NIAGARA FALLS — For a handful of generations, baseball parks have been vibrant locales to savor an afternoon in the sun, a gluttonous meal and a quick math lesson on how the numbers six, four and three can add up to the end of an inning.

Leave it to an art museum to take a fresh perspective on the houses that have entertained the national pastime.

With today’s opening of “Fields of Dreams: North American Baseball Stadiums by Photographer Jim Dow,” Niagara University’s Castellani Museum has an exhibit that will offer a different look at 26 of the game’s most famous havens, including Fenway Park, Wrigley Field and a former incarnation of Yankee Stadium.

“It’s interesting because every one of them is empty. There might be a person or two in them, but primarily, they’re empty,” said Michael Beam, the curator of collections and exhibitions at the Castellani who helped put the show together in time for baseball season. “You never see a stadium empty. They all look so quiet, dark and kind of solemn in these photos. It’s very different than you’d usually see them, with people moving about and the crack of the bat.”

Dow, known for his still-life work, never intended to have enough baseball stadium snapshots to piece a show together. And while modern parks have been well-documented through upgrades in technology, Dow’s photos of parks from the 1980s and ’90s are often uneven as he patched multiple shots together to provide a thorough look at each palace.

“He wasn’t really known for these pictures, this was just a hobby for him,” said Beam, who admits he knew little about baseball or its stadiums before tackling this project. “The show really isn’t about him too much, it’s more about the photographs. The very first one he took was of (Philadelphia’s) Veterans Stadium. After, he decided he liked it, so everywhere he went to do a project, he’d take a picture of the stadium.”

Dow, who taught photography at Harvard, once said: “The bigger, fancier stadiums are the places where the dreamers gather to watch their fantasies played out in front of them. The little ones are where dreamers gather to play.”

And while Niagara’s baseball team has hardly played in fancy stadiums throughout the years, the Purple Eagles are still steeped in tradition.

To coincide with the exhibit of Dow’s photos, a separate case spotlighting the accomplishments of Niagara’s 14 major league players and coaches offers insight into familiar names like legendary Yankees manager Joe McCarthy and Sal Maglie.

Beam credited Diane Maroon of the university’s archives department for finding photos and background information on the players, while a partnership with the school’s alumni produced other artifacts, including a 1958 Sports Illustrated article penned by Maglie on pitching.

“It’s been interesting to see the enthusiasm people have had for this project,” Beam said.

He also hopes the project will bring fresh faces into the museum.

“This exhibition is really about our goal of reaching new audiences. It’s not about the artist, per se, but the subject matter — which is baseball. Baseball has it’s own whole following, but this cross-promotes sports and art. Shows like this are intended to bridge that gap,” he said. “We are an art museum, but we’re an education resource also.”

“When we do an event like this, you’d be surprised at how many people stop and check out the other exhibits,” said Kate Koperski, the museum’s director. “It’s really nice to see.”

IF YOU GO

• WHAT: Field of Dreams: North American Baseball Stadiums, by Photographer Jim Dow
• WHEN: March 21 through Aug. 2
• WHERE: Niagara University’s Castellani Museum (across from the Gallagher Center)
• HISTORY: Dow, known for his work with still-life photography, patched together photos of various baseball stadiums from throughout the continent. Among those in this collection are Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, the Houston Astrodome and Dodger Stadium.
• NIAGARA ADDITION: As part of the exhibit, the university has compiled a collection of photos and stories highlighting Niagara University baseball players who have reached the major leagues, including legendary New York Yankees manager Joe McCarthy and Niagara Falls product Sal Maglie.