A Multimedia Museum!
Interactive experiences abound throughout the new museum at the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
“The manner in which people take in information and learn is evolving rapidly alongside technological advances. This concept played a major role in how we developed exhibits,” said Douglas Stark, museum director. “The museum overall has been infused with interactive, multimedia exhibits. We designed the exhibits in a way that people could participate in the learning process together – a touch table in which you can ‘serve’ tennis trivia questions back and forth, video walls in which you can select match highlights and watch together, and a broadcast experience that offers a chance to make a recording to take home with you, among other aspects.”
A highlight of the new museum will be a holographic theatre in which visitors feel as though they’re having a conversation with Roger Federer, one of the sport’s all-time greatest champions. When visitors walk into the room, the hologram of Roger gives the visitor a friendly welcome and begins a dynamic monologue about a topic that museum visitors and Federer have in common – a love of tennis. Federer then takes the visitor through his top-10 list of reason why he loves the sport, ranging from the athletic beauty of the sport to the challenge of it being an individual sport, all while showcasing a few of his signature shots.
“It was an honor to be asked to be the hologram at the International Tennis Hall of Fame and I was quite happy to take on the project,” commented Federer. “I’ve always had an interest in the history of our sport and I believe we’ve been fortunate to be able to learn from and build on that history. The Hall of Fame does a tremendous job of preserving our sport’s history and celebrating it with the world. I’m glad to be able to support those efforts by helping to create a fun experience in their museum.”
A media gallery features a “Call the Match” exhibit in which visitors can record themselves calling a pivotal point, taking on the role of luminary broadcasters like Cliff Drysdale, John Barrett, and Mary Carillo.
A five-foot interactive touch table provides a place for visitors to dig deeper on various tennis topics through video, photos, and information. Those who fashion themselves as tennis aficionados can test their knowledge by standing at either end of the table and “serving” tennis trivia questions back and forth to each other.
A 5-foot interactive globe highlights the global nature of tennis. At the globe, visitors can touch a certain part of the world to learn more about tennis events that take place there, recent results, and live scores.
Interactive video walls throughout the museum offer fans an opportunity to re-live classic tennis moments through video highlights of WTA, ATP, and Grand Slam matches.
In the Woolard Family Enshrinement Gallery, all 243 Hall of Famers have a place within a touch-screen kiosk that features career stats, video highlights from their playing career, and quotes from or about the Hall of Famer.
"Our goal is to provide visitors with a memorable experience in which they will learn about the history of tennis, and its impact on and off the courts,” remarked Stark.
