HALL OF FAMERS TO VISIT CANTON, NORTHEAST OHIO DURING RESIDENCY PROGRAM 

Guests never know who they might meet when they visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame — “Football Heaven” — in Canton.

In the Hall of Fame’s 61-year history, that maxim always has been true. Players, coaches and contributors who comprise the membership of the most elite team in sports visit their “second home” for such reasons as speaking engagements, educational programs and other appearances. Guests fortunate enough to cross paths with the Hall of Famers on those occasions take with them an added lifelong memory from their trip to Canton.

The frequency and consistency of those special encounters will rise to a new level as part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's innovative “Hall of Famer Residency Program.”

The initiative will bring 28 enshrinees to Canton for several days each time on a near-weekly basis from early April through November. Much of the visiting enshrinee's time in Canton will be spent inside the museum, greeting guests and sharing his experiences and inspirational stories from the game with the fans who visit the Hall from across the country.

Outside of the encounters in the museum, the Hall of Famers also will engage with residents of Stark County and the Northeast Ohio region by visiting local schools, nonprofit organizations, service groups, hospitals and civic organizations.