Hall of Fame Heroes

Due to the popularity of the original exhibition, which opened in 2001 and ran through 2002, the National Museum of Racing brought back Hall of Fame Heroes in 2010, making it one of the mainstays of the McBean Gallery through 2022. Like its predecessor, Hall of Fame Heroes featured a variety of artifacts associated with Hall of Fame members on loan to the Museum and from its own Permanent Collection.  Objects that illustrated the history of the sport of Thoroughbred racing through the stories of its Hall of Fame members in all four categories: horse, trainer, jockey, and Pillar of the Turf took center stage in this multi-year exhibition.  Each summer, a new case was added to spotlight the newest inductees into the Official National Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame.

Hall of Fame Heroes included an interactive exhibit featuring the biographies of Hall of Fame members and additional multimedia content. A display featuring the John Nerud collection celebrated his Hall of Fame training career that resulted in three of his champions also earning their spots in the Hall of Fame (Dr. Fager, Gallant Man, and Ta Wee).