The Pro Football Hall of Fame, Canton, Ohio
Has the end of football season led to withdrawal symptoms? Looking for the perfect experience for that football fanatic in your life? Consider a road trip to the
Pro Football Hall of Fame in
Canton, Ohio.
A seven-foot tall bronze statue of football legend Jim Thorpe greets visitors as they enter the Hall’s round entrance building. Thorpe was one of the game’s first superstars; an Olympic track and field champion who signed with the fledgling Canton Bulldogs in 1915. Five years later, the Bulldogs were one of 14 teams to form the American Professional Football Association, which would become the National Football League in 1922.
The Hall is designed to allow for a one-way walking route, beginning with the winding ramp up to the second floor where “A Century of Pro Football” awaits visitors in the exhibition rotunda. The circular display traces the origins of professional football back to the Canton area from the 1890s.
As a life-long Browns fan (it’s not easy), I get a kick out of the placard in the rotunda that lists the numerous NFL Championship games played between the Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions during the 1950s. Ironically, there are only two “old school” NFL teams that have never appeared in a Super Bowl game: you guessed it—the Browns and the Lions.
From the main rotunda, the next stop is the “Teams of the NFL” exhibit. Thirty-two separate booths here contain a helmet and post statistics for each of the league’s current teams. Just around the corner awaits the somber Hall of Fame Gallery, which bo
asts bronze busts of all 253 enshrinees beginning in 1963 (the year the Hall opened) up to the present. One of the more visually impressive exhibits here is a hologram of a rotating Super Bowl ring. Kids (and parents) have great fun putting their fingers “through” the ring, as it seems to disappear.
After passing through the “Moments, Memories & Mementos” and “Other Leagues” galleries, visitors enter the expansive all-new “Pro Football Today” gallery, which honors contemporary stars of the NFL. One of the more moving displays here is that of former Phoenix Cardinals’ safety Pat Tillman. Drafted by the Cardinals in 1998, Tillman turned down a multi-million dollar contract extension in 2002 in order to enlist with the U.S. Army Rangers. Tillman, who served several tours of combat duty, was killed in a “friendly fire” mishap in April 2004 while on patrol in the mountains of Afghanistan. His Cardinals jersey and military dress uniform stand side-by-side in an enclosed glass case.
The “Super Bowl Room” exhibits custom-made championship rings from each Super Bowl, as well as jerseys, footballs, half-time show memorabilia, and a variety of items related to the NFL’s most storied game. The Vince Lombardi Trophy, which is awarded each year to the winning team, is on display here.
GameDay Stadium Theater, which was was added to the Hall in 1995, is easily one of the Hall’s most popular attractions. The rotating theater boasts a 20’x 42’ Cinemascope screen that inserts visitors right into the action of numerous NFL games. Pittsburgh Steelers fans will really enjoy the latter portion of the movie, where viewers are placed on the sidelines at Super Bowl XL alongside coach Bill Cowher, “Big Ben” Roethlisberger, Jerome “The Bus” Bettis, and other members of the Evil Empire (just kidding).
Upon leaving the theater, a staircase leads back to the ground floor level, which features an interactive gaming area, a full-service snack bar, and the NFL Films Theater. The final stop in the complex is at the Hall’s expansive Museum Store (where else?). Officially licensed merchandise for all 32 NFL teams can be purchased here. The shop includes individual alcoves filled with Browns and Steelers items—the two cities with NFL teams located nearest to the Hall.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is open year-round and offers free onsite parking. The facility is located just off I-77 at Exit 107A. It’s about an hour’s drive south of Cleveland, and two hours away from Pittsburgh. Any other football fans out there with the ‘off-season blues’?
