May 5, 2008 - Brandi Chastain’s Olympic soccer jersey is there. So are Sasha Cohen’s figure skates from the Torino Games and Danica Patrick’s Indy helmet.
The Sports Museum of America, located just steps from the Statue of Liberty, opens May 7th in lower Manhattan. The first comprehensive museum of sports in the country, SmA is dedicated to the celebration of all sports and their significance in our lives and culture.
From sports fans looking for some flat-out fun… to moms and dads who want entertainment and enrichment for the whole family… to coaches and teachers who seek education and inspiration… the Sports Museum of America is designed to excite and delight the fan and athlete in all of us.
Housed in three floors, the museum contains more than 600 artifacts, 1,100 photos and more than two dozen interactive exhibits. Baseball, basketball, football and hockey are represented, as are bowling and skateboarding.
The site also includes two museums within the museum. It serves as the permanent home of the Heisman Trophy and houses the Billie Jean King International Women’s Sports Center.
The International Women’s Sports Center pays tribute to the accomplishments of female athletes as well as provide an interactive experience that helps visitors appreciate the beauty of sport and the benefits of sport participation.
King summed up the excitement for the Center’s opening during a press conference announcing it’s opening: “Finally, female sports legends and champion athletes will have a home,” she said. “And the people who support, love and are inspired by these superwomen will be welcomed and treasured guests
When people hear about the new gallery dedicated to women’s sports opening they often ask why didn’t anyone think of this before? The fact is, the Billie Jean King International Women’s Sports Center has been 20 years in the making.
Finally complete and open to the public, the Women’s Sports Center includes cases of iconic memorabilia from incredible female athletes as well as stories of female athletes of all ages, races, and backgrounds.
Champion open water swimmer and 2006 International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame inductee Diana Nyad said that the Center will be a vital, tangible experience.
“I can go online and research Billie Jean King’s career,” she said. “There’s plenty of photos on there. But to come here and see life-size, her photographs, her trophies and touch Sasha Cohen’s ice skates and be able to really look at how beat-up Janet Guthrie’s helmet was from her first Indianapolis 500, I think it’s going to be very valuable.”
Along with the many jerseys and pieces of equipment from star athletes, exhibits include artifacts ranging from the iconic to the intimate. “We’re trying to make it very personal, more than the average museum,” museum founder and CEO Philip Schwalb said.
- There’s a Girls Baseball League Magazine from 1951.
- The sports bra Brandi Chastain exposed after scoring the winning penalty kick at the 1999 World Cup.
- A dress Serena Williams wore during one of her Grand Slam tournaments.
- Babe Didrikson’s athletic paraphernalia from her golf, track, basketball and baseball careers.
- And Billie Jean King’s Wimbledon trophy along with her fourth-grade report card.
There are also a number of interactive exhibits.
Museum officials spent a day with the New York Rangers creating one such exhibit. The result is that museum visitors can put their face into a goalie mask and see a video of a puck flying toward them at 120 mph.
Visitors can also try to beat the clock changing a tire as part of the race pit crew.
Beginning in 2008, Hall of Fame inductions will be held at the Sports Museum of America.
Admission is $27 for adults, $24 for seniors and students, and $20 for children 4-14. Discount ticket prices available to Women’s Sports Foundation members.
Sports Museum Of America
26 Broadway
New York, NY 10004
212-747-0900
open 365 days
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