Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition "¡PLEIBOL! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues" Coming to National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture

Explore the History of Latinos’ Impact on American Culture and Society Through Lens of Baseball, September 16, 2025 - February 28,  2026

CHICAGO, Illinois (July 28, 2025)­ – The history of Latinos and their impact on American culture and society are explored through the lens of baseball in the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) new bilingual exhibition, ¡PLEIBOL! IN THE BARRIOS AND THE BIG LEAGUES / EN LOS BARRIOS Y LAS GRANDES LIGAS, at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture from September 16, 2025 - February 28, 2026. 

¡PLEIBOL! was organized by SITES in collaboration with the National Museum of American History. The exhibition received generous support from the Cordoba Corporation and Linda Alvarado, and federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the National Museum of the American Latino.

Throughout the 20th century in the United States and Latin America, baseball provided a path for a better future. Workers in agriculture and industry in the United States used baseball to make ends meet and as a socially acceptable space to find community and organize for rights and justice. 

“Baseball has always been more than a game for the Puerto Rican community,” said Billy Ocasio, President and CEO of the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture. “It’s a bridge between generations, a symbol of resilience, and a source of immense pride. Roberto Clemente exemplifies the heart of Humboldt Park: talent, tenacity, and a deep commitment to justice. Bringing the ¡PLEIBOL! exhibit to the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture celebrates how our community has shaped and been shaped by this sport.”

Taking a multimedia approach featuring reproductions of historic and personal photographs, graphic elements, and a bilingual video produced by the “La Vida Baseball” team at TeamWorks Media, the exhibition captures the excitement of America’s pastime, from community baseball teams to the Major League, highlighting how the game can bring people together regardless of race, class, and gender. QR codes throughout the exhibition provide visitors with more information on relevant objects, included in a virtual gallery developed as part of the 3D digitization project in collaboration with the Smithsonian Latino Center and the Smithsonian Digitization Program Office.

¡PLEIBOL! is locally presented in collaboration with The Clemente Museum, dedicated to telling the story of Roberto Clemente, a cultural icon not only for Puerto Ricans but across Latino communities in the U.S. He was the first Latin American and Caribbean player enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame and remains a symbol of athletic excellence, pride, humanitarianism, and resistance to racism. In Humboldt Park, a historically Puerto Rican neighborhood in Chicago, Clemente’s legacy is deeply felt. The neighborhood is home to the Roberto Clemente Community Academy, and baseball has long been a point of pride and community building in local parks and youth leagues. 

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Images available for download at National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture Media Center at this link

ABOUT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF PUERTO RICAN ARTS & CULTURE

The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture (3015 W. Division St. in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood) is the only national museum outside of Puerto Rico dedicated to interpreting the arts and culture of the Puerto Rican people. Founded in 2000, it is housed in the historic landmark Humboldt Park Stables and Receptory, near the Paseo Boricua. For more information: https://nmprac.org/

ABOUT THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION TRAVELING EXHIBITION SERVICESITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for more than 70 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science, and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play.  For exhibition description and tour schedules, visit http://sites.si.edu.