Nolan Ryan Exhibit Center

This is a nice little gem hidden in Brazoria County. I’d recommend this place to anyone who is a baseball fan, admirers of the hall of famer, or just those interested in the history of the area. Yes, it’s called «an exhibit center», but it is essentially a historical museum for the local hero. It’s located on the campus of Alvin Community College, which Nolan Ryan attended at one time. Its creation and donation to the college was the first major project of the Nolan Ryan Foundation, and its revenue goes back to the foundation to fund other charitable projects.
I arrived at Alvin Community College’s campus, and luckily came across a map to find the museum, which is sort of in its own location on the edge of campus. Parking was easy, and they have plenty of spaces. Inside you’ll find a clean, comfortable-​looking lobby, and a ticket office to buy admission to the museum. Upon my visit, I was greeted by a polite woman, who quickly got me in. Five bucks admission! Cheap!
Inside the museum are some pretty cool things on display. I saw lots of photos of Ryan as a little leaguer, his letterman jacket from Alvin High School, a scouting card from the New York Mets, baseballs from important games, letters and photos from other famous people, etc. The list goes on, and you won’t be disappointed if you are actually interested in the subject.
For those of you who like videos, audio commentaries, etc., you’ll find a small theater in the center with a looping video detailing an overview of Ryan’s life. It could stand a bit of updating at this point, but I guess that’s okay. There are other videos around the museum that detail different eras of his life from the minor leagues onward. Not bad. There were some other interactive-​looking displays, but they appeared to be out of order. Bummer.
Heading out to Alvin from Houston definitely feels like a trip because it is a fairly small town compared to many other Houston suburbs. The museum is located along Texas State Highway 35, which can be a crawl with traffic and lights. Unfortunately, alternate ways to get there, such as the aptly named Nolan Ryan Expressway (SH 288) with SH 6, aren’t much better. Expect a 35+ minute drive outside of Downtown Houston in the best conditions. However, it is definitely worth the travel hassle.
The place is lacking as much of a souvenir shop. There were some Mitchell and Ness jerseys for sale, but nothing much else of note. I think this could also be improved.