Sports Hall of Fame

Welcome to the Muskegon Area

Sports Hall of Fame

Organized in 1986, the Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame honors our heroes and legends, spanning the rich history of sports achievement in the Lake Michigan shoreline area anchored by Ludington to the North and Grand Haven to the south.

The Hall of Fame exhibit, located in downtown Muskegon on the concourse level of the L.C. Walker Arena (now called the Trinity Health Arena), features a fascinating collection of artifacts, photos, and commemorative plaques honoring the area’s sports heritage. Displays highlight the accomplishments of the over 100 sports notables enshrined over the last 30 years.

Inductees include Phil Baldwin, who fought on the 1960 Olympic boxing team with Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay; Earl Morrall, a Super Bowl quarterback in the National Football League; Sally Sessions, one of the 13 founding members of the Ladies Professional Golf Association; Bennie Oosterbaan, one of only two athletes honored as a three-time All-American in football at the University of Michigan; Sherm Poppen, the inventor of the Snurfer, the board that evolved into the snowboard;  Donna Cook & Doris Cook, sisters who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League and many more.

Besides the expected sports of baseball, football, basketball, and hockey, sports as diverse as boxing, with world lightweight contender Kenny Lane, and speed roller skating, with Kenny Sutton, a two-time gold medalist at the Pan-American games, are represented.

Two Scholar-Athletes, one male and one female, are honored annually at the hall’s annual induction banquet hosted in June.  A member of the community also is selected for his or her dedication to the sports community with the organization’s Gene Young Distinguished Service Award.

Take time to explore the site and learn about West Michigan’s incredible sports history!