On View Oct 4, 2025 – Mar 16, 2026: Home Runs & Home Teams, A History of the National Pastime in Tennessee

Home Runs and Home Teams Exhibit Now through March 16, 2026
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The Chattanooga Public Library’s Local History & Genealogy Department is thrilled to announce its newest exhibit: Home Runs & Home Teams: A History of the National Pastime in Tennessee. 

This travelling exhibition, created by the Museum of East Tennessee History, will be on view from October 4, 2025 – March 16, 2026 on the 3rd Floor of the Downtown Library, with an Opening Reception on Friday, October 24, at 5:30 pm. The exhibit is free, open to all ages and available to view Monday through Saturday, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm.

Baseball has long been a part of Tennessee history, and while the game is familiar to all of us, there are many historical facts that might not be so well known. How many people know the answers to the following questions: 

  • Who were among the first to play baseball in Tennessee?
  • How did 31 Tennessee towns come to host a MiLB team?
  • What makes a day at a Tennessee ballpark an iconic experience?

Home Runs & Home Teams answers these and so many more with an overview of how our national pastime has played out in the Volunteer State. For every story included in the exhibition, there are hundreds more that could be told, from players to pennants and bat makers to bat boys. The exhibition encourages visitors to think about their connection to the game and ties to the past, as well as ask, what does baseball mean to you and to your community? What baseball stories should libraries and museums preserve to share with future Tennesseans?

“Baseball runs deep in Chattanooga’s history, and with excitement building for the new Erlanger Park, this exhibit couldn’t be more timely,” said Jessica Sedgwick, Head Librarian of Local History & Genealogy. “Home Runs & Home Teams offers a chance to explore the shared memories, iconic ballparks and unsung heroes that shaped the game in Tennessee. It connects our past to the future of baseball, and it will make you see the game through a whole new lens.”
Museum of East Tennessee History, Knoxville, TN.

To complement the traveling exhibition, the Library will be offering programs and curating an exclusive companion display to showcase historical materials from the Local History & Genealogy’s own collections, shining a spotlight on Chattanooga’s unique baseball legacy. Keep an eye on the Chattanooga Public Library’s website in the coming weeks for program announcements and further details.

The Chattanooga Public Library is grateful to the Museum of East Tennessee History, operated by the East Tennessee Historical Society in Knoxville, Tennessee. The exhibition is presented by Boyd Sports with support from Denark Construction, Knoxville Utilities Board, Chris and Donna Kinney, Ed and Lisa Shouse and Downtown Knoxville Alliance. Photographs and additional resources for the exhibition are available online at  www.easttnhistory.org/exhibitions/home-runs-home-teams/.

About the East Tennessee History Center
At the East Tennessee History Center, Discover Your Story isn’t just a tagline—it’s an invitation. Whether your roots run deep in East Tennessee or you are exploring a newfound interest, the History Center offers a gateway to the people, places, and events that shaped the region. With a family friendly museum, governmental archives, and a heralded special collections and genealogical library under one roof, the History Center is where personal past meets regional history.

The East Tennessee History Center is a facility of Knox County Public Library and is operated in programmatic partnership with the East Tennessee Historical Society (www.eastTNhistory.org). It is located at 601 S. Gay St. in the heart of downtown Knoxville, Tennessee. For more information, please call 865-215-8899.

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