Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame

This place is amazing! I thought I saw basketball history. I feel like I found basketball’s ancestors. I cannot wait to go back. Like no other. And this place is a must for all hoops junkies

You walk in knowing the importance of basketball to the state of Indiana. If you aren’t from the area, perhaps you’ve seen the movie Hoosiers? Perhaps you’ve noticed the giant basketball shoe as you’ve driven up to the building? Or the giant basketball made of bricks in the path leading up to the entrance? Basketball is such a rich part of the tradition of Indiana’s heritage that it’s appropriate that the state play host to a hall of fame honoring the sport. While the official Basketball Hall of Fame is located in Springfield, MA, where the game was invented, even its creator, James Naismith, recognized Indiana’s importance to the game after visiting the state in the 1920s.
You begin your tour with a short film orienting you to the rich tradition of Indiana basketball, from the amazing heroes the area has spawned including Larry Bird & Oscar Robertson to Hoosiers & the real-​life story that inspired it. On the first floor, take a look at a display honoring some of the most recent inductees & then wind your way down to the lower level to look at the earliest history of the game & its arrival in the state. Sit in on a motivational speech by legendary coach, John Wooden. See what it would be like to try & block a shot by The Big O. See how your shoe size measures up against a number of pro athletes…
But really, you’re there to immerse yourself in the history of the game in Indiana. So, of course, you’ll see Larry Bird, but it’s a pre-​green Larry Legend, so the focus is mainly on the high school & college years. There’s a video tribute to Oscar Robertson, who grew up in Indiana, then went on to play professionally in Cincinnati & Milwaukee. And as I mentioned, you can learn more about both the film Hoosiers & the real-​life story that inspired it.
Something else that impressed me about this museum was that it gave a good balance to the women of the sport & the state. Although it may seem so sometimes, basketball is not just a man’s game. There are many accomplished female athletes & coaches at all levels of the game & they too deserve their recognition. They are well regarded in both the orientation film & throughout the museum. However, one thing I was surprised to see so little of was Chuck Taylor. An Indiana native whose shoes are so instrumental to the early days of basketball & unless I missed something, he was barely mentioned more than a couple times. I had expected a bit more high profile exhibit for him.
There’s an impressive gift shop with a collection of books, DVDs, shirts, hats, magnets, pens & other fun merchandise to take home & remember your visit.

My brother and I completed our «Hoosiers» road trip here. This museum is very professionally done. They had alcoves for Milan 54, Oscar Robertson and his high school days, a John Wooden display and their hometown hero Steve Alford among several others. I really enjoyed the old uniforms and score boards. Their gift shop had a nice selection of books covering several topics.

There is not a lot going on in New Castle. I guess we should be excited to just have any kind of museum. I would much rather it be art but beggars can’t be choosers. Not a sports fan but it still gets 5 stars for the effort that went into this little treasure. I think that even if you do not like Basketball you can enjoy this museum.

Indiana basketball history lives here. A very extensive walk down memory lane. Don’t forget to hit the game winning shot. A very special section for John Wooden and Larry Bird.

I don’t like basketball. But this is cheap entertainment and its actually a pretty neat place. To visit once or twice. If you really like basketball you could probably go more than that. For a small town this is pretty cool.

My rating is based on my fiances response to this place. He LOVES basketball. I brought him here and he was like a kid in a candy store. It only cost $ 5 I think? He took all tkinds of pictures and enjoyed every second.
A highlight was the basketball hoop that has a timer. It simulates what it would be like to try and make a shot with only a few seconds on the clock.
There is also a massive basketball shoe outside just *waiting* for you to take pictures with it.
Oh and the 10 minute movie you are given the option to watch at the beginning is pretty cool. Tell the lady you want to see it :)
The place itself is not very big. It took us around an hour or so to go through it. We didn’t read every single word on each display though.
Overall, if you’re into basketball you’ll love this. If you don’t hate or love basketball… you won’t be too amused… but you won’t be completely bored out of your mind either. For the price, it was worth it.
Here’s a link to their site for more info: