Seven-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady, longtime sports reporter Jim Gray and Fontainebleau Development Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Soffer have unveiled Fontainebleau Las Vegas’ Hall of Excellence. The one-of-a-kind museum honors the greatest moments in the history of sports and entertainment.
“Everybody in the [Hall of Excellence] has people that inspired them, that supported them, that held them up,” Brady said. “Nobody can do it alone, we all need each other, we need to support one another, we need to build people up.”
“There’s no greater destination in the world for this ‘Smithsonian’ of sports artifacts. In fact, I don’t think the Smithsonian can handle what we put together”
Located on the resort’s second floor adjacent to Promenade, Hall of Excellence will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. starting Friday, June 20. Admission starts at $35 per person and $20 for guests ages five to 15 years old; with discounted tickets available for seniors, Nevada residents, and military members starting at $30 per person. Tickets can be purchased here.
“The Hall of Excellence is more than a museum, it is a movement,” Gray told the assembled crowd. “They’re living reminders of what it means to sacrifice, to strive, to overcome. May this hall remind us of where we’ve been, challenge us on where we’re going, and always call on us to live, to strive, to commit to excellence.”
“It’s come together in such a way, it’s beyond what I ever thought it would be,” said Soffer. “The ability to take you through and relive these milestones, it takes you back to your childhood.”
Hall of Excellence features cherished artifacts celebrating the moments, milestones, people, and plays that have inspired generations. Among the pieces on display: all seven of Brady’s Super Bowl rings; the bat used by Jackie Robinson to break baseball’s color barrier (1947); Muhammad Ali’s worn gloves from his iconic fight versus George Chuvalo (1966); Dream Team jersey and opening ceremony uniform (1992); Clint Eastwood’s Academy Award for “Unforgiven” (1993); Kobe Bryant’s first nationally televised game jersey (1996); golf ball used by Tiger Woods during his first Masters victory (1997); Billie Jean King’s iconic tennis dress (1974); Oprah Winfrey’s Presidential Medal of Freedom (2013) and Tony Award for “The Color Purple” (2016); Las Vegas Aces WNBA Championship rings (2022, 2023); a Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup Championship ring (2023), and golf balls and baseballs signed by U.S. Presidents dating back to Woodrow Wilson.
Featuring a self-guided audio tour narrated by Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman, Hall of Excellence allows guests to customize their visit with handheld devices that identify each exhibit, with stories, statistics, and detailed descriptions narrated by Gray and Brady, as well as Marv Albert, Jim Nantz, Bob Costas, Mike Emrick, Mary Carillo, Andres Cantor, Tom Brady, Jim Gray, and more.
The museum also features an iconic trophy room that includes the Vince Lombardi Trophy, the Heisman Trophy, the Claret Jug, the MLB Commissioners Trophy, Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy (NBA Finals), Wimbledon, U.S. Open Golf and U.S. Open Tennis Trophies, the Pete Rozelle Super Bowl MVP Trophy and Olympic Gold Medals.
Fontainebleau Las Vegas is a 67-story, vertically integrated luxury resort that includes 3,644 luxury hotel rooms and suites, 550,000 square feet of customizable meeting and convention space, 150,000 square feet of gaming space, a collection of world-class restaurants and shops, pools, nightlife, and spa and wellness offerings.
Photo: Courtesy of Fontainebleau Las Vegas