Patriots Hall of Fame

On a drizzly day in June, I had an adventure in the Massachusetts towns of Foxboro, Easton, and Brockton. My first stop was Patriots Hall of Fame, a shrine to the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). On a sunnier day back in June 2024, I had gone in the Gillette Stadium Lighthouse next to the museum, but I had never visited the Hall. As a lifelong football viewer who understands the game better than most but is less invested than ardent fans, this museum had been on my list for many years. The Hall combines artifacts from the history of the team with modern (although not always successful) interactives to balance a fanatic love of sports with a STEM curriculum. While not quite edutainment at its finest, this is an ideal way for a New Englander to spend a few hours.

Most artifacts in the Hall of Fame would be familiar to sports fans. Jerseys, helmets, cleats, and footballs were donated by famous players and coaches. Highlights in this category included a jersey worn by 3x Super Bowl champion Matthew Slater, a grungy hoodie and headset worn by former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, very large cleats from multiple players, and a line of footballs from each game during a twenty-one game winning streak. Some artifacts were unexpected. A jersey from 1970 demonstrated how the shirts were once buttoned between the legs to keep it tucked in, which could not have been comfortable in some tackling situations. A bedazzled helmet donated by a fan from Wixarika culture in Mexico showed visitors how American culture has been exported and adapted around the world. A small snowplow hanging from the rafters reminded older fans of an 1982 when its operator, Mark Henderson, cleared extra space on the field so the Patriots kicker could score the only points of the game.

Interactives fell into two categories. Some interactives were analogue. Footprints in a hallway allowed visitors to compare their typical feet to the very large feet of football players. A set of bronzed footballs allowed for a similar comparison with hands. The analogue interactives were highly successful, and I would have enjoyed even more of them. Other interactives were digital. A gameshow encouraging participants to practice basic math skills related to football was likely too tricky for the elementary school demographic, but too immature for older students. An interactive about the physics of kicking field goals included trigonometry, which was too complicated even for me. Some of these interactives were broken due to issues with the screen or sensors. An analogue approach may have been more appropriate for sections testing reaction times, kicking abilities, and jumping heights.

I imagine what most visitors came to see were items donated by those inducted into the Hall of Fame, Super Bowl trophies, and Super Bowl rings. The inductees received a small area with a writeup on their careers, and I wish this exhibit had been more extensive. As for trophies and rings, these were placed at the end of the exhibit. Each Super Bowl received its own nook with a summary of the game and important artifacts. The trophies and rings stood at the very end of the exhibits and felt almost anticlimactic. I half-expected to see kneelers for those who wanted to offer up a prayer to the football gods.

Silliness aside, Patriots Hall of Fame is a fun and affordable activity for the whole family. Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and students, $5 for children ages 5 to 12, and $0 for children under 5, active military, and veterans. The Hall is open seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Hours may change depending on games and private events, so be sure to check the website ahead of time. The museum is ADA compliant and has a decent amount of seating, although it does suffer from dim lighting in some areas. If you have not yet made this pilgrimage, I encourage you to do so, especially with football season in full swing.

Abby Epplett’s Rating System

Experience: 7/10

Accessibility: 8/10