By Jennifer R. Demuth
For football fans, the choice to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame at 2121 George Halas Drive NW, Canton, is an easy one. The attraction is practically the Mecca for all things football. But the Pro Football Hall of Fame isn’t just for football fans. The museum contains items that are sure to impress practically everyone and even give visitors the chance to be a part of the action like never before.
Tonja Marshall, travel/tourism marketing specialist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, enthusiastically explained, “As America’s premier sports museum and showplace, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is more than a museum, it’s an interactive experience. Enjoy 80,000 square feet of awe-inspiring exhibits that present pro football’s unique story and bring to life words such as ‘courage, skill’ and ‘dedication.’ Interactive exhibits act as windows to the dramatic stories behind the artifacts.
“We are so much more than a museum,” Marshall continued. “The exhibits are interactive through video and sound. Female visitors who originally think they are being dragged here by a male companion are surprised by how much they enjoy their visits.”
Visitors don’t need football playing skills to enjoy the Pro Football Hall of Fame, thanks to the features available in the interactive area which offers visitors the chance to participate in teletrivia games, call-the-play theater, a throwing cage, a new Madden EA Sports video game display, and officiating exhibits. A recent addition to this area highlights the twenty year history of the Arena Football League, and visitors can bring their own footballs to go deep for a long pass or return a punt for a touchdown at the new field turf recreational field at the Hall of Fame campus.
Football lovers are also sure to be impressed by the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s museum displays which honor football legends. “In the iconic, breathtaking Hall of Fame Gallery, each Hall of Fame member is honored with his sculptured bronze likeness, and touch-screen technology brings to life each member through exciting film footage, photos and more. With the class of 2009, there will be 253 Hall of Famers,” shared Marshall.
Other impressive aspects of the attraction include the Super Bowl Room which recaps all the Super Bowls played to-date, exhibits the Super Bowl rings and displays several pieces of memorabilia from the games. GameDay Stadium is also a must-see. The turntable theater features a 20-foot-by-42-foot cinemascope screen and was a first in sports when built as part of the Hall’s massive expansion in 1995. The theater gives new meaning to the phrase, “large-screen TV viewing.”
With Christmas growing closer, visitors won’t want to miss browsing through the 4,000 square-foot museum store that includes merchandise from all 32 NFL teams in addition to Hall of Fame merchandise and collectibles.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame opened in 1963 as a 19,000 square-foot facility, and now, 46 years later, is an exciting 83,000 square-foot internationally recognized institution and travel destination honoring America’s most popular sport. The site is located at Canton since the town was where the National Football League was founded in 1920, and the Canton Bulldogs were an early-day pro football power. The great Jim Thorpe, the first big-name athlete to play pro-football, played his first pro football with the Bulldogs.
To learn more about the history of football and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, visit www.profootballhof.com. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is open daily, except Christmas. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, it is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The hours for the remainder of the year are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $18 for adults, $12 for children 14 and under and $15 for seniors. Group rates are available.
