Mascot Hall of Fame makes closure plans official

More than five years after opening its doors, the Mascot Hall of Fame and Interactive Children’s Museum in Whiting, Indiana, is preparing to close at the end of the summer.

The move is not entirely unexpected, as plans for a new office redevelopment project were announced earlier this year that threatened the future of the hall of fame.

The Mascot Hall of Fame facility opened in April 2019. Prior to that, the hall of fame had operated exclusively online with an annual induction ceremony held in Philadelphia.

The hall of fame announced on social media Monday that its last day in Whiting will be Sept. 14.

“We have made quite a family in the 5+ years since we opened our doors,” the organization said. “We have had the pleasure of sharing in hundreds of your special days and birthdays. We’ve had thousands and thousands of students visit for field trips. We’ve been able to fill gaps in the community with free and reduced programs, food banks, blood drives, backpack giveaways, sensory days, reading programs, and so much more. It has been an honor.”

In June, The Times of Northwest Indiana reported the hall of fame’s future was in doubt following plans for an office complex in the surrounding Stadium District.

Whiting Mayor Steve Spebar told the publication that the museum has been costing the city about $500,000 in tax dollars each year and never reached its goal of becoming self-sustaining.

“It’s done better since opening after COVID but it’s never done financially well,” Spebar said. “That’s no fault of the staff, who have done a fantastic job. We’re doing much better than when we first opened but it financially never performed as expected.”

A few days later, it was reported that BP, which operates a massive oil refinery in Whiting, was behind the initial idea for the office project and was the only one to respond to a request for proposals.

The multimillion dollar project would involve an office complex along Front Street and 119th Street near Oil City Stadium. The mayor previously said the project has the potential to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment and pay off the $11 million in debt the city owes on the Mascot Hall of Fame.

Spebar did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday on the Mascot Hall of Fame’s closure.

While the physical hall of fame building is closing, the Mascot Hall of Fame said it will continue to operate online until a new location is secured. The organization did not elaborate on efforts to find a new location.

The hall of fame is planning to host a “Grand FURnale” on Sept. 14 to “celebrate five years of community, camaraderie, and confetti.”