The Pro Football Hall of Fame stands as a brilliant honor to those who’ve made professional football America’s most popular sport. Located in Canton, Ohio, the Pro Football Hall of Fame was opened on September 7, 1963 with 17 initial inductees. Since its opening, the Hall of Fame has grown in both size and stature. The building has been expanded many times throughout the years, and completed major exhibit renovations in 2003 & 2008. The original 19,000 sq. ft. building has evolved into an amazing 83,000 sq. ft. world renowned institution and travel destination that averages nearly 200,000 visitors every year. Canton was chosen as the location for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for a variety of reasons including the fact that the NFL, then known as the American Professional Football Association was founded in Canton in 1920. The community of Canton also successfully lobbied the NFL to have the Hall built in their city.
Visitors entering the Hall are greeted by a seven foot bronze statue of the legendary Jim Thorpe. As you ascend to the second floor, guests learn about the first century of pro football with memorabilia, video and audio showing the development from 1892 through 1992. The Teams of the NFL Exhibition Area is the next stop and a great place to learn about each of the current 32 teams in the league. The Hall of Fame Gallery is one of the most impressive exhibits, it houses the bronze bust of each of the enshrined players and was renovated in 2003 to offer visitors the ability to learn about each member via touch screen kiosks that include bios, photos and video of the inductees. The Pro Football Adventure room provides information on the many other pro leagues that have challenged the NFL. The Super Bowl Room summarizes the Super Bowls played to date, showing the rings, pieces of game memorabilia as well as the entertainment that has helped turn the game into the event it is today. The new Moments, Memories & Mementos Gallery displays the achievements of Hall of Fame members using high-tech video, audio and lighting bringing the treasured artifacts to life. The also new Pro Football Today Gallery is filled with mementos from recent history making performances.
Every year, during the first full week in August, the Induction Ceremony is held to enshrine the new additions to the Hall. A community festival is held throughout the week in Canton leading up to the ceremony. Since 2002, the ceremony has been held at Fawcett Stadium on Saturday night. The Hall of Fame Game, held during the NFL pre-season is always held the day after the ceremony. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is open every day of the year except for Christmas. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, it is open from 9am to 8pm, through the remainder of the year it is open from 9am to 5pm. Admission is $18 for adults, $12 for children 14 and under, and $15 for seniors over 62. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is a must visit destination for all football fans around the world.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.