TAMPA, Fla. – Eighty-nine signed baseballs and a walk down memory lane of how the sport became popular in Tampa is on display at the brand new Al Lopez House in Ybor City. 

From the moment you walk in, you are greeted by history. 

“We have here in Tampa nearly 135 years of baseball history,” Ybor City Museum President and CEO Chantal Hevia said.

Whether you were born and raised in the Bay Area like Jennifer Tedder and her son, or Tampa was a vacation spot and now home, folks are making sure they are stopping in to hear a piece of this history

“Just the fact that it’s Tampa and it’s baseball,” baseball fan Suzan Felter said. "I've been to the baseball hall of fame and my goal is to all the major league baseball parks."

That’s all it took for Felter and friend Ed Santilli to stop in and for the Tedders.

“My grandmother loves baseball to this day, he loves baseball so I thought let’s pop in and check out the museum,” she said.

The museum tour is an experience unlike any other experience in Ybor City. Visitors will get to learn about the early days of baseball in Tampa and how it’s transitioned to what it is today.

“When the Cubans came to Ybor City to work in the Cigar industry, when it’s approximately when it started, they also brought their love of baseball and their skills,” Hevia said. 

Along with its rich history, the museum takes gives you an inside look at the man many refer to as “El Señor.”

“This is where Al Lopez grew up and this is where he was discovered and that makes it very very significant because Al Lopez was Tampa’s first Major League player, manager, and Half of Fame inductee,” Hevia said.

The Hispanic baseball star is making the locals feel proud of calling the Bay area home.

“It just brings it all together, my heritage, my culture being here in Ybor City where I was born and raised,” Tedder said. 

The Al Lopez House is open on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. 

Visitors can find out tickets and everything they need to know about the tour by clicking this link.