Why Is The NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio?

Did you know that the NFL Hall of Fame is located in Canton, Ohio? Learn more about why this is, and what else Canton has to offer!

Introduction

The National Football League Hall of Fame is located in Canton, Ohio. While there are many theories as to why the Hall of Fame is located in Canton,Ohio, the most likely reason is that the city was home to the first professional football game.

On November 12, 1892, a group of local businessmen in Canton, Ohio formed the American Professional Football Association (APFA). The APFA was created to organize professional football teams and to establish common rules for the game. The first ever APFA meeting was held at Ralph Hay’s Hupmobile dealership on West Tuscarawas Street in Canton.

At this meeting, Hay proposed that the APFA should be headquartered in Canton, Ohio and that the first ever APFA championship game should be held in Canton. The other APFA owners agreed and Canton became the home of professional football.

In 1920, the APFA was renamed to the National Football League (NFL) and four years later, the NFL held its first ever draft in Canton. The NFL chose Canton as its draft location because it was seen as a neutral site for all teams.

The NFL Hall of Fame was founded in 1963 and held its inaugural inductions in 1963. The Hall of Fame is located inside the Pro Football Hall of Fame Museum which opened its doors on September 7th, 1963.

The Early Years of Professional Football

The first professional football game was played on November 12, 1892, between the Allegheny Athletic Association and the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. William (Pudge) Heffelfinger was paid $500 to play for the Allegheny Athletic Association, making him the first professional football player.

In 1920, the American Professional Football Association was formed. The NFL was born two years later when it absorbed five of the APFA teams. In 1922, Canton Bulldogs owner Ralph Hay met with other team owners to discuss standardizing rules and regulations and to promote football as a professional sport. The Canton Bulldogs were one of the most successful teams in pro football’s early years, winning three championships in 1922, 1923 and 1924.

Canton’s place in pro football history was cemented when Hay convinced other team owners that Canton should host a meeting on September 17, 1920, which led to the formation of the American Professional Football Association – which would eventually become the NFL.

Since its founding in 1963, the Pro Football Hall of Fame has been located in Canton, Ohio – making it one of only a handful of Halls of Fame dedicated to a single sport. The Hall’s mission is to “Honor the Heroes of the Game, Preserve its History, Promote its Values & Celebrate Excellence EVERYWHERE.”

The First NFL Hall of Fame

The National Football League Hall of Fame is located in Canton, Ohio, where the NFL was founded in 1920. The Hall of Fame opened in 1963 to honor the best players, coaches, and contributors to the game of professional football.

Since its opening, the Hall of Fame has inducted more than 300 players and coaches, including football greats like Jim Brown, Joe Montana, and Peyton Manning. While Canton may seem like an unlikely location for the NFL’s shrine to its greatest stars, there’s a good reason why the city was chosen as the site of the Hall of Fame.

Canton was home to several professional football teams in the early years of the sport. In 1920, representatives from four Ohio-based professional teams met in Canton to form the American Professional Football Association, which would eventually become the NFL. Among those in attendance at that historic meeting were representatives from the Canton Bulldogs and Akron Pros, two of Ohio’s most successful professional football teams at that time.

With its rich football history and connection to the origins of the NFL, Canton was a natural choice as the location for the league’s Hall of Fame. When it opened in 1963, Canton became only the second city (after Cooperstown, New York) to house a major professional sports hall of fame. Today, Canton remains an important part of NFL history, and fans from all over the country flock to Canton each year to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Second NFL Hall of Fame

Canton, Ohio, is sometimes referred to as the birthplace of professional football. It is home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which honors the greatest players, coaches and contributors to the sport. Canton was also home to the first professional football team, the Canton Bulldogs, who were founded in 1906.

The NFL Hall of Fame was not originally located in Canton. It was first established in 1963 in Riverside, California. However, it did not take long for the league to realize that Canton was a more suitable location for the hallowed institution. In 1965, just two years after it was founded, the Hall of Fame moved to Canton.

There are a number of reasons why Canton is a more appropriate home for the NFL Hall of Fame than Riverside. For one thing, Canton is located in the heart of football country. The majority of NFL teams are located in the eastern United States, and Canton is centrally located within this region. This makes it easier for fans from all over the country to visit the Hall of Fame.

In addition, Canton has a long and rich history with professional football. As mentioned above, it was home to the first professional team. Furthermore, many significant events in NFL history have taken place in Canton. The first ever NFL game was played there, as well as the first NFL draft and first All-Star game. Consequently, there is a strong sense of tradition and connection between Canton and professional football.

The Third and Current NFL Hall of Fame

The first NFL Hall of Fame was open from 1963 to 1971 in the Rakow Library at the Canton McKinley High School. In 1971, the Hall of Fame moved to its current location on Fulton Road in downtown Canton. The current NFL Hall of Fame is a 90,000 square foot facility that contains over 20,000 artifacts from the history of professional football.

The Hall of Fame was originally founded in 1963 by a group of businessmen led by Ralph Hay, who is considered to be the “father” of professional football. Hay was also the owner of the Canton Bulldogs, one of the first professional football teams. The original NFL Hall of Fame was located in the Canton McKinley High School, but it soon outgrew that space and moved to its current location in 1971.

The NFL Hall of Fame is currently undergoing a multimillion-dollar expansion and renovation project that is scheduled to be completed in 2019. When finished, the updated hall will feature interactive exhibits and displays, a theater, and a research center.

Conclusion

So, there you have it. The NFL Hall of Fame is in Canton, Ohio because that is where the league was founded back in 1920. Even though the league has long since moved its headquarters to New York City, the Hall of Fame remains in Canton as a way to honor the league’s history and roots.