A Hall of Fame Highway

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•  More info: Directory of notable sports Halls of Fame and museums
•  2002: Jim Caple visits five Halls on his I-90 tour

Those driving east across the mountains and plains on I-90, a highway which travels 3,000-plus miles from Safeco Field in Seattle to Fenway Park in Boston, may feel like they've hit the pinnacle when they finally reach -- after miles and miles of ubiquitous billboards -- the mecca of free ice water and bumper stickers that is Wall Drug in Wall, S.D.

But for sports fans imbued with a sense of history, the real fun is just about to start. On an 900-mile stretch from Chicago to Springfield, the greatest American sports Halls of Fame -- baseball, basketball, pro football and college football -- are all within striking distance of I-90, with several other sports Halls in the vicinity as well. See the map above and the agenda below, and let's hit the road.

1. Chicago: Michael Jordan Statue
(United Center, 1901 W Madison St., Web site)
Miles off I-90: 1
Full buildings have been dedicated to the other two of the three greatest American athletes of the 20th century -- Babe Ruth (Museum in Baltimore, Md.) and Muhammad Ali (Center in Louisville, Ky.) -- but, for now, all we have for Mike is this elegant statue outside the United Center. As the statue says, though, MJ was "The best there ever was. The best there ever will be." So we think it's a worthy place to start this historical journey. For living history, start a few miles north at Wrigley Field, about 3 miles off I-90.

Driving distance from Chicago to South Bend: 93 miles

2. South Bend, Ind.: College Football Hall of Fame
(111 South St. Joseph St., Web site)
Miles off I-90: 3
Pay homage to Touchdown Jesus at Notre Dame and then shoot over to downtown South Bend to visit the College Hall.

Driving distance from South Bend to Cleveland: 256 miles

3. Cleveland: Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame
(One Key Plaza, 751 Erieside Ave., Web site)
Miles off I-90: 1
Obviously, it's not a sports stop, but hey, you're here, it's been a long drive from South Bend, and you might like the rock 'n' roll. So stop here and enjoy Hendrix's guitars, Springsteen's scrawled lyrics, the majestic Hall of Fame area and plenty more music memorabilia as a respite before setting off to tackle pro football's best.

Driving distance from Cleveland to Canton: 57 miles

4. Canton, Ohio: Pro Football Hall of Fame
(2121 George Halas Drive NW, Web site)
Miles off I-90: 57
A detour off of I-90, but it's worth it for one of the biggies. The 2006 enshrinement (on Aug. 5) immortalizes NFL greats Troy Aikman, Harry Carson, John Madden, Warren Moon, Reggie White, and Rayfield Wright.

Driving distance from Canton to Toronto: 350 miles

5. Toronto: Hockey Hall of Fame
(BCE Place, 30 Yonge Street, Web site)
Miles off I-90: 100
Perhaps a bit too far off of I-90 for your trip, we wanted to at least give you the option of hitting this classy building in bustling downtown Toronto, where you can see the original Stanley Cup bowl.

Driving distance from Toronto to Canastota: 263 miles

6. Canastota, N.Y.: International Boxing Hall of Fame
(1 Hall of Fame Drive, Web site)
Miles off I-90: 0.3
It's time to get back on the beaten path, and in that regard, you really can't do much better than the International Boxing Hall of Fame, right off of Exit 34 in central New York state. So take a moment to peruse the belts, robes and fist castings of champions through the years before we hit the big one.

Driving distance from Canastota to Cooperstown: 70 miles

7. Cooperstown, N.Y.: National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum
(25 Main Street, Web site)
Miles off I-90: 27
Ah, yes, it's the granddaddy of them all, the Baseball Hall of Fame, which opened in 1939 and has set the standard ever since. Make this your base for a day or two in the summer, as it's a lovely setting -- right on Lake Otsego -- even beyond the glory of the Hall.

Driving distance from Cooperstown to Oneonta: 27 miles

8. Oneonta, N.Y.: National Soccer Hall of Fame & Museum
(25 Main Street, Web site)
Miles off I-90: 54
While you're in neighborhood, head a little further south and check the U.S. Soccer Hall off your list. Alexi Lalas and Carla Overbeck are among those who will be inducted on August 28.

Driving distance from Oneonta to Saratoga: 107 miles

9. Saratoga, N.Y.: National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
(191 Union Avenue, Web site)
Miles off I-90: 30
We shouldn't even have to tell you to take this trip during August, when horse racing is in season over at the legendary Saratoga Race Course.

Driving distance from Saratoga to Holyoke: 117 miles

10. Holyoke, Mass.: Volleyball Hall of Fame
(44 Dwight St., Web site)
Miles off I-90: 6
YMCA's in western Massachusetts sure seemed to be creative places in the late 19th century, as volleyball was invented at the Holyoke Y by William G. Morgan in 1895, soon after...

Driving distance from Holyoke to Springfield: 9 miles

11. Springfield, Mass.: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
(1000 West Columbus Avenue, Web site)
Miles off I-90: 6
...Dr. James Naismith nailed up peach baskets at the Springfield YMCA in 1891 and invented basketball. The hoop Hall moved to a sparkling new building in 2002. Look for it -- you can't miss the huge, silver, basketball-ish sphere -- right by the road on I-91, just a few miles from I-90.

And there you have it. A trip through American sports history in one fell swoop of a road trip. If you're still jonesing for more, well, the Tennis Hall is just a little further east, 80 miles south of I-90 in Newport, R.I., or just keep going on I-90 straight 'til you hit Fenway. If that's not enough, check out our directory of notable sports Halls of Fame and Museums for more ideas.

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