Sports Jawn explores how Philadelphia sports bring people together, turning stadiums, neighborhoods, broadcasts, and city streets into powerful spaces of collective gathering.
In Philadelphia, sports have always been about more than the game. They are part of how the city comes together to cheer, debate, celebrate, commiserate, and pass stories from one generation to the next.
Sports Jawn explores the teams, stadiums, athletes, artifacts, and fans that have helped shape Philadelphia’s identity. From Baker Bowl and Shibe Park/Connie Mack Stadium to Veterans Stadium and today’s unforgettable fan moments, the exhibition looks at the places where Philadelphians gathered and the memories that became part of the city’s story.
Featuring artifacts connected to Philadelphia sports icons including Mike Schmidt, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Joel Embiid, and Dave “The Hammer” Schultz, Sports Jawn invites visitors to see local sports history through the lens of community, identity, and civic life.
At its core, the exhibition is about the freedom to gather, and the ways Philadelphians keep showing up for their teams, their city, and each other.
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Q: What is Sports Jawn?
A: Sports Jawn is a pop-up exhibition at the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia that explores local sports history, fan culture, stadiums, athletes, artifacts.
Q: Where is Sports Jawn located?
A: Sports Jawn is on view in the first floor gallery at the National Liberty Museum, located at 321 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia’s historic district.
Q: Is Sports Jawn only for sports fans?
A: No. While sports fans will enjoy the Philadelphia sports history and artifacts, the exhibition and the larger The Forgetten Freedom exhibit also explores broader themes of community, identity, civic life, and the freedom to assemble.
Q: How does Sports Jawn connect to the National Liberty Museum’s mission?
A: Like our “In the Arena” gallery of The Forgotten Freedom Exhibit, Sports Jawn connects sports culture to the freedom to gather, showing how fans and communities come together around shared experiences, public spaces, and civic identity.
Sports Jawn is a pop-up exhibition at the National Liberty Museum.
The exhibition connects Philadelphia sports history with a larger civic idea: the freedom to gather. Across generations, fans have come together in ballparks, arenas, homes, neighborhood bars, Broad Street celebrations, and everyday conversations to take part in something larger than a game.
Through sports artifacts, stadium history, local legends, and fan culture, Sports Jawn shows how teams and shared rituals help shape identity, memory, belonging, and civic life. The exhibition invites visitors to think about how gathering around sports can express loyalty, pride, disappointment, joy, protest, tradition, and community.
For visitors looking for things to do in Philadelphia, Sports Jawn offers a local, playful, and meaningful way to explore the connection between sports, public life, and the freedom of assembly.
EXPLORE THE ARTIFACTS
Mike Schmidt's Locker from Veterans Stadium
Julius “Dr. J” Erving Signed Jersey
Connie Mack Stadium Original Sign
Signed Pete Rose Phillies Batting Helmet
Richie Ashburn Phillies Jersey
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With a great selection of local art and Philadelphia-inspired merchandise, don’t miss out on items you won’t find anywhere else!s.
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