Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory Scores Big with Factory Tour Renovations
Major Improvements Include New Film, New Bat-Making Processes, Relocation of Historic Demonstrations, and More
LOUISVILLE, Ky., June 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory has upped its game with an exciting new factory tour experience.
The tour now begins with a thrilling 3.5-minute movie that transports guests to the forests and mills where every Louisville Slugger bat begins. This giant, floor-to-ceiling projection sets the stage for the world-famous factory tour by telling the important story of the wood before it reaches the factory.
During the factory tour, guests now see and learn about steps in the bat-making process that have never been shown before. New features include the custom spray process, pad printing, and mini-bat production. Bigger monitors, a better sound system, and new footage take guests inside the machinery. Stunning new graphics added along the route highlight the history of Hillerich & Bradsby Co.'s role in producing the iconic Louisville Slugger bat since 1884. Throughout the tour, guests can now touch and hold more samples of this legendary bat than ever before.
Another dramatic new experience on the factory tour is the giant Pro Player Billet Bin, which showcases the billets destined to be turned into baseball bats for star players on every major league team. Guests can walk right up to the impressive, handcrafted shelves and pull out the billets selected for their favorite players and teams.
"One feature that has always set Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory apart as an unforgettable experience is the authenticity of walking through the heart of our production line. This is a genuine, working factory and our guests are in the middle of the action," said Anne Jewell, Vice President and Executive Director of Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. "Now, that experience is even better with these major league upgrades improving the sights, sounds, and stories that surround our guests here."
Every guest still receives a free souvenir mini-bat at the end of the tour. Now those beloved mini-bats are bestowed upon guests in a beautifully revamped gallery that incorporates vintage factory carts and quotes about Louisville Slugger from players like Babe Ruth and Cool Papa Bell.
Another improvement involves two very popular and historic bat-making processes: The old-fashioned hand-turning demonstration, where guests watch a bat being carved, or "turned" by hand on a lathe as it was done starting in the 1880s, and the burn branding process where bats are rolled over a 1,300-degree iron plate for branding. These fan-favorite demonstrations have been moved out of the factory and into the museum gallery where guests can watch and enjoy these activities for as long as they'd like, interact with the workers, and take pictures.
This is the first major factory tour renovation since Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory opened at this location in 1996. The legendary landmark attracts 300,000 guests a year.
**Download official high-res photos, video, logo and press release: http://bit.ly/2WAuHlE
SOURCE Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory
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