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| Established | 1966 |
|---|---|
| Location |
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| Coordinates | 44°30′5″N 88°3′38″W / 44.50139°N 88.06056°W |
| Type | Hall of fame |
| Founder | William Brault |
| Owner | Packers Hall of Fame Association |
| Public transit access |  Green Bay Metro |
| Website | packershofandtours |
The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame is a team-specific hall of fame honoring players, coaches, executives and other contributors to the history and success of the Green Bay Packers, an American football team in the National Football League (NFL). It was the first hall of fame built to honor a single professional American football team. William Brault, a Green Bay restaurateur and Packers fan, founded the Packer Hall of Fame in 1966.[1] According to them, they got the idea after visitors to Green Bay would repeatedly ask about the Packers' storied history. Sensing opportunity, they went to Packers head coach Vince Lombardi, suggesting a hall of fame should be made to attract and educate tourists about the Packers and their history. Lombardi gave them his approval as long as the hall of fame would not interfere with the existing players.[2]
Brault also led the Green Bay Area Visitor and Convention Bureau, which he also helped form in 1964. The Packers Hall of Fame opened as a series of exhibits displayed in the lower concourse of the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena, although it was not a permanent residence. In 1967, the Packer Hall of Fame Association, a separate corporate entity from the team, was founded and then six years later became Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, Inc.[1] The Hall did not become a permanent site until 1976 when its new home, an addition to the Brown County Veterans Arena, was formally dedicated on April 3, 1976, by President Gerald Ford.[3] Outside of the Packers Hall of Fame was Receiver, a statue that was dedicated to the invention of the forward pass.[4]
The Packers Hall of Fame has been expanded and renovated numerous times over its history. In 2003, renovations to Lambeau Field provided a new home within the new Lambeau Field Atrium for the Hall of Fame.[5] Packers legends Bart Starr and Ron Wolf rededicated the Hall on September 4, 2003.[6][7] In 2015, the Packers Hall of Fame was moved from the basement to the second floor of the Lambeau Field Atrium as part of a larger renovation of Lambeau Field.[8][9] The Hall contains a vast array of Packers memorabilia, a re-creation of Vince Lombardi's office, plaques representing each of the inductees and the Lombardi trophies from Green Bay's four Super Bowl wins.[10] As of 2023, the Packers Hall of Fame has inducted 168 people, 29 of whom have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[11] The hall of fame announced in November 2023 that Clay Matthews and Aaron Kampman would be the next two inductees, with the induction ceremony planned for August 2024.[12]
In 1998, the Packers and the Packers Hall of Fame created the Green Bay Packers Fan Hall of Fame (capitalized by the organization as the Green Bay Packers FAN Hall of Fame), the first hall of fame built to honor fans of a professional football team. Fans may nominate themselves or others for induction by submitting an essay of 500 words or less why they or their nominee deserve recognition in the Fan Hall of Fame.[13] Ten finalists are chosen by a selection committee and then fans are then given an opportunity to vote on the 10 finalists.[14] The nominee who receives the most votes each year is named as the honorary fan and is inducted into the FAN Hall of Fame. The inductee's name is displayed in the Packers Hall of Fame and they receive other prizes, including tickets to a Packers game and a gift card to the team's pro shop.[15] Since the Fan Hall of Fame was founded, 25 fans have been inducted.[16]
- ^ a b Christl, Cliff. "William Brault". Packers.com. Archived from the original on September 13, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- ^ Zipperer, Joanne (September 15, 1981). "William Brault: Tourism may be his business, but it's not his pastime". Green Bay Press-Gazette (clipping). p. A-6. Archived from the original on September 13, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Brault, William "Bill"". Green Bay Press-Gazette (clipping). January 20, 2012. p. A-10. Archived from the original on November 4, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Rauen, Karen (June 21, 2003). "Packers 'Receiver' up for grabs". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Archived from the original on September 20, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ "Lambeau Field Renovations Nearly Complete". Packers.com (Press release). August 19, 2003. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
- ^ Perry, Tom (August 24, 2003). "Hall of fame spreads wings in new space: Part 1". Green Bay Press-Gazette (clipping). p. 16. Archived from the original on February 27, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Perry, Tom (August 24, 2003). "Hall of fame spreads wings in new space: Part 2". Green Bay Press-Gazette (clipping). p. 17. Archived from the original on February 27, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Walker, Don (January 8, 2013). "Packers announce $140 million Atrium renovation plan". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
- ^ "Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame Inc". Packers.com. Archived from the original on February 27, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
- ^ "About the Hall of Fame". PackersHoFandTours.com. Archived from the original on February 27, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
- ^ "Green Bay Packers Hall of Famers". Packers.com. Archived from the original on May 19, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
- ^ Ryman, Richard (November 13, 2023). "Clay Matthews and Aaron Kampman, Packers Hall of Fame picks, reflect on time in Green Bay". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Archived from the original on February 27, 2024. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
- ^ "Packers FAN Hall of Fame". Packers.com. Archived from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- ^ Ryman, Richard (February 23, 2022). "How Reggie White helped Jeff Yasick of Mazomanie get into the Green Bay Packers FAN Hall of Fame". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Archived from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
- ^ Ryman, Richard (February 17, 2020). "Tennessee school librarian is newest Packers FAN Hall of Fame member". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Archived from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
- ^ Ryman, Richard (February 16, 2023). "John Breske, a 'fan like no other,' named to Packers FAN Hall of Fame". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Archived from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2023.