New physical halls of fame coming for soccer, bluegrass music, sports mascots

In the U.S. and Canada, there are more than 425 halls of fame that you can visit. Some are for major national sports and music genres; others are for niche interests and regional accomplishments.
Some halls of fame are opening new facilities, while others are building their first halls.
Here’s an update on the latest physical halls of fame:

National Soccer Hall of Fame

The National Soccer Hall of Fame is scheduled to open next month at the newly renovated Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. The hall is holding an induction ceremony weekend Oct. 20-21.
The hall includes a 19,350-square-foot “experience” with such technology as virtual reality, gesture controls, and interactive digital video boards. The museum contains iconic soccer memorabilia and interactive exhibits.
The NSHOF comes to Frisco after not having a home for the past eight years. It was previously located in Oneonta, N.Y., from 1979 to 2010. That facility closed in February 2010.

Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame

The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky, is scheduled to open on Oct. 18. The new facility is dedicated to the history and preservation of bluegrass music.

Mascot Hall of Fame

The Mascot Hall of Fame is scheduled to open before Christmas in Whiting, Indiana. It will celebrate famous sports mascots, including the Phillie Phanatic, the Famous Chicken, Mr. Met and Bucky the Badger. The attraction is billed as a 25,000-square-foot interactive children’s museum.

Since my last roundup of new physical halls of fame, several new facilities have opened.

Canadian Football Hall of Fame

The Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Museum relaunched at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario, on June 1. The hall had been without a home since closing its previous location in September 2015.

Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Hall of Fame

The Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience opened in Meridian, Mississippi, in April 2018. It features the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Hall of Fame, which includes such luminaries as Elvis Presley, Oprah Winfrey, Jim Henson, B.B. King, James Earl Jones, William Faulkner, Morgan Freeman, John Grisham, Muddy Waters and Tennessee Williams.

Burlesque Hall of Fame

The Burlesque Hall of Fame moved to a larger venue in downtown Las Vegas in April 2018. It is the world’s only museum dedicated to preserving the history of striptease.

Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame

The Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame memorial building in Lawrence, Indiana, opened in April 2018. It is the first of its kind in the nation, providing a physical space to honor its inductees from all branches of the armed forces. Inductee names are displayed and military memorabilia line the walls and fill showcases. Touchscreen monitors allow visitors to toggle through and read notable veterans’ biographies.

Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame

The Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and Jim Thorpe Museum opened at its current location at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City in April 2018.

The Funk Music Hall of Fame

The Funk Music Hall of Fame opened in Dayton, Ohio, in February 2018. Visitors can tour the exhibits and artifacts by appointment only.

Fishing and archery halls of fame

The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, International Fishing Hall of Fame and the National Archery Hall of Fame moved to Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri. The attraction opened in September 2017.

Texas Aviation Hall of Fame

The Texas Aviation Hall of Fame opened as part of the new Lone Star Flight Museum in Houston in September 2017. It previously was located in Galveston.

Eastern Snowmobile Racing Hall of Fame

The Eastern Snowmobile Racing Hall of Fame opened in Crane’s Snowmobile Museum in Lancaster, N.H., in May 2017. The hall recognizes racers from New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts and New York.

Related articles:

3 new physical halls of fame open with Wonders of Wildlife (Sept. 27, 2017)

Halls of fame planned for railroads, bass fishing, bobbleheads, skydiving and luge (July 9, 2017)

Music halls of fame in the works: R&B, pop, funk, heavy metal (July 8, 2017)

New halls of fame opening soon for burlesque, mascots and hip hop (July 6, 2017)

There’s a hall of fame for everything (July 5, 2017)

Newest hall of fame museum opens, honors professional wrestlers (May 21, 2016)

14 more unusual physical halls of fame (Feb. 28, 2016)

19 hall-of-fame museums in the works (Feb. 16, 2016)

The 10 most unusual halls of fame you can physically visit (Feb. 15, 2016)