Texas Sports Hall of Fame, Sports hall of fame in Waco, Texas

The Texas Sports Hall of Fame is a 35,000 sq. ft. museum in Waco, Texas, housing more than 300 inductees. It also contains the Texas Tennis Museum and Hall of Fame, which occupies 2,000 sq. ft., and the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame. A 2010 expansion added a banquet hall, the Health, Fitness and Education Center and a Southwest Conference exhibit.

Founded in 1951, it was the first institution of its kind in the United States dedicated to honoring athletes from a single state. Sports journalists were behind its creation, driven by a desire to keep the memory of Texas athletic achievement alive.

The hall honors athletes who grew up or built their careers in Texas, displaying personal items, trophies, and uniforms from many different sports. A separate section is dedicated to tennis, offering a closer look at the sport's history within the state.

The museum is housed in a large, well-marked building that is easy to navigate on foot. Visitors who want to go through all the galleries at a comfortable pace should set aside several hours.

New members are chosen each year through a vote among sports journalists who review nominations sent in by the public. First-time candidates and those who were nominated in previous years are considered separately in the process.