Yankee Road Trip (Pt. 1): 27 Places...

Yankee Road Trip

27 Places Every Yankee Fan Should See (Part 1)

By Chris Jensen

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            For die-hard Yankee fans who can’t get enough of their favorite team, the next game can’t come soon enough. The team’s storied history comes alive in ballparks, museums and memorabilia-packed venues around the country, filling fans with nostalgia over the feats of their idols. What follows are 27 special places every Yankee fan should take the time to visit—one for each of the team’s 27 world championships.

1.     Yankee Stadium—Bronx, NY

Some fans consider it the House that George Built, while others view it as the House that Jeter Built. Either way it’s an impressive ballpark that retains the classic look with the wraparound frieze. The front entrance is a massive granite-and-limestone statement of grandeur and permanence. Stroll through the Great Hall concourse and check out the 20 double-sided banners of Yankee stars. Take the Yankee Stadium Tour, which allows you to see Monument Park, the Yankee Museum, dugout and clubhouse/batting cage area (when team is not playing).

2.     Monument Park—Bronx, NY

One of the best parts of visiting Yankee Stadium is touring Monument Park behind the center field fence. Icons Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio and Mantle and manager Miller Huggins are immortalized with red granite blocks. In 2010 they were joined by an even larger one to commemorate owner George Steinbrenner’s role in restoring the Yankees to glory. The tradition had started back in 1929 when Huggins died and the team wanted to honor his achievements. Twenty-three Yankee stars such as Jeter, Rivera, Mattingly, Guidry, Ford, Rizzuto and Jackson have had their numbers retired and are honored with plaques. Monument Park closes 45 minutes before first pitch.

3.     Yankee Museum—Bronx, NY

If you come to the Stadium for a tour or a game be sure to visit the Yankee Museum on the main level near Gate 6. Thurman Munson’s original locker was moved over from the old Stadium and you will find authentic stadium seats through the years. Another neat feature is the Ball Wall, which incorporates hundreds of balls autographed by Yankee players. The only perfect game in World Series history is commemorated by statues of Don Larsen and his batterymate Yogi Berra, along with artifacts related to each of the team’s 27 championships.

4.     Yankee Tavern—Bronx, NY

Yankee Stadium is not the only institution in the Bronx. Fans have been stopping by Yankee Tavern before, during and after games since it opened in 1923—the same year the Yankees won their first World Series title. If you don’t mind intense, excitable crowds, then belly up to the same bar where the Babe used to buy a round of drinks after the Bronx Bombers won. Yankee Tavern is about a block from the Stadium and the watering hole is filled with Yankees artifacts and memorabilia, murals of Yogi Berra and Elston Howard, and vintage team photos.

5.     National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum—Cooperstown, NY

Touring the Hall of Fame seems a little like touring the New York Yankees Museum, as there are so many Yankee players and achievements recognized. An entire room is devoted to the career of Babe Ruth, where you will find his Yankee locker with full uniform on display as well as his 1916 contract, his bowling ball and other artifacts. A special Pinstripe Pictures area shows Yankee photographs from the Associated Press. You can view Yankee World Series rings through the years, the ball the Bambino hit for his 60th home run in 1927 as well as the bat he used to hit three home runs in Game 4 of the 1926 World Series. Pose for a picture by the lockers of DiMaggio and Gehrig or by the Ruth statue in the lobby. And of course the Hall of Fame Plaque Gallery is filled with Yankee greats from all eras.

6.     Babe Ruth and Billy Martin gravesites—Hawthorne, NY

Since the Babe died in 1948, countless Yankee fans have made the pilgrimage to view his grave at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, turning it into a shrine of flags, balls, odd trinkets and notes as though fans believe Babe can suit up and lead the Yanks to victory. Billy Martin is also buried in the cemetery, with a number “1” carved in both ends of the stone. Also etched are the words “I may not have been the greatest Yankee to put on the uniform, but I was the proudest.”

7.     Lou Gehrig gravesite—Valhalla, NY

The great Yankee captain is not alone. Not only is his grave just a tape-distance shot from that of his teammate Ruth, he is joined at Kensico Cemetery by Ed Barrow and Jacob Ruppert Jr., the two men most responsible for building the Yankees dynasty. As owner, Ruppert gets credit for renaming the franchise the Yankees, acquiring the Babe from the Red Sox and building Yankee Stadium, while Barrow was the general manager who developed and acquired the players that delivered 14 pennants and 10 World Series titles. Gehrig’s headstone is plain and without pretense, without direct reference to his life as a baseball icon.

8.     The Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center—Little Falls, NJ

Permanent and rotating exhibitions tell the inspirational story of Yogi Berra. In addition to an impressive collection of artifacts related to Yogi’s long career and his cult-hero status among Americans, a treasure trove of Yankee items can be found. New York City’s Golden Boys is an exhibit showcasing 76 oil paintings by Andy Jurinko of players that defined Yogi’s playing career. As Yogi would say about the museum: “We have deep depth.”

9.     George M. Steinbrenner Field—Tampa, FL

The next best thing to watching the Yankees play at Yankee Stadium is watching them play a spring training game at their home field in Tampa, which has the same dimensions as Yankee Stadium. Formerly named Legends Field, the ballpark was rededicated in honor of the Boss in 2008. Be sure to check out Monument Park, which contains baseball plaques marking the accomplishments of Yankee greats whose numbers have been retired by the team. Get your visit in before spring training is over, because the Tampa Rays will be playing home games there in 2025.

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Chris Jensen is a lifelong Yankees fan who grew up near Cooperstown, N.Y. A SABR and IBWAA member, he is the author of Baseball State by State and Baseball’s Two-Way Greats: From Ruth and Rogan to Ohtani.