Philadelphia Athletics Museum and Library
Fans memorialize their well-loved, long-departed team
The Experience
Perhaps no other team as woeful as the Philadelphia Athletics has its own museum. The boys of summer last won an American League pennant in 1931, after which owner Connie Mack sold off his star players to pay off his Depression debts.
From then until they left town in 1954, the Athletics were perennial tail-enders. Nevertheless, longtime fans, who kept the A’s close to their hearts, have assembled a wide swath of memorabilia worthy of any sports fan’s visit. There are old uniforms, autographed baseballs and a turnstile from Shibe Park, where the A’s played. If you’re lucky, you’ll be there when one of the still-living members of an old A’s team stops by for a nostalgic visit.
History
The Philadelphia A’s, the city’s American League team and the 1929 World Series champions, left town for Kansas City in 1954. In 1996, faithful fans formed the Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society and found this storefront in downtown Hatboro, a half-hour north of Center City Philadelphia, to house their memorabilia.