From a boyhood baseball card collector to the founder and curator of one of the most epic collections of baseball memorabilia in the country, COCPA member Bruce Hellerstein, CPA, is determined to preserve baseball history for future generations.

Many people collect things for fun, but Hellerstein has taken that concept to a new level. What began as a museum in the basement of his home has grown into the National Ballpark Museum, at 1940 Blake Street in LoDo, just a stone’s throw from home plate at Coors Field. 

The museum houses one of the most extensive collections of baseball history in the United States, with a focus on the old, classic ballparks like Fenway Park and Wrigley Field. “These are our American treasures,” Hellerstein says. 

Among 1,000-plus pieces of history from America’s 14 classic ballparks are original signage, old seats, turnstiles, and wrought iron carvings of logos, displayed alongside jerseys, hats, balls, and bats. 

What drives Hellerstein is the magic that he says surrounds baseball. “When people ask me why I’m so attracted to baseball, it’s because it’s magical. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about it.”

That magic sets the stage for what Hellerstein calls his love affair with baseball and the classic, old baseball parks. A frequent visitor to Denver’s Bears Stadium as a child, in 1968 Hellerstein made his first official visit to a classic ballpark: Crosley Field in Cincinnati. “I still dream I’m there. I’m in love with her, and my wife isn’t jealous,” he laughs.

Read the full article, “Bruce Hellerstein’s Quest to Preserve Baseball History,” in the summer 2024 issue of NewsAccount.

To learn more about the National Ballpark Museum, visit ballparkmuseum.com. Reach Hellerstein at bruce@hellersteincpapc.com or 720-351-0665.

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