The Payden Sports Museum is located on the top floor of the incredible J. R. Payden Field House which is part of the Leo F. Ryan Athletic Complex in Derby. The field house stands in the middle of the complex between state-of-art baseball/softball and football/soccer/track and field. The entire complex with its all-weather fields is considered to be one of the finest public high school complexes in the state.

This was mostly made possible through the generosity of Joan Payden in honor of her father who was a 1915 graduate of Derby High School. He played baseball and football at Derby as well as being an outstanding student who went on to graduate from Yale after serving as a pilot in WWI. He achieved great success in the business world with Union Carbide. He and his wife had two children - Joan and William. J. R.'s fond memories left a lasting impression on his children who went on to great success of their own leading to their connection to this facility in Derby.

William "Bill" Payden attended Notre Dame University and graduated from the University of Colorado. He became a journalist, professor, and philanthropist. He was also an avid sports fan and collector of sports memorabilia. His collection contains approximately 500 items from the world of baseball, football, and bsketball in addition to some items from other sports.

He passed away in 2013, and when Joan was working with Derby on the new field house, she had the beautiful museum designed and incorporated into the building. In 2019, Bill's collection was moved from Los Angeles to Derby.