International Hockey Hall of Fame

International Hockey Hall of Fame

• Original Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum
• IHHF
• International Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum

• International

Founded by the National Hockey League and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association on September 10, 1943 - Kingston's International Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum is the "Original Hockey Hall of Fame" and the oldest sports hall of fame in Canada. Captain James T. Sutherland of Kingston spearheaded the bid to bring the Hockey Hall of Fame to Kingston and was inducted into the hall in 1947 - one of the first forty members inducted into the hall during the Kingston-era.

Capt. Sutherland died in 1955 and never realized his dream of seeing the hall of fame built in Kingston. Fifteen years after awarding the Hall of Fame to Kingston, NHL President Clarence Campbell withdrew support in 1958 and Toronto was awarded the hall of fame. Despite a major setback, the Kingston organizing committee moved forward and the International Hockey Hall of Fame was finally opened in 1965 in a brand new building on the Kingston Memorial Centre grounds at the corner of York and Alfred Streets.

In 1992, an agreement was reached with the International Ice Hockey Federation to have the Kingston shrine become the International Ice Hockey Federation Museum. That partnership was abandoned in 1997 and since that time the Kingston hall has been known as the International Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum.

On January 1, 2003, the organization officially changed its operating name back to International Hockey Hall of Fame in part to help celebrate our 60th anniversary celebrations in 2003.

The Original Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum is based out of the Invista Centre in Kingston. Archival collections are accessible to researchers through Queen's University Archives.

The IHHF archival holdings contain photographic and research collections related to hockey history, as well as administrative records of the organization.

Museum Exhibits: Open daily 9:00 am - 9:00 pm. Closed stat holidays
Archival Collections: Open Monday to Friday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. Closed stat holidays

Both the Invista Centre and Queen's University Archives are wheelchair accessible.