Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America

The Smithsonian Institution’s special exhibition, “Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America,” will be at the San Joaquin County Historical Museum from June 28 to August 6, 2017. The museum in Micke Grove Park is one of only five California museums to host the exhibition, which vividly portrays the drama that unfolds on the neighborhood fields and courts where Americans unite through sports. “Hometown Teams” reflects the triumphs and trials of the American experience through video, graphics, text, artifacts, and hands-on, touchable components. The exhibition highlights how sports have helped form America’s multicultural character. “The exhibition shows us that hometown sports are more than just games—they shape our lives and unite us,” said David Stuart, director of the San Joaquin County Historical Museum. “Sports teach us discipline and teamwork, give us enjoyment and fulfillment. Even if we’re not playing, we’re watching sports and supporting those who are playing.” Regular Museum admission is $5 for adults (18-64), $4 for seniors (65+) and teens (13-17), and $2 for children (6-12). Admission is free for children 5 and under and for members of the San Joaquin County Historical Society. There is a parking fee for each vehicle entering Micke Grove Regional Park, waived for members of the Historical Society. The Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday; closed Mondays and Tuesdays and selected holidays. The Smithsonian exhibition is complemented by many regional sports stories, photos, and artifacts displayed at the County Historical Museum. Other museums in San Joaquin County also share the history of local sports; pick up a “Scorecard” and visit them for a special prize. Museums partnering in the “Hometown Teams” effort include: the Tracy Historical Museum, the Manteca Historical Museum, the Clarence Smit Historical Museum in Ripon, the Escalon Historical Museum, and the Lockeford Historical Museum. “We hope people will use this incentive to visit all the museums in the county,” said Stuart. “The folks at these museums add so much richness and flavor to our shared, regional history—go talk with them.” The other special exhibition at the museum in Micke Grove Park, “Washington Street: Heart and Soul of Stockton Chinatown,” continues through August 13. The nonprofit San Joaquin County Historical Society maintains and operates the 18-acre Historical Museum in Micke Grove Regional Park. The Society provides education programs for school groups such as “Valley Days” and “Pioneer School Day” (in the 1866 Calaveras School). The Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. For more information see www.SanJoaquinHistory.org. “Hometown Teams” is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and State Humanities Councils nationwide. Support for Museum on Main Street is provided by the United States Congress. The nonprofit Exhibit Envoy travels the exhibition in California; it provides rental exhibitions and professional services to California museums. For more information, see www.exhibitenvoy.org