CANTON, Ohio — Enshrinement Week for the Pro Football Hall of Fame is underway, but there’s always something to do at the Hall of Fame Village. The Hall began ramping up the Village back in 2016 and Michael Crawford, the president and CEO of Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment, said they are about halfway through phase two of the project.

What You Need To Know

  • Pro Football Hall of Fame Village began phase one of their upgrades in 016 

  • They are now in phase two of the rennovations which includes an on site hotel and a water park

  • Phase three will begin when phase two is finished, likely in 2025 

“We’ve built $450 million worth of assists,” he said.

Crawford explained that phase one focused on rebuilding Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, installing a new youth sports complex and putting in more restaurants and retail.

“We heard from our guests, right? There are a lot of people coming to the Hall of Fame every single year and Canton, Ohio, birthplace of professional football, so why not give them a destination,” he said. 

Phase two has focused on building a water park and an on site hotel. The water park was originally set to open in 2024, but it is still under construction. Crawford said that prices of materials and the impact of COVID has affected the project and is why it’s taking longer to build. The village has received extra funds to finish the project. Crawford explained that half the money is from a grant from the state as well as one of the village’s partners.

“We just took in $20 million more. We’ve built 51% of it, so contractor’s excited. We’re getting ready to continue construction. We hope to finish it by, I’ll call it, Q2, early summer next year,” he said.

The Village will break ground on the on site hotel later this year. Phase three will begin once phase two is completely finished.