Kicking off The Route 66 Centennial Celebration in Joliet with a Historic Event
JOLIET, IL – On Thursday, April 30th, the Joliet Slammers will be locked in the gates of the Old Joliet Prison as they take the field for a one-of-a-kind exhibition game. This event will serve as the official kickoff to the Route 66 Centennial Celebration with a 3:05pm first pitch.
The exhibition game will adopt the name “The Big House Ballgame” to represent the long history of organized baseball played at the prison. The first game was introduced in 1914 by Warden Edmund Allen as a way to improve morale and encourage good behavior. Baseball remained a constant at the Joliet Prison for nearly a century until the facility closed in 2002.
The Slammers are proud to be a part of a once in a lifetime celebration of the famous Route 66 and excited to help usher in a new era of baseball and community connections in Joliet. “The Big House Ballgame” will serve as the kickoff to a full slate of programs and community-wide activities throughout the city.
“The Big House Ballgame” is locally supported by Will County Government, Heritage Corridor Destinations, and Sportsfields Inc.
“‘The Big House Ballgame’ is exactly the kind of big idea event that gets us fired up as a team,” said Night Train Veeck. “We love being a part of these special moments that bring people together, surprise them a little, and give them a memory they’ll be talking about for a long time. We can’t think of a better way to celebrate the Route 66 Centennial, Joliet’s storied history and Slammers Opening Week.”
Keep an eye out in the upcoming weeks for information on tickets and event details! If you are interested in attending the game, please visit https://jolietslammers.com/bhbg/ to sign up early. Looking for more information on partnerships or all things “The Big House Ballgame” please email bighouseballgame@jolietslammers.com.
###
The Joliet Slammers play in downtown Joliet, Illinois, and are members of the professional, independent Frontier League. The Frontier League is the largest MLB Partner League with 18 teams spanning from the Mississippi River to the East Coast. Visit the Slammers online at www.jolietslammers.com or call the ticket office at 815-722-2287 for more information! Don’t forget to “Like” the Slammers on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jolietslammers, follow them on Instagram at @jolietslammersofficial or follow them on Twitter at @jolietslammers!The Joliet Area Historical Museum (JAHM) is a private 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization that celebrates the diverse industrial heritage and culture of the Joliet region. It is funded primarily through the support earned revenue, membership, sponsored programs and government grants. Founded in 2002, it operates a contemporary Museum facility in Joliet’s City Center in the historic 1909 Ottawa Street Methodist Church along Old Route 66. Since 2018, JAHM has operated the Old Joliet Prison Historic Site and now operates two additional historic properties Museum. In 2024, JAHM purchased the iconic “Gemini Giant” muffler man statue for display in its home community of Wilmington, Illinois and cooperatively manages the “Landing Pad” Visitor’s Center and Souvenir Shop. For more information, visit jolietmuseum.org.
