Clemente Museum

About the Museum

The Clemente Museum is housed in historic Engine House 25, located in the revitalized Lawrenceville section of Pittsburgh. Executive Director and Curator, Duane Rieder, has meticulously renovated Engine House 25 to showcase the world’s largest exhibited collection of baseball artifacts, works of art, literature, photographs, memorabilia, and related materials which focus on Roberto Clemente, his teammates, his personal life, and his humanitarian causes. Whether it is the Gold Gloves, The Silver Slugger Award, The 1960 and ’71 World Series Rings, the cleats and home base from the ’71 series or the name of his wife, Vera, scratched into a vase Roberto made for her, visitors to the museum will leave knowing, more fully, what made Roberto Clemente a great man.

About the Man

Roberto Clemente was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1954 and rose to become the greatest baseball player of his time. During this period, the struggle for social justice had reached every part of our country, and every ballpark. He and many other athletes had to bear the burdens of racial and cultural prejudices, no matter what their abilities were on the field. He faced those burdens with dignity, pride and an empathy for those less fortunate. As for his critics, he silenced them with his amazing bat and miraculous arm. In his 18-year career, he received every possible award given in Major League Baseball. Off the field, he built a reputation as a humanitarian, with a passion to help children through sports. Today he is as well known for his passion for helping others as he is for his passion for baseball.

1950s // 1960s