Pro Football Hall of Fame VIDEO

Free Magazine l All Attractions  l  Regional Fun  l  Festivals & Events  l  Videos  l  Advertising

 

The player will show in this paragraph

Back to Magazine  l  More Videos

Excerpt from a past edition of OhioTraveler

   


PIGSKIN TALES AT CANTON'S
PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME

Blood, sweat and tears mix with legends, relics and state-of-the-art tools scoring memories for any grid-iron fanatic inside the hallowed Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.   

In 1920, the owners of the American Professional Football Association met in Canton to form what would become the National Football League two years later. And the rest, as they say, is history. The first dynasty of the early era was the Canton Bulldogs. The first superstar was the Canton Bulldog’s Jim Thorpe whom was an Olympic sensation and dubbed the “world’s greatest athlete” at that time. All of which placed Canton as the epicenter of professional football. And in 1962, ground broke there to build the shrine to what would become America’s number one sport. Since the Pro Football Hall of Fame opened, it has more than quadrupled its size. With its growth also came recent, innovative, technological advances.  

This museum displays more than old footballs, jerseys and such. It is interactive with numerous kiosks, videos on demand and audio-visual presentations throughout. The mission of the Hall of Fame is to honor the pioneers and legends of the game, protect its documents and artifacts, and educate and promote the sport preserving its legacy.  

When you approach the building, it appears as humble as the sport’s beginning. It seems as if you could wrap your arms around it. Jutting from its top is a long narrow dome symbolizing a football. Inside the football dome is the larger than life bronze statue of none other than Jim Thorpe.  

It is here that you begin your odyssey of the sport’s faces, stories and records. 

First stop, A Century of Pro Football! Here, you’ll become immersed in the game’s evolution starting with its earliest days. Exhibits with mannequins depicting historic scenes make you feel like you’re seeing the game through a looking glass at a time when it was most brutal and primitive. Leather helmets! Need I say more? Fascinating are the stories, relics and exhibits that teach each visitor about this great game from the ground up.  

Once you spiral through the rotunda you’ll feed into The Teams of The NFL, where you’ll find yours. This room displays a modern look at each of the NFL teams grouped by divisions. It is a colorful stop both in visual displays and storyboards highlighting the current teams.  

Then, you enter a solemn place, the Hall of Fame Gallery. This majestic room is darker, quieter, illuminated mainly by the subtle individual lamps shining on each inductee’s bronze bust from the first induction class of 1933 to the most recent. The rows of busts are stacked and staggered encompassing the entire perimeter of the large room. Nameplates identify each inductee in few but powerful words, including nicknames like “Blood”, “Crazy Legs” and “Bruiser” along with their position, team and years played.  In the middle of the room are video monitors that play at the touch of the screen.  

Moving from one part of the museum to another, there are special displays and exhibits such as Pro Football’s African American Pioneers, complete with photos, storyboards and kiosks.   

A recent $3.6 million modernization project that took about two years to complete injected the Hall with new energy through dynamic technology, bringing the sound and sights of the game to life! An amazing combination of lighting, video and audio intricately placed allows visitors to experience the vibrant stories of each football era like never before.  

Moments, Memories & Mementos Gallery and Pro Football Today Gallery are two of the special additions resulting from the infusion. The Moments, Memories & Mementos Gallery features dramatic presentations focusing on the contributions of “Red” Grange, Paul Brown, Jim Thorpe and others. Their stories are told through some of the Hall’s most valuable artifacts and large screen videos. It even includes the actual Lambeau Field bench from Vince Lombardi’s last game in Green Bay.  

Special locker displays with audio recordings share stories by Terry Bradshaw, Sam Huff, Jim Kelly and others. This gallery climaxes with a surreal bench of lifelike legends including Jim Brown, Sammy Baugh, Reggie White, Anthony Munoz, Johnny Unitas, Walter Payton, Joe Greene and George Halas. Their careers are highlighted with a touch-screen video presentation.  

Between galleries is a world-class audio presentation of sounds from the NFL games.  

Then you enter the Pro Football Today Gallery featuring the modern game, integrating high-impact video and super graphics. The four cornerstones of this exhibit are NFL Goes Global, The Pro Bowl, Rookie Records, and Career Records. There’s even a mini theater devoted to the NFL’s most recent season.  

It is important to note that the name of the Hall of Fame is Pro Football, not NFL. As such, it isn’t only about NFL history (and the leagues that were rolled into it). The Other Leagues Gallery provides insight on those that challenged the NFL, including the USFL.   

Perhaps the pinnacle of any football fan’s trip down memory lane is the Super Bowl. In this $2.4 million state-of-the-art gallery, there are video kiosks for every Super Bowl featuring the greatest plays, players and coaches. In the Super Bowl Theater, fans experience the most renowned championship game in the history of sports through the cinematic magic of NFL Films.  

The actual Vince Lombardi Trophy is on display behind glass once the championship trophy is delivered to the Hall of Fame after it’s created for the current season. It remains on display until it is time for that Super Bowl. In addition, every Super Bowl ring is featured in a case that clearly gives meaning to the word, “BLING!” 

And just when you think you’ve seen or done it all, there’s more! 

Refuel at the Tailgate Snack Bar and then try your hand at the Interactive Exhibit Gallery where you are a gamer. Try and pass a football into holes in the wall or take a seat and go head-to-head with Xbox. These and more hands-on entertainment opportunities are available. Of course, before you leave, you’ll need to take a memento with you. The large store is sure to have plenty of options to purchase memorabilia.  

The tenth annual FREE Kids Friday will be held on the day after Thanksgiving, November 26^th, from 9am to 5pm for children 14 and younger. Kids wearing their favorite football gear will get a free souvenir. Many other fun activities and prizes will be awarded.  

Make sure you submit a picture of your trip to the Pro Football Hall of Fame online by January 2, 2011 for a chance to win a trip to Super Bowl XLV in North Texas. The grand prize package includes two tickets to the game, roundtrip travel, accommodations, and more.   

Details about special events, contests, admissions and other information about the Pro Football Hall of Fame are available at www.profootballhof.com or by calling 330-456-8207. Open daily (except Christmas) from 9am to 5pm, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is located at 2121 George Halas Drive in N.W. Canton, Ohio.  

By Frank R. Satullo, The OhioTraveler