(Photo) Bo Jackson Memorabilia at the ASHOF.

Piece 1: Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Established in 1967, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (ASHOF) is dedicated to celebrating and preserving the extraordinary achievements of Alabama’s sports legends, from gridiron greats and Olympic heroes to pioneering coaches and exceptional athletes across a myriad of disciplines.

The ASHOF Museum is located in the Uptown District of Birmingham and is attached to the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. The three-story 33,000 square-foot museum was opened in 1992 and is home to over 6,000 pieces of sports memorabilia related to athletes who were born in Alabama or whose fame through athletics reflects positively on the state.

Noteworthy ASHOF inductees include boxing great Joe Louis, baseball legend Henry “Hank” Aaron, NASCAR Champion Bobby Allison, college football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, basketball’s Charles Barkley, and celebrated Olympian Jessie Owens.

The museum pays special homage to remarkably versatile athletes like Bo Jackson, who enjoyed success in both football and baseball.

As visitors move through the many curated displays, they are greeted with an array of memorabilia such as football equipment worn by gridiron giants like Joe Namath and Bart Starr to precision clubs wielded by golf champions such as Hubert Green and Jerry Pate.

Exhibits featuring life-size statues of selected inductees in sports action poses are accompanied by audio recordings that bring the scenes to life.

Perhaps the most interesting element of the ASHOF, for us, were the hundreds of commemorative plaques throughout the museum featuring bas-relief images of each inductee and description of their significant sports-related achievements, including the “Father of Auburn Football,” coach John William Heisman. An annual award recognizing the top player in American college football still bears Coach Heisman’s name.

Authographed Baseball Collection at NSLM

Piece 2: Negro Southern League Museum. The Negro Southern League Museum (NSLM), located at 120 16th Street South in Birmingham AL, is adjacent to Regions Park, the current home field of the Birmingham Barons minor league baseball team.

Officially opened in August 2015, the free admission NSLM tells the story of how, in the face of racism and segregation, black baseball players became some of America’s most talented athletes.

Visitors will learn that many baseball legends began their careers on Negro Southern League teams, including Jackie Robinson, Leroy “Satchel” Paige, Willie Mays, Hilton Smith, Norman “Turkey” Stearnes, Josh Gibson, and George “Mule” Suttles.

The museum features a compelling array of artifacts, including vintage uniforms, baseball cards, photographs, and memorabilia.

Two highlights of the NSLM for us was the large (~1,500) collection of autographed baseballs which are near the museum entrance (including balls signed by National Baseball Hall of Famers Bob Gibson and Satchel Paige) and the interactive exhibit about Paige where visitors can select one of his pitches (the hurry up ball, the wobbly ball, the hesitation ball, or the midnight rider) and watch a hologram image of him throwing it.

Jim and Becky with Jesse Owens

Piece 3: Jesse Owens Museum and Memorial Park. Located about 75 minutes north of Birmingham at 7019 County Road 203 in Danville AL is The Jesse Owens Museum and Memorial Park, which commemorates the life and legacy of the African-American track and field superstar.

James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens, the descendent of enslaved laborers and son of sharecroppers, was born in Oakville, Alabama in 1913. He excelled as an athlete in high school and college, breaking three world records in one day at the Ohio State University. Owens is most known, however, for his remarkable achievements at the 1936 Olympics in Germany.

The museum, which officially opened in 1996, is divided into three main galleries. The Jesse Owens Story Gallery recounts his life from his childhood in Oakville to his meteoric rise at Ohio State, to his participation in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The Running Gallery showcases Owens memorabilia, including replicas of his jersey and shoes, medals and trophies from his high school career, programs from the 1936 Berlin Olympics, and informational displays on the important relationships in Owens’s life. The Humanitarian Gallery focuses on his post-Olympics career, during which he became a champion of underprivileged youth in America.

Outside the museum are other noteworthy sculptures and exhibits, including a detailed recreation of the sharecropper’s cabin where Owens was born.

The museum also features a well-stocked gift shop where visitors can purchase memorabilia including books, apparel, and unique souvenirs.

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