Newport Sports Museum

The Newport Sports Museum was a sports museum in Newport Beach, California, USA. It closed in 2014.

Collection

The Newport Sports Museum owned over 10,000 items of sports memorabilia including items from football, baseball, basketball, hockey and golf. The museum also had an Olympic collection.[1] Notable items included Babe Ruth's last home run ball which is signed, Wayne Gretzky's 900th goal puck and hundreds of game worn and autographed jerseys from all sports.

History

The Newport Sports Museum was started in 1953 when, at the age of 12 years, John W. Hamilton was given a signed football from the Look All-American Football Team. Hamilton’s collection was reported to be one of the largest displays of sports memorabilia ever assembled.[2] In 1995, Hamilton along with several athletes, decided to open the museum. The collection was housed in a Newport Center office building owned by Hamilton, a commercial real estate developer.[3]

Hamilton announced the museum's closing in April 2014. The decision came shortly after the museum suffered the loss of a number of valuable baseballs in a nighttime burglary. Hamilton cited his health and the costs of upkeep as reasons for his decision.[2] The building was burglarized again in May 2014, just before an auction began to sell off many of the items in the collection.[4]

References
  1. Denise Holden, "Be Like Mike", Orange Coast, August 2002, p. 22.
  2. Richard Dunn, "Auction details released for Newport Sports Museum memorabilia", Orange County Register, April 8, 2014.
  3. H. G. Reza, "Sports Gems Shine in Obscure Outpost: USC room, Ike's golf clubs and signed baseballs are stars at Newport museum." Los Angeles Times, August 22, 2004.
  4. Marcia C. Smith, "Newport Sports Museum operator thrown for a loss again", Orange County Register, May 12, 2014.
  • "Former Olympian Kerr, a UCI product, to speak". Daily Pilot. February 7, 2009. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  • "Museum Has the Smell of History to It". Los Angeles Times. July 26, 1998. Retrieved 13 May 2010.
  • "Shangri-La for sports fans". OC Metro. October 1, 2009.

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