INTRODUCTION
A Mascot Hall of Fame — why you might ask? In Whiting, Indiana? Where! That’s the next question. Mascots are fun, but the supporters who cheer them are very tribal. We only care about our team! So how do you get people and one-team sports fans to visit a museum full of other teams’ mascots?
And Whiting? As one commentator put it, “Indiana is a drivethru, not a destination.” But, the organizers felt a Mascot Hall of Fame might prove unusual enough to entice visitors. The foundation existed in the form of a virtual museum online.
Translating that into a physical space was a whole new ballgame. Just displaying a collection of mascots could prove interesting, but engaging people – especially families and the wider community – and bringing them back was a bigger challenge. Technology would have to join in the fun – create a winning experience.
