The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio is getting some help from the White House.
The Hall of Fame, which last month held its annual NFL preseason game, welcomes millions each year. However, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is looking to expand its visitor base. The Hall of Fame would love to have more international visitors, for one.
International visitors rank 17th in annual visits to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Ohio, unsurprisingly, has the most visitors, followed by Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, and Texas.
But as the Pro Football Hall of Fame looks to expand its reach, it’s also doing some impressive changes to the campus. The 112-acre Hall of Fame village will be opening a 100,000-square-foot water park and at least three restaurants near the football stadium.
© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
“We’re super excited about that, because the entire village project was built strategically around the museum to give an opportunity for folks to stay and play longer, to have things to do, restaurants to go to, engagement opportunities to elongate their stay,” said Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Executive Vice President Anne Graffice.
Last weekend, Special Presidential Envoy for American Tourism Nick Adams visited the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as the White House looks to help out.
White House helping Pro Football Hall of Fame
“I went there because Number One, I was invited, but Number Two because we believe in looking for places that we can really amplify and drive both domestic and international visitation to,” Adams said, per Fox News.
He added: “Look, the administration loves sports. President Trump is crazy about sports, the Secretary of State and others. So we are looking to kind of push that and make sure that we invite the rest of the world to America to come and experience it.”
The Pro Football Hall of Fame, meanwhile, appears to be grateful.
“We were honored to welcome [Ambassador] Adams to the museum that celebrates this country’s most popular sport,” said Hall of Fame Chiefs Communications and Content Officer Rich Desrosiers. “We know he took away a great experience that will help him understand the work that we do to promote the values of the game.”
