Written by the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum
NEWPORT, RI — The International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum has developed and implemented a new audio tour component for visitors, enhancing their overall museum experience. The tour currently presents twenty stops within the museum interpreting various gallery exhibits and collection items.
“Our new audio tour is a terrific addition to the museum,” said Mark Stenning, Chief Executive Officer of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum. “Visitors will find the audio guide very informative and entertaining. To hear actual comments and interviews of Hall of Fame champions unquestionably increases the overall museum experience.”
This new audio tour, a Tour-Mate Systems product, is made possible through the generous donation by Rosalind P. Walter and John and Hope Reese. The audio tour system uses a hand held “wand” that delivers the recorded information to museum-goers at various volume levels. The wand is a simple tool and very user friendly, light in weight with a strong and durable speaker component that produces a clear, quality sound. In addition, the wand also has a raised button, specially constructed for use by visitors with visual impairments. Through computer programming of the wands, the new system is completely flexible in modifying the tour message, with the capability to amend information pertaining to changing exhibits on view in the Museum.
The 45-minute tour begins with a welcome message from Hall of Fame President and 1970 Hall of Famer, Tony Trabert. Commentary continues throughout the museum at designated stops with tennis industry experts relating information on the origins of tennis, the emergence of star players, the evolution of the game and modern tennis developments. You’ll also hear many interview accounts from the great champions of tennis, like Bobby Riggs after the famous “Battle of the Sexes” match. In addition, the social significance of the Newport Casino and its historic Newport presence are conveyed. Listen as visitors are transported back to the Gilded Age with tales of early tennis society and the colorful account of “Captain Candy and his Horse,” the incident that prompted the construction of the Newport Casino by James Gordon Bennett.
The International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum, founded in 1954, is the largest repository of tennis information and memorabilia in the world. Its collection consists of a vast array of historical information relating to Newport, the sport of tennis and the individuals honored within the Hall of Fame. The Museum encompasses over 20,000 square feet of interactive exhibits, momentous videos, and popular memorabilia of tennis champions past and present. The Museum’s permanent collection alone contains over 16,000 objects. The Library and Information Research Center has upwards of 3,000 books; more than 2,500 audio-visual materials; 250,000 photo images, and an abundant collection of magazines, programs, periodicals, posters, and personal player memorabilia.
The International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum is located at 194 Bellevue Avenue in the heart of historic Newport, RI. The Hall of Fame Museum is open daily 9:30am-5:00pm. Regular Museum admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children (16 and under), $8 for seniors/military/students with ID, and $25 for a family.
Established in 1954, the International Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum is a non-profit institution dedicated to preserving the history of tennis, inspiring and encouraging junior tennis development, enshrining tennis heroes and heroines, and providing a landmark for tennis enthusiasts worldwide. The International Tennis Hall of Fame was recognized as the sport’s official Hall of Fame in 1986 by the International Tennis Federation, the governing body of tennis. For additional information on the please call 401-849-3990, or visit the Hall of Fame’s official website, www.tennisfame.com.
