Saturday, July 07, 2012

The Old Hall of Fame — Part I

We recently had a request from a reader to show some photos of the old Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. By “old,” we mean the location prior to it being moved inside the renovated Lambeau Field in 2003. It was located on the S.E. corner of Oneida Street and Lombardi Avenue, and was a popular stop for Packer fans and football fans in general. These photos are from the 1989-1991 era.

Here is the cornerstone, which had a distinguished guest for its dedication in the mid-Seventies. If you recall from an earlier post, the original Hall of Fame was started as an exhibit in the Brown County Arena, which was right next door.

This was the view of the building from the Oneida Street side. The facility is still there. We are not sure what it is used for these days, but we will check that out when we’re up there in 17 days.

The state historical marker (left) and the Hall of Fame’s sign (right). 

“The Receiver” statue which stood in front of the Hall of Fame building, is now located at the Titletown Brewery in downtown Green Bay (at 200 Dousman Street).

This was the formal “Hall,” where the enshrined individuals’ plaques were located. The most memorable players, coaches, and contributors to the Packers’ legacy were remembered here.

A close-up of the plaques. 

A photo-mosaic mural of action from the not-so-glorious years. 

The Super Bowl I Lombardi Trophy on view. 

A display featuring the other teams of the NFL. 

(Above and below) Helmets of the other teams on display. Most were donated by the individual players indicated by the name plates. 

(Above and below) A couple of the display areas featuring Packers’ history. 

A wall display showing the official team photos of every Packers team since 1919. 

A display for each world championship won by the Green Bay Packers. Of course, there are two more since this photo was taken many years ago. 

 A then-current Packers’ helmet is among the memorabilia.

Sign that used to hang in the Packers’ locker room.

Jersey of Dave Hanner (DT, 1952-1964). 

Jersey of Ted Fritsch (RB, 1942-1950).

One of the four Packers’ retired jersey numbers: Bart Starr’s #15. 

Another of the retired jerseys: Don Hutson’s #14. 

A display featuring Fred “Fuzzy” Thurston’s #63 jersey and a game ball from Super Bowl II.

Last for this post, a helmet of Ray Nitschke’s, and an interesting story to go along with it.