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NATIONAL SPRINT CAR MUSEUM PARTNERS WITH IOWA SPORTS HERITAGE ALLIANCE ON TWO-DAY TOUR ITINERARY KNOXVILLE, IOWA (February 26, 2008) - The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum has again partnered with the Iowa Sports Heritage Alliance, this time in helping produce a two-day group tour itinerary for visiting the seven sports museums which are located in central and eastern Iowa. The Iowa Sports Heritage Tour itinerary is aimed at the group travel marketplace, although more and more Iowans are looking for mini-vacation destinations within an easy driving distance due to the current high fuel costs around the country. According to Becky Wigeland of the National Balloon Museum in Indianola, who first proposed this joint marketing effort, “We are fortunate in Iowa to have these sports-related museum ‘gems’, many of which are national and even international in scope. From hot air ballooning to sprint car racing to baseball’s Bob Feller to Iowa’s high school sports to wrestling to motorcycling to the University of Iowa Hawkeye athletics, we have world-class institutions which preserve and protect our sports heritage. We are very excited to let the world know that they are an easy drive from each other, and all seven can be seen in a leisurely two-day circle tour from the state’s capital city of Des Moines.” The Iowa Sports Heritage Tour is as follows: Iowa Sports Heritage Tour - a two-day tour to experience the rich sports heritage of Iowa by visiting seven of its finest museums - Day One Morning. Arrive in Des Moines. Enjoy the Iowa Hall of Pride on the lower level of the new Hy-Vee Hall in downtown, showcasing the achievements of all Iowans, from student-athletes to sports legends. The high-tech and interactive venue is open Monday through Saturday and is a great destination for people of all ages. Following lunch, drive west of Des Moines on I-235 and I-80 to the Bob Feller Museum in Van Meter, saluting the Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher for the Cleveland Indians (1936-56). Walk back in time viewing original artifacts from the life and career of Bob Feller; open Tuesday through Sunday. Afternoon. Drive southeast on I-80, I-35, Highway 5 and Highway 65 to the north end of Indianola, home of the National Balloon Museum. Experience the history of ballooning from its beginnings in the 1700’s in France to the modern day is presented in a variety of displays and exhibits. The museum is open seven days a week, including its Children’s Learning Area. Following a short drive east to Knoxville on Highway 92, you will find the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum on Highway 14 north, located on turn number two of the legendary Knoxville Raceway half-mile dirt track. The museum, which is open seven days a week, features over 25 restored ‘big cars’, sprint cars and supermodifieds, plus plenty of other open-wheel racing memorabilia. Evening. Drive east on Highway 92 and north on Highway 1 to the quaint community of Kalona, where you can enjoy a relaxed home-cooked dinner and overnight stay in a genuine Amish settlement. Day Two Morning. Drive north on Highway 1 to Iowa City, home of the ultimate fantasy of Iowa Hawkeye fans… the University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame. Photos, biographies, interactive displays, Nile Kinnick's Heisman Trophy and more memorabilia are on display on three floors of black-and-gold memories. The Hall is open seven days a week, year-round. Continue driving north on Highways 218 and 151 to Anamosa and its National Motorcycle Museum, where you can cruise in and experience more than a century of two-wheeled adventure. An extensive collection of vintage motorcycles, and thousands of photographs, posters and postcards await your arrival. Afternoon. Drive south on Highway 151 before heading northwest on I-380 and Highways 218 and 63 to Waterloo. There, following lunch, you will enjoy the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum, which boasts over 600 displays as it takes visitors through the history of wrestling, from ancient Greece through the present day Olympics. The Professional Wing of the museum has a half-size wrestling ring, a wall devoted to the legendary Frank Gotch, the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, and many other exciting displays. Evening. Drive southwest on Highways 63 and 20 and I-35 and I-235 back to the capital city of Des Moines, where you will find many options for dining and accommodations. Iowa Sports Heritage Alliance (ISHA) Destination Information: Iowa Hall of Pride, 330 Park Street, Des Moines, Iowa, 50309, 515-280-8969, www.iowahallofpride.com Bob Feller Museum, 310 Mill Street, Van Meter, Iowa, 50261, 515-996-2806, www.bobfellermuseum.org National Balloon Museum, 1601 North Jefferson Way, Indianola, Iowa, 50125, 515-961-3714, www.nationalballoonmuseum.com National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum, One Sprint Capital Place, Knoxville, Iowa, 50138, 641-842-6176, www.sprintcarhof.com University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame, 2425 Prairie Meadow Drive, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, 319-384-1031, www.hawkeyesports.com National Motorcycle Museum, 200 East Main Street, Anamosa, Iowa, 52205, 319-462-3925, www.nationalmcmuseum.org Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum, 303 Jefferson Street, Waterloo, Iowa, 50701, 319-233-0745, www.wrestlingmuseum.org |