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NEW YORK, NY: The Jackie Robinson Museum opened in Manhattan with a gala ceremony attended by the 100-year-old widow of the barrier-breaking ballplayer and two of his children.
Rachel Robinson, who turned 100 on July 19, watched the half-hour outdoor celebration from a wheelchair and then cut a ribbon to cap a project launched in 2008.
Her 72-year-old daughter, Sharon, also looked on from a wheelchair and her 70-year-old son David spoke to the crowd of about 200 sitting on folding chairs arrayed in a closed-off section of Varick Street, a major thoroughfare in lower Manhattan where the 19,380-square-foot museum is located.
Jackie Robinson became NL Rookie of the Year, the 1949 NL batting champion and MVP, a seven-time All-Star and a World Series champion in 1955. He hit .313 with 141 homers and 200 stolen bases in 11 seasons and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1962.
Robinson, who died in 1972, had an impact beyond baseball, galvanizing a significant slice of American public opinion and boosting the civil rights movement.
The museum contains 4,500 artifacts, including playing equipment, Robinson's 1946 minor league contract for $600 a month and his 1947 rookie contract for a $5,000 salary.
The museum also holds a collection of 40,000 images and 450 hours of footage.
Tickets will cost $18 for adults and $15 for students, seniors and children when the museum opens to the public on Sept. 5.
The second floor includes an education center.
