Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation are hosting a grand opening reception in Natchitoches Friday, June 28, 2013 for the state's newest and most dazzling cultural attraction,the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum.
The grand opening reception highlights a series of weekend events marking the completion of the $23-million museum complex set in Louisiana's oldest city.
On Saturday, June 29, 2013 the Sports Hall of Fame will induct 11 new members including basketball great Shaquille O'Neal and tennis champion Chanda Rubin.
‘Louisiana's sports tradition is on par with our world-class food, music and culture so we are proud it finally has a space to call its own,’ Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne said.
Developed and operated by the Louisiana State Museum system in partnership with the Louisiana Sports Writers Association and the City of Natchitoches, the 27,500-square-foot museum complex provides a permanent home for the Sports Hall of Fame and its collection of portraits and memorabilia celebrating the achievements of more than 300 Louisiana athletes, coaches and other sports figures.
The Northwest Louisiana History Museum explores the evolution of unique cultural traditions from early native-American civilizations to the present. The building itself, designed by Trahan Architects of New Orleans, evokes the region's rivers and plowed fields with sinuous molded stone interiors and earth-colored exterior sheathing.
Featuring current and prior year Sports Hall of Fame inductees and a sports-themed live auction, the Friday evening grand opening reception is a benefit for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation. Tickets for this exclusive event are $125 per person and are available at LaSportsHall.com or by calling 318.238.4255.
The museum complex is located at 800 Front Street in downtown Natchitoches. The museum is handicap accessible. For more information about the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the Northwest Louisiana History museum call 318.357.2492 or visit www.crt.state.la.us/museum.
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