WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA, USA - There's always excitement in the air when a field of dreams is filled with sounds of baseball. The crisp crack of the bat sends a crowd into excited ecstasy, and the cheering crowd stands in anticipation of runners reaching home base. There's nothing quite like a Little League game to stir the emotions.

In Williamsport, Pennsylvania, located just minutes from Little League Baseball's birthplace, and adjacent to the Little League Baseball World Series Stadium, stands the Peter J. McGovern Little League Baseball Museum.

The museum contains the things that dreams are made of. In 1939 Little League Baseball was born as a three-team neighborhood activity. In nearly 60 years it has developed into the world's largest organized youth sports program with more than two and one-half million youngsters and 750,000 adult volunteers participating in 70 countries.

Now in its eleventh year of operation, the museum acquaints visitors to Little League through a variety of exhibits and displays. They may push a button, swing a bat, turn an eight-foot page, or throw a ball. The young and the young at heart are encouraged to take part and enjoy the hands-on excitement in each of eight theme rooms. featuring every aspect of Little League's development.

The lobby welcomes visitors with one of the largest photographic murals in the world, a recreation of Lambed Stadium, home of the Little League World Series. This area also features a fiber optic map where Hall of Fame baseball announcer Vin Scull tells the story of Little League's growth. The Founders Room gives history buffs a timberline of Little League's expansion from a three-team league to a national and international program. The Play It Safe Room is designed to showcase Little League's leadership role in assuring player safety and educating young people on the harmful effects of drug and alcohol abuse. The Play It Safe Room also includes a hands-on nutrition exhibit that allows everyone to decide healthful nutritional choices for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.

The highlight of the tour for most people is The Play Ball Room. Here visitors can bat and throw in safety cages. Everyone gets a chance to test their skills and watch an automatic video replay of the performance. In addition, memorabilia from the Little League days of major league stars are on display in The Showcase Room. The Hall of Excellence and Gallery of Achievement recognize individuals who have received Little League's most distinguished awards. Enshrinement in the Hall of Excellence is the highest honor afforded a Little League graduate. The Gallery of Achievement showcases annual awards presented to volunteers, parents, and participants.

The Peter J. McGovern Little League Baseball Museum is a permanent testament to the millions who have taken Little League Baseball from a backyard game to an international institution. For adults, it conjures up treasured memories. For children a visit to the museum provides a fun-filled experience shared with mom and dad. For everyone who visits, it's a big hit with a winning home run!

Getting There

The Little League complex is located on U.S. Route 15, a main north- south highway, just 15 miles north of Interstate 80 in north central Pennsylvania. The museum is open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. For hours, further directions, fees, and details call or write: Little League Museum, P.O. Box 3485, Williamsport, PA 17701, 717-326-3607. Visit the museum's website at www.littleleague.org/museum.