Kansas Sports Hall to reopen in Wichita

? The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame this fall will re-open its doors to the public.

The Hall, which has been shut down since 2002 after it moved from Abilene to Wichita, will open thanks to an $800,000 gift from John Q. Hammons of Springfield, Mo.

“This is the culmination of many years’ efforts from when the Hall of Fame was in the basement of Watkins Museum in Lawrence to our time in Abilene until now finally getting into a building with state-of-the-art exhibits that will showcase the great accomplishments of so many Kansans in sports,” said Richard Konzem, vice president of the Hall’s board of directors and director of the Heroes in Sports; Leaders in Life Capital Campaign.

Earlier, Bill Koch of Wichita gave $400,000 to the Hall campaign.

“These gifts will allow us to finish the exhibits and the public soon will be able to view the exhibits and artifacts involving the great athletes in Kansas history,” Konzem said.

The Hall is located in Wichita’s Old Town at 238 North Mead.

“The building is five times larger than the building in Abilene,” said Konzem, former senior associate athletic director at Kansas. “We have 29,000 square feet now. We are continuing to raise money including a program in which one can give $10,000 and have your name on the plaque as a presenter of an inductee.”