Spiegel Grove Squires return for season of vintage base ball at home, across Ohio

See America’s favorite pastime as it was played in its early days by watching the vintage base ball team at the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, the Spiegel Grove Squires.

This season, the Squires have six home events and welcome all to attend their games.

Home games are played on the lawn behind the Hayes Home, and admission is free.  A refreshment tent with snacks and drinks is also available.  

The Squires bring to life the sport when it became organized with standard rules of play for clubs. Back then, base ball was spelled with two words.

The Squires are volunteers who have studied and learned the methods of play used in the 1860s, including playing bare-handed. Players are called ballists, and they wear period-style uniforms and adopt the language of 19th-century base ball during their matches, as games were called during the 1860s.

The Squires are sponsored by Whirlpool Corp.

The 2026 schedule is:

• Sunday, May 17 — at noon vs. the Akron Black Stockings and Bay Village Villagers at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens in Akron.
• Sunday, June 7— at 2 p.m. vs. the Canal Dover Redlegs at Dover Park in Dover.
• Sunday, June 14 — at 1 p.m. with Celebrity All-Stars at home.
• Saturday, June 27 — from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. exhibition play with kids during GroveFest at home. For information on GroveFest, visit https://www.rbhayes.org/news/2026/04/16/general/grovefest-connects-all-ages-with-nature/.
• Sunday, July 5 — at 1 p.m. vs. the Ottawa County Historical Society at James Park in Marblehead.
• Sunday, July 12 — at 1 p.m. vs. the Early Risers BBC at home.
• Sunday, July 26 — at 1 p.m. vs. the Canal Fulton Mules at home.
• Sunday, Aug. 2 — Times TBA vs. the Canal Fulton Mules and Hoover Sweepers at the Hoover Park Festival at Hoover Park at Walsh University in North Canton.
• Sunday, Aug. 9 — at 1 p.m. vs. the Canal Dover Redlegs at home
• Sunday, Aug. 16 — at noon vs. the Akron Black Stockings and Whiskey Island Shamrocks at Hale Farm and Village in Bath.
• Sunday, Aug. 30 — at 1 p.m. vs. the Early Risers BBC at location to be determined.
• Sunday, Sept. 6 — Times TBA at the Ohio Cup Tournament hosted by the Ohio Village Muffins at Thompson Park in Columbus.
• Sunday, Sept. 13 — 1 p.m. with the Sandusky County Raptors Special Olympics softball team at home.
• Sunday, Sept. 20 — 1 p.m. vs. Shores & Islands Ohio at Edison High School in Milan.
• Sunday, Sept. 27 — 1 p.m. vs. the Akron Black Stockings at home.

Hayes Presidential is America’s first presidential library and the forerunner of the federal presidential library system. It is partially funded by the state of Ohio and affiliated with the Ohio History Connection. Hayes Presidential is located at Spiegel Grove on Buckland Avenue.

For information, call 419-332-2081, or visit rbhayes.org. Like Hayes Presidential on Facebook and follow on Instagram at rbhayespres and on Bluesky at rbhayespres.bsky.social.