News
Bob Feller Msueum to Reopen, but For How Long?
The Bob Feller Museum wants to be part of the 2014 baseball season. The museum will reopen April 5, but the question is: How long can people actually walk through the doors of the Van Meter, Iowa., museum?
According to a story in the Des Moines Register earlier this week, the museum is in financial distress and unless there is more support, the museum will likely close.
The museum has suffered after its namesake passed away in 2010. Feller was the main attraction, and he often brought in fellow Hall of Famers and former stars to the museum for signings. With Feller gone, those signings have gone away.
“The museum itself just can’t move forward,” said museum board member Bob DiBiasio in the Des Moines Register. “And that’s nobody’s fault. But it just cannot continue to move forward. It cannot be an entity that loses money.”
The museum, which opened in 1995, closed on Jan. 3, but plans to reopen April 5. How long those doors remain open is the question. Currently, the museum board is looking at options with the city of Van Meter to possibly share space or share material with the city of Cleveland, where Feller played for all of his 18 years in the big leagues.
According to the Des Moines Register, the museum's membership, which once reached nearly 400 supporters, is now fewer than 100. Unless more supporters come forward, officials say the museum will not be open through the summer.
The Bob Feller Museum is located at 310 Mill St., Van Meter, IA 50261. The phone number is (515) 996-2806, and you visit the website at bobfellermuseum.org.
