History
The Pro Football Hall of Fame opened in Canton, Ohio, on Sept. 7, 1963, with the induction of 17 charter members. Canton was chosen as the site because it was there that National Football League was founded (as the American Professional Football Association) in 1920.
The hall originally consisted of two buildings. A third was added in 1971, a fourth in 1978. In its 51,000 square feet of space, the hall of fame includes an area tracing the history of pro football, an art gallery, a room devoted to enshrinees and their teams, and many special exhibits.
The hall of fame library contains many original documents, press clippings, books and magazines.
Members are chosen by a 36-member panel comprising one media person from each of the 30 NFL cities, a representative of the Professional Football Writers Association, and five at-large voters. To be eligible, players must be retired for five years. A coach becomes eligible immediately upon retirement. Contributors can still be active.
Induction takes place during Hall of Fame weekend, in late July or early August, which includes an NFL exhibition game at Canton's Fawcett Field.