History
The Amateur Skating Union of the United States (ASU) created its Speed Skating Hall of Fame in 1959. Its first home was in Newburgh, NY, proclaimed as "the cradle of U. S. speed skating."
The hall was first established in 1967, in a historic house in Newburgh, under the sponsorship of the city's Lions Club. A year later, it moved into donated space at the Columbus Trust Building in Newburgh.
Construction of a permanent hall of fame began in 1971 on city property, with the Lions Club raising money and enlisting donations of material and services from local businesses. The building was opened to the public on March 15, 1974.
Forced to vacate the property in 1995, the Lions Club set up a museum in a local ice rink. However, the ASU refused to sanction the location. Plans to establish a new hall of fame and museum elsewhere have been held up by the Lions Club claim that it owns all the artifacts on display.
At its 2001 convention, the ASU voted to move the hall of fame to Saratoga Springs, NY. The collection built up by the Newburgh Lions Club over a 40-year period has been moved to the new location.
In 2002, the organization changed its name to the National Speedskating Museum and Hall of Fame to better describe its function.