NEW YORK (AP) — The Jackie Robinson Museum has opened in Manhattan with a gala ceremony attended by the 100-year-old widow of the barrier-breaking ballplayer and two of his children.
Rachel Robinson watched the half-hour outdoor ceremony from a wheelchair in the 80-degree heat, then cut a ribbon to cap a project launched in 2008.
Her 72-year-old daughter, Sharon, also watched from a wheelchair and 70-year-old son David spoke to the crowd of about 200 sitting on folding chairs arrayed on a closed-off section of the major New York thoroughfare where the museum is located.
During his MLB career, Jackie Robinson was crowned the National League batting champion in 1949, was a seven-time All-Star, and won the World Series in 1955.
He died in 1972.
Rachel Robinson first announced the museum on April 15, 2008.
Initially, the museum was slated to open in 2010 and cost $25 million, but the Great Recession delayed it.
They finally broke ground on April 27, 2017.
It opens to the public on Sept. 5.
