"Hometown Hoops: High School Basketball in Michigan" Opens March 8 at the Michigan Historical Museum

"Hometown Hoops: High School Basketball in Michigan" Opens March 8 at the Michigan Historical Museum



As basketball teams and fans prepare for the excitement of March Madness, the Michigan Historical Museum in Lansing is preparing for a little basketball excitement of its own.



On Saturday, March 8, the museum unveils Hometown Hoops: High School Basketball in Michigan, a special exhibit that looks at the people who make high school basketball happen and what the sport means to them and their communities.



Join mid-Michigan radio sports host Dave “Mad Dog” DeMarco of WQTX (92.7 The Ticket), from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the exhibit gallery, for his insight into Michigan’s high school basketball heritage.



Basketball has undergone an evolution since its introduction in Michigan in the late 19th century. What started as a “girls’ sport” became dominated by boys—and now the sport is played and enjoyed by boys and girls at every age level.



“Over the years, more and more people became involved in presenting the game of basketball,” said Phillip C. Kwiatkowski, director of the Michigan Historical Museum. “Not just players, parents and coaches, but fans, ticket-takers, janitors and others.”



Hometown Hoops captures the sights and sounds of high school basketball. Visitors even have the chance to shoot a hoop as they tour the gallery. More than 50 schools are represented in artifacts ranging from basketballs, uniforms and trophies to fan signs and mascots. Among the artifacts are championship trophies representing over 100 years of championship high school basketball.



At Hometown Hoops, visitors will discover the answers to:



· How have the game and the players changed since basketball came to Michigan?



· What do Earvin “Magic” Johnson and former Michigan governor William Milliken have in common?



· To what lengths do fans go in showing their team pride?





The permanent exhibits at the Michigan Historical Museum present an overview of the state’s past, from pre-recorded history through 1975. The museum is the flagship of a system that includes twelve historic sites and museums throughout the state.



The Michigan Historical Museum is located inside the Michigan Library and Historical Center, 702 W. Kalamazoo St., two blocks west of the State Capitol in downtown Lansing. The main entrance and visitor parking are located north of Kalamazoo Street, just east of M. L. King Boulevard. Museum hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; and Sunday, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. The museum is closed on official state holidays





The Michigan Historical Museum system is a division of the Michigan Historical Center, an agency of the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries, whose mission is to enrich the quality of life for Michigan residents by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity. The department also includes the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, the Library of Michigan, the Michigan Film Office and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.