John Hamilton shown with
Presidential Golf Exhibit, has
amassed a collection of significant sports memorabilia to place
Newport Sports Museum among the the top in the world for
diverse representation of America's favorite sports. Top photo
shows Cale Thomson admiring the signed footballs of Heisman
trophy recipients.
There are some big shoes to
fill at the Newport Sports Museum in Newport Beach, California.
At size 22, Shaquille "Shaq" O'Neal's shoes can't be beat,
though some may beg to differ as they gaze at the basketball
shoes of stars Karl Malone of Utah Jazz, Bill Walton of Portland
Trailblazers, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of Los Angeles Lakers and
Julius "Dr. J." Erving, world famous basketball Hall of Fame
honoree. Just a drop in the basket of treasures that fill a
museum (which is hard to find,) you'll score big, once you venture
in. "Wow-ing" school kids, sports fans and even shopping
moms who pass by on their way to Fashion Island a block up the
hill on Newport Center Drive, the 14-year-old institution is
recognized by an elite crowd of athletes who donate sports
items, and is considered one of the finest privately-funded
collections in the United States and world!
 Newport
Sports Museum has a larger collection of unique and rare sports
items in one location than any place Cale Thomson can recall.
The ball game enthusiast who works there can't get enough
of the exciting memorabilia that titillates even
non-sports visitors. Forced to choose, his top three exhibits are: 1) the baseballs in the entry lobby autographed by Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe Dimaggio,
every World Series Championship team since 1940, every Cy Young
Award Winner, the 300 Win, 3,000 Hits, 500 Home Runs and Perfect
Game clubs; 2) Heisman trophy autographed footballs of
recipients from 1935 to the present, plus Super Bowl Champions;
and 3) baseball uniforms worn by Don Drysdale and Sandy
Koufax.
Located in a building that bares the name, Hamilton
Company, the museum signage is difficult to see. We drove by
twice and finally found the place after successfully searching
out and making contact with nearby Newport Beach Conference and
Visitors Bureau that's equally tucked away in an office park. Once
someone explained that you need to look up and see the sign
hidden between tree limbs, or know that Hamilton Company
building is the spot, it all makes sense. John Hamilton of
Hamilton Company founded the museum as well as provide the large
exhibit space that soon will have more visible signage, according to
Director Amy Facone.
If getting there is half
the battle, then forget the Scavenger Hunt list you can pick up
once inside. You'll find plenty to keep you engaged in this
fantasy world that treats
guests (for free) to some of the coolest sports memorabilia and
collectors items on the planet.
Filled with an incredible
variety of balls, clothes, shoes, tickets, towels and
accessories from famous athletes, you may want to begin your
tour on the bottom floor where guests can sit on actual stadium
seats retrieved from sports stadiums around the U.S. In this
lecture hall, an exhibit pays homage to "The Negro Baseball
Leagues". Black & white photos of the founding teams and
narratives on a story board document the early years of
baseball.
On the main level of the
museum, exhibit rooms are arranged by sports categories.
Baseball, basketball, football, hockey, golf, surfing &
skateboarding are prominently featured, as well as tennis,
Olympic Games, soccer, boxing and other sports such as
volleyball and swimming.
"I really like the golf
section," said museum owner, John Hamilton, a handsome man who
proudly sports a smile and discusses the mission of the museum.
Standing in front of the the golf collection, five presidents'
golf bags are on display: Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan,
George W. Bush, Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon. The most
flamboyant of these is a bright red, leather bag with "General
Ike" engraved in white letters.
A sizeable portion of his
personal collection helped launch the museum, and although
Hamilton has been gathering sports memorabilia since he was 12,
he couldn't have put the museum together on his own, he said.
Singularly-focused in his goal to inspire youth and keep them on
track, he credits the museum's success to sponsors and their
donations. Pointing to many adults who shared his dream, "If a
kid can stay out of trouble, can keep from doing the wrong
things and be inspired by the successes of our American icons,
our museum has fulfilled its true mission," he said.
Several thousand children
annually attend the museum on field trips where they learn about
a variety of sports, often shown in displays that follow the
history of say, the golf ball, or the football helmet. Once you
visit the Newport Sports Museum and see the massive collection,
it becomes clear that biggest shoes to fill may not be Shaq's
but John Hamilton's. This man who followed his very own dream
and built an incredible sports museum in Newport Beach, has
created something of timeless value to inspire.
Where: Newport Sports
Museum, 100 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA
Tel: (949) 721-9333 / Web:
www.newportsportsmuseum.org
Hours: Tuesday - Sunday 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. (subject to change, call first)
Admission: Free;
donations, memberships, sponsorships invited
Available for meeting
space and special events, call (949) 721-9333 or email:
Cale@NewportSportsMuseum.org.
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