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Louisville Slugger’s 120-Foot Bat Marks 30 Years in Downtown Louisville

A public party at the museum capped three decades of the bat as a downtown landmark.

Overview

  • Tuesday’s celebration featured cupcakes, a giant birthday card and limited-edition pennants for the first 500 visitors.
  • The hollow monument is roughly 120 feet tall and about 68,000–70,000 pounds, leaning against the Louisville Slugger Museum on West Main Street.
  • Constructed as a single piece of steel and hand-painted to mimic wood grain, the design is based on Babe Ruth’s Louisville Slugger R43.
  • Installed on Oct. 21, 1995, the bat’s 12-mile delivery involved road closures and the temporary removal of a street light at Brook and Main to complete a turn.
  • Museum staff highlight its heavy social-media appeal and cite an estimated 70 million visitors over 30 years.