New halls of fame opening soon for burlesque, mascots and hip hop

Many new physical halls of fame are in the works. Some will become a reality, while others will remain pipe dreams.
In the past year or so, several new halls of fame have opened including the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum, which moved to a new location in Sparks, Maryland; and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum in Wichita Falls, Texas.
Unfortunately others have closed, such as the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, which shut its doors in Hamilton, Ontario, in September 2015; and the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, which closed its doors in Portsmouth, Va., in June 2017.
But fear not fans of halls of fame, more new halls are set to open soon.
Here are some notable halls of fame scheduled to open this year and beyond:

Burlesque Hall of Fame

The Burlesque Hall of Fame is moving to a bigger venue soon, according to the Las Vegas Weekly.
The museum is moving into a 3,000-square-foot space at 1027 S. Main St., Las Vegas, inside one of three new Arts District buildings. (See photos above.)

Texas Aviation Hall of Fame

The Texas Aviation Hall of Fame is moving from Galveston to Houston’s Ellington Airport. It will be part of the new Lone Star Flight Museum, set to open on Sept. 2.

Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium

The Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri, is a passion project of Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops and a leading conservationist.
It will be primarily funded and operated by the Johnny Morris Foundation and located on the campus of Bass Pro Shops’ iconic flagship store. Among its many exhibits will be two halls of fame: the International Game Fish Association Fishing Hall of Fame and the National Archery Hall of Fame.
A grand opening is scheduled for Sept. 21.

Mascot Hall of Fame

The Mascot Hall of Fame is under construction in Whiting, Indiana, and is slated to open in spring 2018. It will celebrate sports mascots, including the Phillie Phanatic, the Famous Chicken, Mr. Met and Bucky the Badger.

National Soccer Hall of Fame

The National Soccer Hall of Fame is slated to open a new museum in Frisco, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, in fall 2018. The $40 million attraction is being built on the south end of Toyota Stadium, home of the FC Dallas professional soccer team.

Breitbard Hall of Fame

The Breitbard Hall of Fame, which recognizes significant athletic achievement in San Diego, is relocating from Balboa Park to Petco Park.
The Breitbard Hall of Fame, consisting of 153 inductee plaques, will be located in the Western Metal Supply Co. Building on the main concourse at Petco Park. The space is a high-traffic passageway for thousands of fans each game, connecting the seating bowl and the Padres Hall of Fame presented by Sony. Construction is expected to be completed during the 2017 Padres season.

Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Hall of Fame

The Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Hall of Fame announced the induction of 18 artists into its inaugural class in March. The hall of fame will be located in the new Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience Museum located in downtown Meridian, Miss., in spring 2018.
The inaugural class included William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams, Elvis Presley, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Morgan Freeman, John Grisham, Oprah Winfrey and James Earl Jones.

Hip Hop Hall of Fame

In June, the Hip Hop Hall of Fame named 60 artists to this year’s class of inductees, including rapper LL Cool J.
The Hip Hop Hall of Fame Museum is slated to open next year in Harlem. But the museum has faced repeated delays and funding issues.

U.S. Olympic Museum and Hall of Fame

Construction began in early June on the U.S. Olympic Museum and Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It is scheduled to open in summer 2019.