Pro Football Hall of Fame Teams with NFL Legend Barry Sanders to Announce New National Traveling Exhibition ‘Gridiron Glory’

CANTON, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Pro Football Hall of Fame will hit the road to commemorate its 50^th Anniversary, announcing today the largest traveling exhibition in its history – Gridiron Glory: The Best of the Pro Football Hall of Fame – that will capture the essence of the Hall of Fame experience. Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, one of many legendary stars featured in the exhibit, will serve as Gridiron Glory’s national ambassador.

“Gridiron Glory is designed to galvanize fans in a compelling way and provides a perfect platform for us to reach new audiences.”

This 5,000 square-foot interactive multimedia exhibit features more than 200 mementoes including the iconic Vince Lombardi Trophy, select showings of original Hall of Fame busts, new material from NFL Films, never-before-seen artifacts, immersive fan experiences and specially-designed “Hometown Tribute” sections to spotlight the local team. There will also be educational programming, an on-site retail element and Hall of Famers themselves will make special appearances throughout its run.

Gridiron Glory will debut in Pittsburgh at the Heinz History Center beginning on October 6^th, followed by a 2013 Super Bowl stint at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, stops in St. Louis, Detroit and then onto New York/New Jersey for the 2014 Super Bowl, with additional NFL markets to be announced. The exhibit will be hosted by many of the nation's top cultural, educational and sports venues and spend between three to six months in each city.

“We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to extend the experience of the Hall of Fame beyond our walls in Canton,” said Joe Horrigan, Vice President – Communications/Exhibits of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “Gridiron Glory is designed to galvanize fans in a compelling way and provides a perfect platform for us to reach new audiences."

“When the Hall of Fame approached me about Gridiron Glory, I knew I had to be involved,” said Sanders, who was enshrined in 2004. “I have a great amount of respect for the history of the game and this exhibit will really open people’s eyes. I know it did mine.”

Among the hundreds of Pro Football Hall of Fame artifacts on display will be Sanders’ game worn jersey from 1997, when he became only the third player in history to break the 2,000 rushing yard mark. In addition:

Pro football’s “birth certificate” – 1892 documentation of first pro player
Vince Lombardi Trophy
Authentic interactive instant replay booth
Knute Rockne’s 1919 Massillon Tigers helmet
Jim Brown’s game worn jersey
Jerry Rice’s career touchdown receptions record football
Emmitt Smith’s rushing record game artifacts
Drew Brees’ 5,000-yard passing record jersey

The current Gridiron Glory tour schedule and list of venues, with additional markets to be announced in coming months:

Pittsburgh – Fall 2012 – Heinz History Center
New Orleans – Winter/Super Bowl 2013 – National WWII Museum
St. Louis – Summer 2013 – Missouri History Museum
New York/New Jersey – Winter/Super Bowl 2014 – Liberty Science Center
Detroit – Fall 2014 – Henry Ford Museum
Minneapolis/St. Paul – Fall 2016 – Minnesota History Center Museum

Gridiron Glory is a production of Pro Football Exhibits, LLC, owned, produced and fabricated by GALLO museum services. The exhibit is designed by Gallagher & Associates, with creative oversight from Barrie Projects. Evergreen Exhibitions spearheads all aspects of venue sales and Event Network serves as retail designer and operator. This producing team has developed many world class museums and exhibits including the Grammy Museum, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, International Spy Museum, Kentucky Derby Museum, Academy Awards Museum and The Mob Museum.

About the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Founded in 1963, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is currently undergoing the largest expansion in its history. The "Future 50" project is set for completion in 2013, to coincide with the Hall of Fame's 50th Anniversary. The completed building will be 118,000 square feet. The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s mission is to honor, preserve, educate and promote. To honor individuals who have made outstanding contributions to professional football; preserve professional football’s historic documents and artifacts; educate the public regarding the origin, development and growth of professional football as an important part of American culture; and promote the positive values of the sport. For more information about the Pro Football Hall of Fame, visit www.profootballhof.com and @ProFootballHOF on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Viddy.