Great games and great athletes come and go, but every once in a while sports fans get to see a legend in the making. For those times when the experience of history in the making transcended mere sport, you need to make sure that moment is captured and enshrined forever. And that's where the following five sports museums come in.

If if you’re constantly glued to the NBA playoffs or find yourself screaming amid exciting fans during NFL season, take a trip to these sports museums where the game never ends and legends live on.

Pittsburgh, PA: The Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum

It’s the thrill of the game that keeps fans wandering through the doors of The Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, which is a sanctuary for sports lovers on the second and third floors of the Smithsonian area of the Heinz History Center. 

This museum is where some of the most mind-boggling moments of sports are captured in a mix of audio and visual exhibitions as well as through a series of artifacts decorating the cutting-edge spaces of this Pittsburgh shrine. 

Whether hitting a homerun or celebrating runners going for gold, the city’s love for sports continuously prevails in The Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum to give its visitors the gift of re-experiencing history-making occasions that are too precious to be lost in time.

San Diego, CA: San Diego Hall of Champions

It is every athlete’s dream to have their name celebrated in the nation’s greatest hall of fames, and thanks to the San Diego Hall of Champions, the city and its honorees can embrace the spirit of sportsmanship. A visit to this fascinating world of sports stuns sports fans as artifacts of various sports fill its entire 68,000 square feet. 

From sail boat models of the America’s Cup and San Diego athletes gracing the covers of Sports Illustrated to surfing displays, it comes as no surprise that San Diego Hall of Champions would be recognized as America’s largest museum that focuses on a wide spectrum of sports. Roaming through its halls is like reliving the highlighted careers of Bill Walton, Ted Williams and Florence Chadwick, whose names are all proudly hung in the museum’s Breitbard Hall of Fame.

Chicago, IL: Chicago Sports Museum

When the Chicago Sports Museum debuted in April, it scored major points with visitors and tourists alike.  That’s because the museum brings Chicago’s enthusiasm for sports into its 8,000 square feet of space.  Around every corner presents a fun experience that allows visitors to feel as victorious as Michael Jordan performing a slam dunk or Patrick Kane sliding the puck into goal. With five zones jam-packed with interactive games and exhibitions, there is something for every enthusiast to enjoy regardless of age. 

The Hall of Legends offers interactive contests where guests can feel like professional players themselves by playing in one-on-one competitions with their favorite athletes. Curses and Superstitions immerse visitors in the mysteries of common rituals and superstations that exist in the world of professional sports. And at the Fan Zone visitors will be expected to recall the best moments of Chicago’s sports team while partaking in various challenges.  Situated in the Water Tower Place and adjacent to the local eatery, Harry Caray’s 7th Inning Stretch, the Chicago Sports Museum appeals to every sport’s fan’s fantasy.

Springfield, MA: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

When Dr. Naismith invented basketball decades ago he had no idea that the game would become such a world-wide phenomenon. And thanks to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame his legacy doesn’t go unnoticed. Flaunting an innovative façade that majestically stands out on the banks of the Connecticut River, its appearance alone makes visitors want to rush inside. 

And once they are in the midst of the artifacts, games, competitions and exhibits decorating its grandeur spaces, the museum guarantees to make fans feel as though they have scored front row seats. Guests can even get up close to the NBA’s best payers by exploring the names of  inductees like Charles Barkley, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Patrick Ewing as well as Dennis Rodman and much more in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.

Baltimore, MD: Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum

He was the first athlete to become a celebrated hero, and his fondest memories lives on in the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Sports Legend Museum.  The museum is home run for fanatics wanting to take a trip to history and relive George Herman “Babe” Ruth, also known as the Bambino’s famous days as a baseball all-star. 

From his groundbreaking records and his baseball uniform to artifacts from his days on the field in high school and his family life, every extent of his journey is played out in the museum.  When visitors are looking to be inspired by one of America’s greatest legends they can discover the legacy left behind of Babe Ruth that are now preserved as sacred displays at the Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum.