Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum

Sport has always been a vibrant and visible part of society. Established in 1957, the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum has recognized over 600 individuals representing over fifty different sports.

The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum (ASHFM) is an interactive, hands-on celebration of Alberta’s sporting history. There are over 7,000 square feet of exhibit space and interactive areas. The interactive areas include a multi-sport Virtual Visual System with hockey, baseball, basketball, football, and soccer, a baseball pitching area, an Alpine Ski machine, a 200 metre Wheelchair Challenge, and the “You Call the Play” Press Box.

The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum currently has between 7, 000 and 8, 000 artefacts and archives of Alberta sports history in its collections with exhibits changing every 15 to 18 months. A permanent exhibit, Endless Possibilities, is a tribute to the Paralymic and Disability sports. The Honoured Members Gallery showcases photographs and biographies of the Hall of Famers. In the fall of 2005, two new galleries opened, Ice and Snow—The Spirit of Winter and the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame.

History

The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame has a long history of its own, which began in 1957, when it was founded by the Alberta Branch of the Amateur Athletic Union of Canada. The first inductees were Charles Cheesman, boxing builder; Wilf Greaves, boxing athlete; Hugh Sloan, boxing athlete, and George Sutherland, track and field athlete.

Until 1961 when the first Vice President, Doug Kyle, was given the task of locating a display area for photographs of the inductees, the Alberta Amateur Sports Hall of Fame existed in name only. The first display of photos and citations was at the Molson’s Edmonton House in 1964. It would become the first of many temporary homes for the Hall of Fame. These locations included the Percy Page Centre (St. Albert), Dr. Jean Leiper’s basement (Calgary), Max Bell Arena (Calgary), Petro-Canada Building (Calgary), Alpine Building (Calgary), Percy Page Centre (Edmonton), and the Provincial Building (Red Deer). On 8 February 1986, the first ASHFM exhibit was opened in Calgary’s Petro-Canada Centre.

Two important decisions were made in 1979: it was decided to honour all outstanding Alberta athletes, amateur or professional, and to start collecting memorabilia, which would reflect the whole of Alberta’s sports heritage and emphasize the museum function. Thus, the name changed from the Alberta Amateur Sports Hall of Fame to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. In 1980, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the province, 46 athletes and builders were inducted including, for the first time, professionals.

In 1981, a logo was chosen from over 120 submissions. The design shows the athlete supported by the Alberta mountains and reaching for the flame of triumph. The two halves of the design symbolize the two aspects of the ASHFM: the Hall of Fame and the Sports Museum.

It was announced in 1992 that Red Deer would become the new and permanent home for the ASHFM once funds were raised to build, equip, and endow it. The ASHFM relocated from Calgary to Red Deer on 1 October 1994.

The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum gained society status on 1 April 1997. Governed by a Board of Directors, the Hall of Fame and Museum Society continued to fundraise for a new building. On 22 May 1998, the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum Society broke ground for the new building to be located adjacent to Heritage Ranch in Red Deer. The official opening of the new Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum occurred on 26 May 2000.

The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is open seven days a week and is a great place for people of all ages to come and experience a part of Alberta’s sports history.

It is located along the Queen Elizabeth II Highway on the west edge of Red Deer, just north of the 32 Street Overpass.

Hours and Admission:
Summer (May long weekend – Thanksgiving weekend)
Daily, 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Winter (Thanksgiving weekend – May long weekend)
Daily, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Closed: Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.

$3.00 – Adults
$2.00 – Youth (5-15)
$9.00 – Families
Free – Under 5

Contact:
Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
#30 Riverview Park
Red Deer, AB
T4N 1E3
Phone: (403) 341–8614
Fax: (403) 341–8619
Email: postmaster@albertasportshalloffame.com
Website: http://www.albertasportshallofffame.com

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