For Pete's Sake

Visitors to get free admission to Negro Leagues Baseball Museum thanks to Royals

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  • Royals Foundation funds free February admission for fifth consecutive year.
  • Museum reports over 50,000 visitors since free-access program began in February 2022.
  • NLBM extends February hours, opens Mondays and adds earlier Wednesday start times.

Sure, CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz may have come up with the phrase “A Tradition Unlike Any Other” when talking about The Masters, but there’s a pretty cool tradition here in Kansas City.

For the fifth consecutive year, the Negro League Baseball Museum will have free admission in the month of February thanks to the Kansas City Royals Foundation, in honor of Black History Month.

“We can’t thank the Kansas City Royals and The Royals Foundation enough for once again opening the doors of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum free of charge for the entire month of February and we look forward to seeing the turnstiles spinning,” NLBM President Bob Kendrick said in a news release.

“This impactful community outreach initiative makes the museum more accessible for students, particularly those from underserved communities, while also encouraging more people to visit where they have an opportunity to learn about and be inspired by courageous athletes who overcame tremendous social adversity to play the game they loved.”

The Royals said more than 50,000 people have visited the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum since they began making it free in February starting in 2022. The Kansas City Royals Foundation has contributed more than $435,000 to the museum in that time, the team noted.

The NLBM will have extended hours during February. During the winter months, the museum is not open on Monday, and the regular hours are from Tuesday through Saturday are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

But in February, the NLBM also will be open on Mondays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for Presidents’ Day (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.). And the museum will open its doors at 9 a.m. on Wednesdays.

This story was originally published January 28, 2026 at 1:46 PM.

Pete Grathoff
The Kansas City Star
From covering the World Series to the World Cup, Pete Grathoff has done a little bit of everything since joining The Kansas City Star in 1997.
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