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Play ball! Public tours of Labatt Memorial Park launch this summer

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It’s the world’s oldest baseball diamond in continuous operation and one of London’s historic gems.

Starting this summer, people across the province will be able to explore Labatt Memorial Park on behind-the-scenes public tours of the iconic facility.

“Many people aren’t aware of the incredible history of Labatt Memorial Park, and we look forward to sharing these stories with Londoners and many others,” said Zanth Jarvis, Tourism London’s sport tourism director.

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“We believe this has the opportunity to become another key attraction for the city by providing a unique, memorable and educational experience.”

Labatt Park was built near the forks of Thames River in 1877. This aerial photo was taken in 1971. (London Free Press files)
Labatt Park was built near the forks of Thames River in 1877. This aerial photo was taken in 1971. (London Free Press files)

The downtown-area park was built in 1877 for the London Tecumsehs professional team.

The park has captured numerous accolades over the years and is recognized by Guinness World Records for its nearly century-and-a-half run as a baseball site in its original location.

The tours are being made possible with funding from the Ontario government in partnership with Tourism London and the City of London.

The tours will take people behind the scenes of the ballpark, allowing them to explore the field, see historic artifacts and hear about famous players teams and players who played there, including Satchel Paige, Ty Cobb and Chatham’s Fergie Jenkins.

The new tours are part of a broader strategy to attract baseball fans to Southwestern Ontario, which is also home to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in St. Marys and the Beachville District Museum. The community near Woodstock was the site of the first recorded baseball game in North America.

The organizations behind the three locations will collaborate on a Southwestern Ontario Baseball Heritage Pass offering tickets and plans to access all three facilities.

Tour prices were not announced Tuesday.

For more tour details, visit labattparktours.com.

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