likely won't be able to get autographs from Griffey or Piazza because the HOF has a fairly strict schedule for them throughout the weekend. Other HOF's will be on Main St at different times signing and I believe last year they even had a space for them near the golf course.
Sorry for the rather negative post. The induction ceremony used to occur in town and was a fantastic event but since it has become so big they moved it out of town which has made it a fairly sterile event. Enjoy it the best you can.
I was so excited when you said you were from Cooperstown and thought I'd hit the jackpot, haha. I've been before, so seeing the museum itself isn't the focus. I'm more looking forward to paying hommage to Griffey. I would have loved to have snagged his autograph, but I'm sure there will be other opportunities. I appreciated the feedback. I wasn't expecting to be blown away, as it just seemed like a cool stopping point on the way to Boston.
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happen to attend CCS, did you? I taught there from '09-'12, and coached rasslin'.
Cring was the principal I worked under. I couldn't remember there being any Michigan fans in the student body, but hoped that maybe I'd had a positive impact on someone that I didn't realize.
Cheers!
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I'm in the area, so I can contribute a little insight and echo the sentiments of some others. If you're just looking for a place to park your truck and sleep, jump off of 88 one exit early (Exit 16) and head to the north side of the highway - there's a 24 hr. Price Chopper (grocery) where you can probably rest undisturbed for a few hours, and then grab a cup of hot coffee and a fresh-ish bagel in the morning.
I'd suggest an alternate route into town than the maps will tell you. Hang a right at the light in Milford, and then a left on Co. Rd 33 just outside of town. This will get you away from the bulk of the traffic, and it'll take you right past Ommegang. If your schedule allows for a tasting and a meal there, I'd recommend taking advantage. 33 runs parallel to SR 28 and will bring you into Cooperstown right next to the Clark Sports Center without taking you through town, where I imagine traffic will be a nightmare.
Have a great time!
Thanks. I'll probably be using all of that advice, in fact!
As a resident of Cooperstown, I've seen a few inductions. A quick scan of the comments didn't mention my favorite part of Induction weekend: hall of fame parade. This relatively new event puts all the returning hall of famers paired up in the back of F-150 pickups and roll them down Main Street. Considering the past few years has seen nearly 50 returning hall of famers, it is the only place you can see these guys up close.
Glimmerglass is a good recommendation and don't rule out Ommegang as a place that might let you park overnight. They do concerts and allow camping for some of those.
Probably route 28 is the only route that will have traffic. The county roadswill be empty. There are at least 6 roads in and out of Cooperstown and route 28 counts for two of them.