The College Baseball Foundation's work on a physical museum culminated this summer when it opened phase one of the nation's first College Baseball Hall of Fame inside the Museum at Prairiefire at 5801 W. 135th Street in Overland Park, a milestone years in the making.
The project's arrival in Johnson County was years in motion, and according to Kansas City Magazine, it came together only after Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes stepped in. Mahomes, who played college baseball at Texas Tech, became involved and played what KCUR described as an instrumental role in convincing the foundation to pick Overland Park as its permanent physical home back in January 2024. The State of Kansas backed the move with a grant to build a new entrance for the College Baseball Hall of Fame, a public investment detailed by the Kansas City Business Journal.
Getting to Overland Park was not a short road. The foundation had spent more than a decade trying to build a physical museum in Lubbock, Texas, before formally abandoning that site in April 2017 amid fundraising and land troubles, according to KKAM. The Lubbock effort had even landed a $5 million grant from the Moody Foundation before those plans stalled out.
A Natural History Museum Makes Room for Baseball
The hall of fame now occupies a wing inside the Museum at Prairiefire that had previously been reserved for traveling exhibits, according to the Johnson County Post. The museum's core natural history collections, including its lobby's replica T. rex skeleton, remain untouched. Kansas City-based design firm Populous was selected for the museum's concept and design work after an RFP drew interest from multiple world-class firms, per MLB.com.
The Home Run Dugout activation opened July 8, 2026, and per Kansas City Magazine's reporting, it includes batting bays and simulated technology. Jacobs is CEO and executive director of the College Baseball Foundation and College Baseball Hall of Fame. That first phase also includes a rotating collection and planned exhibit, archive and headquarters space as the museum builds out its full footprint.
What's Coming Next, and When
The museum is expected to grow beyond its initial exhibits as the foundation builds out its full footprint.
The hall's collection will feature artifacts and historical materials as the exhibition is developed.
Honoring the Sport's History and Its Stars
The foundation describes its work as preserving and interpreting college-baseball history. The museum will use exhibits to highlight the sport's history and honors.
The College Baseball Hall of Fame has inducted more than 160 players, coaches, umpires, administrators and contributors since voting began in 2006. Scott Boras, a Pacific alum, has also been inducted into the Hall, according to Pacific Tigers Athletics.
The foundation and other organizations recognize achievements in college baseball. Separately, George H.W. Bush played first base for Yale.
Tracing College Baseball's History
College baseball has a long history.
Omaha, Nebraska has long served as a gathering place for college baseball. The NCAA's postseason structure includes multiple divisions, with championship tournaments held at designated venues.
Building Local Ties Before the Doors Opened
The foundation began establishing itself in the Kansas City area well before the physical exhibit opened. In February 2024, it relocated its annual Night of Champions induction gala, which honors the sport's top national players and coaches, to Overland Park, according to the College Baseball Foundation. The foundation is also building local ties as it develops the museum.
Visit Overland Park estimated in January 2024 that the hall of fame would generate a multi-million-dollar economic impact and draw roughly 150,000 visitors in its first year, per Ingram's Magazine. The Museum at Prairiefire is more than a decade old, and the foundation is developing the hall as part of the broader attraction.
The museum's arrival gives college baseball a dedicated physical venue in Kansas City. The museum's arrival also adds to Prairiefire's mix of attractions.
