Nestled in the heart of Cooperstown, NY is a treasure chest of Mickey Mantle memorabilia which is frequently overlooked by most visitors to the town. The place is called Tom Catal's - A Tribute to Mickey Mantle Museum. It is located at 99 Main Street in this red brick building (pictured below). Tom Catal (pictured below next to his museum sign) was a close personal friend to Mickey who almost single-handedly started the sports memorabilia business back in the 70's by being the first to get Mickey to do an autograph session.
This museum contains literally thousands of Mickey Mantle items. It is an exhibit that truly honors "The Mick". After touring the Baseball Hall of Fame on numerous occasions, I have always been disappointed in how few Mickey Mantle items the HOF exhibits but that is definitely not the case here! From the time you step off the elevator onto the museum floor, you are surrounded by sights and sounds of Mickey Mantle. A video tape plays continuously of Mickey reminiscing about his favorite memories and showing film clips from his past.
Below are just a few samples of the items contained in the museum. I actually took about 30 different pictures of different cases and items but just didn't have the room here to show it all. I highly recommend this museum for any Mickey Mantle fan, or for that matter, any baseball fan. The museum's phone number is (607) 547-1273. There is a nominal admission fee but it is well worth the price.
