Jim Thorpe Museum Officially Opens Its Doors to Public

By Darren Brown, News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma has a sports history as rich and diverse as its people, and now, with the official opening of the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and Jim Thorpe Museum, that history has a permanent home.

Construction on the $9 million museum began in September of 2007, and the 40,000-square-foot museum is now open for business.

The museum, which houses Steve Owens' 1969 Heisman trophy and Joe Washington's silver shoes, boasts items from Oklahoma's diverse sports heritage: a championship saddle from rodeo legend Freckles Brown, an outfit worn by gymnastics phenom Shannon Miller, and an autographed helmet from Oklahoma's first integrated football team to win a championship, the Frederick Bombers.

FOR MORE INFO, CONTACT THE JIM THORPE OFFICE AT (405) 427-1400, OR VISIT www.jimthorpeassoc.org.