Baseball fans check out memorobilia at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y. -- Photos by Ruth Demirdjian Duench, Special to Sun Media

Modern-day versions of explorer Ponce de Leon, in search of their personal Fountain of Youth, should consider an out-of-the-way village in New York state. For in Cooperstown, old men suddenly become young again. That's because Cooperstown, the alleged birthplace of baseball, is home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Yes, there are other museums in and near Cooperstown. But for fans of what Americans call their "national pastime" -- people who may not remember where they were when John F. Kennedy was shot, but can recall everything about Bobby Thomson's "Shot heard 'round the world" in 1951 -- a visit to the famous building triggers memories that transport them back in time:

- Babe Ruth's locker and other Ruth memorabilia take great-grandfathers to 1927.

- Bronze statues of Johnny Podres and Roy Campanella, the battery of the World Series-winning Brooklyn Dodgers, take grandfathers to 1955.

- Jerseys worn by Pete Rose when he led the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series take fathers to 1974, 1975 and 1980.

- A ball used by Dave Stieb of the Blue Jays when he finally pitched a no-hitter takes twentysomethings to Sept. 2, 1990.

- And kids? When they get into the facility, they rush to see the infamous sock, which Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling bloodied, taking them back to ... 2004.

The three-storey facility, recently rededicated after a $23.4-million renovation, houses both the Hall of Fame and the Museum. Most of the first floor is used for the Hall of Fame gallery, where a plaque hangs for each of the 260 Hall of Famers, including 2005 inductees Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg. The museum occupies the rest of the facility, and the displays are updated often.

Another thing that takes people back in time is Cooperstown itself. Away from Main St., where the Hall of Fame and baseball souvenir stores are located, this quiet village has been affected very little by the modern world.

Physically, the village is constrained by tranquil Otsego Lake on one side and high hills on two other sides. As well, parking is very limited. Those factors prompt big-city companies, such as fast-food chains, to set up shop outside of town, says Hugh MacDougall, Cooperstown's official historian.

The village has dealt with its parking shortage in a novel way, running all-day trolleys between Main St., other Cooperstown museums, and three parking lots outside the village. The fare is $2 for adults, which allows unlimited use that day -- and can be a way to do some sightseeing when it's time to take a break from museum-visiting.

Brochures are available for a Cooperstown walking tour that guides pedestrians to grand old houses, the oldest of which dates to 1790.

The Otesaga Hotel is a relatively recent addition, built in 1909, but it is worth visiting. A huge veranda faces the lake, and guests can sit outside and listen to a local orchestra.

For those who don't want to visit all of the Hall of Fame in one day, tickets purchased within two hours of closing time permit the buyer to return the next day for free.

Legends on display.

Oddly, when I took advantage of this benefit during my visit, the time printed on my ticket was incorrect.

"It's okay," the ticket-taker said, explaining that staff members knew the computerized system was about 10 minutes behind. That's only fitting for a museum which takes its visitors back in time.