The second largest collection of autographed baseball memorabilia in the world can be seen at Stuart's Elliott Museum, a place filled with treasures. The baseball collection is just one aspect of the eclectic museum founded by the son of the late Sterling Elliott, an inventor and a master of ingenuity and creativity.

“Field of Dreams,” the current exhibition, focuses on Florida’s history as a hot spot for spring training, since 13 teams currently train in Florida.

Travel back in time with priceless items such as:

• a baseball signed by the Series winning 1932 Yankees (including Babe Ruth)
• “Shoeless” Joe Jackson's bat plus signed bats by other immortals including Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Hank Aaron
• baseball cards signed by the double-play combination of Tinker, Evers and Chance, who played their first game together for the Chicago Cubs 108 years ago, and
• audio clips from Ty Cobb’s journal, contracts and correspondence.

On the Elliott's website, you can watch videos of Jim Kaat, a St. Louis Cardinals pitcher on the team that won the 1982 World Series championship, Rusty Meacham, former Kansas City Royal's reliever and Rod Murphy, former Cincinnati Reds' reliever, talking about the museum's collection.

The Elliott is well-supported by the surrounding community on Hutchinson Island in Martin County. For this exhibit, the Museum’s collection is augmented by artifacts from a local baseball collector and Elliott supporter, Bob Banasiak. Previously, Joseph DePaolo added his priceless collection of thirty-five baseballs signed by Hall of Famers.

While Mr. Elliott is not a household name today, his genius is evident in the invention of the ball bearing, rack and pinion steering, egg carton, paper cup and the women's bicycle. During his life in the 19th and 20th Centuries, he was a prolific collector of Americana.

I was at the Elliott for too short a time. Count on wanting to linger for far longer than you’d planned.

• Hall of Fame issued bat signed by: Reese, Marichal, Roberts, Kell, Kaline, Schoendienst, Spahn
• Baseball Day at Cooperstown signed by: Auker, Lemon, McHale, White, Hernanski, Rivera, Berkert, Carter, Porter, Torre, Litwhiler, Delock, Kaat
• 53rd All Star Game Bat from game held in Olympic Stadium in Montreal
• Babe Ruth
• Roberto Clemente
• Ty Cobb
• Rod Carew
• A Josh Gibson bat signed by: Leonard, Dandridge and Irvin all of the Negro League
• Hal Chase (this one is barely visible in the photo…….)