(WBIR – PIGEON FORGE) A new $22.5 million facility for youth sports is opening Wednesday.
The Ripken Experience, named after the family of MLB Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., officially opens at 11 a.m. ET Wednesday.
“I had high expectations with the vision and looking at it on paper, but nothing gets you more excited than when you actually come and see it,” Ripken Jr. said Wednesday morning.
The Pigeon Forge facility is the third Ripken Experience in the country. There are also locations in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Aberdeen, Md.
“This is the best one by far that we’ve built, and the best one that I’ve seen in any part of the country," Ripken Jr. said.
Ripken Jr., Pigeon Forge Mayor David Wear and Pigeon Forge City Manager Earlene Teaster are scheduled to attend Wednesday morning’s ribbon cutting ceremony at 405 Jake Thomas Road.
"You knew the view was going to be outstanding," Ripken Jr. said. "It is the best view in any complex I've ever seen."
Crews held a groundbreaking ceremony at the facility in Pigeon Forge on Nov. 13, 2014.
"It seems like just yesterday we broke ground," Wear said Wednesday morning.
The first games at the Pigeon Forge facility are scheduled to start Thursday, and tournaments are scheduled for Saturday.
For more information call (865)429-7361 or visit the Ripken Experience’s website.