The Midsummer Classic Returns: MLB All-Star Week 2026 In Philadelphia

For the first time since 1996, the eyes of the baseball world will be fixed on the birthplace of America. As part of the massive Semiquincentennial (250th Anniversary) celebrations, Major League Baseball's All-Star Week is taking over the city in July 2026.

From high-stakes home runs to fan festivals that span the city, here is everything you need to know about the most anticipated baseball event of the decade.

The Main Events at Citizens Bank Park

The heart of the action will be at Citizens Bank Park, which will be celebrating its own milestone as it hosts its first-ever All-Star Game.

The 96th MLB All-Star Game: The centerpiece of the week, where the best of the American League and National League face off for bragging rights.

Home Run Derby: Expect the "Bank" to play small as the league's most powerful sluggers take aim at the Ashburn Alley seats.

All-Star Futures Game: See the stars of tomorrow before they hit the big leagues.

Beyond the Ballpark: All-Star Village

Philadelphia is transforming its historic and modern spaces into a baseball wonderland. All-Star Village (the modern evolution of FanFest) will likely be centered around the Pennsylvania Convention Center and the surrounding blocks, offering:

Interactive Exhibits: Test your pitching speed or try to rob a home run in virtual reality.

Legend Appearances: Meet Phillies icons from the 1980 and 2008 World Series teams for autographs and Q&A sessions.

The All-Star Red Carpet Show: Watch the players parade through the city’s streets in a high-fashion procession before the big game.

Why 2026 is Different

This isn't just another All-Star Game. Because it coincides with the U.S. 250th Anniversary, MLB is working closely with the city to weave baseball into the national celebration.

"Philadelphia is the perfect stage for the 2026 All-Star Game. The intersection of baseball's history and our nation's history will make this an unforgettable experience for fans," — MLB Commissioner's Office.

Visitors can expect unique mashups between the All-Star festivities and historic sites like Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, which are just a short subway ride away on the Broad Street Line.

Survival Tips for Fans

Book Lodging Now: With the FIFA World Cup matches and the All-Star Game happening in the same summer, hotels are filling up fast. Check the Michelin Guide’s top Philly hotels for the best places to stay.

Use Public Transit: Traffic in South Philly will be intense. Stick to SEPTA—it's the fastest way to get to the Sports Complex.

Explore the Food: While the stadium has great eats, don't miss out on the local All-Star specials at Reading Terminal Market and Philly's world-class food scene.

National Baseball Hall Of Fame Salutes Fans’ Timeless Love Of Baseball Cards In Its Newest Permanent Exhibit, “Shoebox Treasures”

Photo Credit: Milo Stewart Jr., National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

From MBPR! on behalf of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum:

Cooperstown, New York  – They’re rubber-banded together in boxes or filed in binders, stuffed under beds or tucked away in attics, stored on the top shelf of a closet or hanging out in your parents’ basement. They’re rectangular pieces of cardboard with a photo on one side and statistics on the other … and yes, you probably know those numbers by heart. They’re baseball cards, and if you didn’t collect them yourself, there’s a good chance that you have a sibling, parent, spouse or friend who did. 

For generations, baseball cards have provided the perfect way for fans of the National Pastime to connect to their favorite teams and players. Now they’re the focus of the newest permanent exhibit at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, “Shoebox Treasures,” which celebrates the history, design and production of baseball cards … and the fans who love them.

The exhibit occupies a 700-square-foot space on the Museum’s third floor and comes in response to feedback from visitors who yearned for a dynamic way to learn the story of how a childhood hobby transformed into a multi-million-dollar industry. The interactive exhibit allows visitors to explore the history of trading cards, trace how the design of baseball cards has evolved over the years, take a deep dive into the passion behind collecting cards, and ultimately arrive at displays of some of the rarest and most cherished cards in history. 

In the past and throughout many of the other displays in the Museum, the Hall of Fame has used baseball cards to show images of players or share impressive statistics. In this new exhibit, however, the cards finally get to tell their own story … which is often a quirky or unexpected one. For example, there’s an entire section devoted to “error cards” – those that featured reversed photos, misspelled names or even incorrectly identified players. (Or, in one case, used a photo of the team’s bat boy rather than a player!)

So far, visitors have especially enjoyed the section titled “The Cards Your Mother Threw Away,” which uses interactive vertical files to trace cards through time, from the earliest in the collection, which dates to 1878, through modern day. That portion of the exhibit features more than 2,000 cards, which represents a mere one percent of the cards in the Hall of Fame’s overall collection. 

The journey through “Shoebox Treasures” concludes with the “Holy Grails,” 10 cards that are among the rarest and most sought-after in the industry’s nearly 140-year history. These cards, which are displayed in special cases that protect them from light and other elements, include Honus Wagner’s famed T206 card from 1909, Babe Ruth’s 1916 Red Sox rookie card from the Sporting News, a 1949 Leaf Jackie Robinson card, and a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card.

The color schemes, fonts and designs incorporated into the entire “Shoebox Treasures” exhibit were drawn from the cards themselves. Those visitors who pay close attention will realize that even the pink subway tiles at the exhibit’s entrance look like fresh sticks of bubble gum, and guests have already remarked that the room’s long, narrow shape reminds them of an attic. In short, this isn’t just a display; it’s an interactive interpretation that honors one of the most effective marketing campaigns ever conceived and celebrates fans’ passion for collecting. 

For those who are so inspired, there are even interactive stations where visitors can pose for their own baseball card photo, choose a favorite team and position, and email themselves a collection of cards that shows what they would have looked like through generations of baseball cards – and thus become their own part of baseball’s history.

For more information about “Shoebox Treasures” or any of the one-of-a-kind experiences available only at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, please visit https://baseballhall.org/. To plan your trip to Cooperstown to see the exhibit yourself – and to explore packages that will allow you to truly discover “America’s Most Perfect Village” – check out https://www.cooperstowngetaway.org/.