HOF Museum's Grand Entrance to set tone

From long-time bowlers to those just learning about the sport, visitors to the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame will feel the thrill of the new shrine in Arlington, Texas, from the moment they step into the Grand Entrance.

Designed to give visitors an eye-catching preview of what they will see once inside, the Grand Entrance will feature a combination of historic and modern bowling people and events.

"The sound system and visuals are designed to create the excitement of bowling," said Ross Edwards, design director for Dallas' Museum Arts and the lead designer for the IBM/HF. "Most people have no idea the richness of the history of bowling. They may see the ball and pins and wonder what kind of history could there be in bowling. When they see and think about things, they will realize 'Wow, I did not know that.' "

Behind the ticket desk will be an array of visuals that will give visitors a preview of what they are about to see. There will be a wall featuring six photo frames of great bowling moments along with three-dimensional lettering that will say "International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame" in white text on black-stained oak wood.

Turning to their left, visitors will immediately see the Greats Kiosks, large exhibit cases made of stained hardwood to showcase memorabilia and graphics of five bowling greats. Each case will feature large photos of the stars plus some of their most-prized artifacts.

On a wall opposite the Greats Kiosks will be two exhibits featuring Earl Anthony and Dick Weber. In between them will be a donor recognition video. There also will be a video highlighting great moments in the sport.

"The great moments video will be something like you see on ESPN," Edwards said. "There will be a lot of movement and sound to show the excitement of bowling."

The contributors' video will scroll names of the museum's financial contributors and also include 30-second to one-minute segments for those donating amounts in various categories.

Overall, the Grand Entrance will set the tone for bowling's rich history, exciting present and bright future to come