Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum Begins Construction on $3.5 million Renovation

The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum and its Board of Directors proudly held a groundbreaking ceremony to kick off construction on facility improvements and renovations to the Museum.

The $3.5 million project will include much needed changes and upgrades to the Museum lobby, gift shop, exterior, and plaza which will enhance the visitor experience. During the anticipated twelve-month construction timeline, the Museum will remain open and accessible to visitors as many days as possible.

“As we embark on the first major Museum renovations in the 26-year history of the museum, we are incredibly grateful to all who have helped to make this happen. These modifications to the building will help improve the experience of all who visit the Museum to learn about Mississippi’s rich sports heritage.” says Bill Blackwell, Executive Director of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.

The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum opened its doors in July 1996. This project marks the first major building renovations to the Museum main arena. The renovations are made possible due to funding from Legislative HB 1730 from 2020 and HB 1353 from the 2022 session. The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum is a 501(c)(3) organization and continues to receive no government funding for its daily operations.

The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum is a proud partner of the LeFleur Museum District (LMD) located at Interstate 55 and Lakeland Drive. A recent study completed by the University of Southern Mississippi found that the LMD sees an average of 369,455 visitors annually and contributes $6 million in visitor spending. The LeFleur Museum District has already seen unique growth and improvements to the area with the addition of the LeFleur’s Bluff Playground in December 2021 and will continue to see widespread improvements to the area thanks to many projects including the current construction of a joint entrance to the LeFleur’s Bluff Education and Tourism Complex and other phases to a master plan including a Bike & Pedestrian Bridge over Lakeland Drive to further connect the four museums in the LMD and the multi-use museum trails north and south of Lakeland Drive.

Project partners include Weir Boerner Allin Architecture, Benchmark Construction, and the Department of Finance & Administration Bureau of Building, Grounds and Real Property Management.