First off, can you let me know how you got started working with the museum?
I was hired in July of 2022 as the manager for the Hall of Honor museum. The process for the museum’s creation was already in progress – I came in when they were working on the photos and text to write for the exhibits and museum in general.
The idea was to dedicate, preserve and celebrate the history of the Steelers. Dan Rooney had the idea – he wanted to bring back and celebrate the team’s history with the fans. That’s what we do -relive and celebrate the Steelers history.
Can you describe the fan experience when going through the museum?
When fans first walk in there is a 12-minute video that covers the Steelers’ history over the past 90-plus years. Once that is done they go into the exhibit space – the exhibits are in order of the timeline of the team. It starts with pre-Steelers history – on the Rooneys – who they were, what they were about and what they did prior to the Steelers, including their involvement in things like boxing and baseball.
Then it goes into the 1930s, when the Steelers came about, and from there artifacts from the team and details on Dan Rooney, Chuck Noll and the players.
There’s also a broadcasting booth where fans can call some of the biggest players in Steelers history and pretend they are Myron Cope or Tunch Ilkin. There are also replicas of the Steelers Super Bowl rings over the years, showing their evolution over that time.
Do you bring in new displays every year?
Each season we celebrate something different, yes. Our first year we celebrated the Immaculate Reception since it was the 50th anniversary. The next season we celebrated the numbers the team retired that season. The year after that we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl season.
What is the one coming up?
We like to save that and reveal it closer to the season!
Are there particular artifacts or displays you appreciate the most?
The one I like personally is one we acquired after the museum opened. We have a football from the 1950s signed by all of the players on that Steelers team – Bobby Layne, Len Dawson, Jack Butler – all the star players. Bill Priatko also signed the ball from that team – and he also happened to be my high school’s athletic director. He actually came to my wedding. So that is a fun thing for me to have here.
How do you collect those artifacts?
Many are donated. Most are on display but we rotate things in as we evolve – not everything here is owned by us. The Pro Football Hall of Fame, Steelers alumni – we get items on loan from them. For the other acquisitions we have someone who works on collecting those artifacts.
We don’t use personal stories when we create our exhibits. It’s about the nitty gritty and history of the team. When alumni come in to visit, they see themselves and the history they made on display. That’s the fun part of my job – seeing that. Especially when we hold events for alumni and we see them all together, interacting with one another and telling stories about the history.
Any player interactions you had that stand out to you?
Going back to Bill Priatko – it was fun for me to be able to show him around the museum. I worked on his story for a class in college. To hear him talk about those stories as he relived them at the museum was meaningful.
Mel Blount comes back often and brings folks – kids from his youth camp and others. Now that he’s been here enough, I remember his stories he’s told about his moments as a Steeler, and I can share those stories I heard from him with other visitors when they come to the museum.
Rocky Bleier too – he often brings veterans in to talk about being in the military and its impact on his time as a Steeler.
Do you hold events for other organizations at the museum as well if they want to do something on their own?
We do – we have an events team and hold events in all of the museum spaces. People have used it for business meetings, receptions – all sorts of things.
Lastly, what would surprise people most about the museum?
One of the comments we often get is that people feel surprised at how large the museum is and how much is here. It’s over 10,000 square feet. We have had people from the Pro Football Hall of Fame tell us that. It’s Canton-esque – but for Steelers fans only!