On Thursday, March 27, the Hubert V. Simmons Museum of Negro Leagues Baseball held a grand opening to celebrate its new permanent home in the Owings Mills Branch of the Baltimore County Public Library. This marked a very special day for Adler Display and those who worked tirelessly to make the dream of Hubert V. Simmons a reality.
Due to segregation, not all of baseball’s greatest players made it to the Major Leagues. Hubert V. Simmons was one of those greats, playing for the Baltimore Elite Giants in the 1950's. After his days on the field came to an end, Simmons dreamed of honoring the rich history of the Negro Leagues in Maryland and across the United States.
For more than a year, Adler Display worked closely with Rubeling & Associates (an architecture and interior design firm), Audrey Simmons (Hubert’s widow) and Ray Banks (Hubert’s longtime friend), to create the exhibits for the museum located on the first three floors of the library. The museum honors the league’s history, umpires, female players, Hall of Fame inductees such as Leon Day and Jackie Robinson, and of course, Hubert V. Simmons. Exhibits include a variety of photographs, graphic panels, artifact showcases, and memorabilia.
“Adler built the museum to be flexible,” explained Holly Davenport of Adler Display. “This means it will be relatively easy to update the exhibits to highlight new players or other aspects of the Negro Leagues in the future.”
The grand opening was attended by Baltimore County officials (who helped fund the museum), Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, former Negro League players, fans and students from area schools. Several people spoke about the determination to find the museum a permanent home to honor all those it represents. The museum is free to the public and is open during regular library hours, as follows: Monday through Thursday 9am to 9pm, Friday and Saturday 9 am to 5:30 pm, and Sunday 1pm to 5pm. For more information on museum displays please contact Adler Display at 855-552-3537.
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