First stage of renovations complete at Babe Ruth Museum

The All-Star break is here, and for rabid baseball fans, it's kind of like going through withdrawal. No Orioles box score to pore over in the morning, no game to plan your evening around. Sure, there's the Home Run Derby tonight and the All-Star Game tomorrow in Cincinnati, but it's not the same thing as rooting for the home team. You might need something to satisfy your baseball fix.

If you're in or near Baltimore, this might be a good time to visit one of Charm City's treasures, the Babe Ruth Birthday and Museum at 216 Emory St. It's only a mammoth Manny Machado moonshot from Camden Yards and the birthplace of The Babe contains all sorts of artifacts and history surrounding the Bambino, the game's first notable slugger. Yes, New York may have "The House That Ruth Built," but Baltimore has the simple, brick structure where he was born - and more history than you can shake a Louisville Slugger at!

The museum has recently undergone a significant renovation and reopened last month with a new entrance and lobby on the Dover Street side of the building; an elevator that provides access to galleries on the first and second floors, and to third-floor offices; new public restrooms; and a new wiring grid. Many of the improvements bring the museum into compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Additionally, the exhibits have been upgraded and refreshed, with new gallieries featuring Ruth's "Called Shot" home run theater; a display on The Babe's favorite radio show, "The Lone Ranger," including the radio he listened to in his Riverside Drive apartment in New York City and the complete costume worn by Clayton Moore in the 1950s TV series "The Lone Ranger"; and important Ruthian artifacts returning to public view, including his 1914 rookie baseball card, his Catholic rosary and the wrong-handed baseball mitt he used at St. Mary's Industrial School.

The renovations, however, are not complete. The next phase will begin with a re-imagining of the Babe's backyard, including the installation of a wrought-iron fence to enclose the space, a large awning to provide cover from sun and rain, and new landscaping. The hope is to make the space a perfect place for parties. Additionally, the Emory Street side of the building will get new replacement windows and doors.

You can learn more about the Babe Ruth Museum and Birthplace here. And be sure to check out the video below from MASNsports.com's Julia Morris, who recently got an inside look at some of the new additions and features at the museum.