CANTON, Ohio — Hall of Fame Village in Canton is becoming a bigger tourist attraction each year, with many now likening it to an amusement park.
With the Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremonies this week, tens of millions of dollars will pour into the region and the state. The Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce told 3News 700,000 people will take part in the annual festival's week of events, which will bring in $42 million dollars to the area.
"For a community the size of Canton, we're blessed to have the Hall of Fame here," Chamber CEO Dennis Saunier said. " I talk to my peers in other communities, they're envious of us. The NFL, the Hall of Fame, the brand brings a tremendous amount of attention to our community — not just this week, by the way. The Hall of Fame, year-round, attracts people to the community, so for a community this size, having one event over one week that is estimated at $42 million of new dollars coming into the community is tremendous."
According to Saunier, the economic impact of Hall of Fame week is actually statewide, with $65 million being brought into Ohio.
"It's something I don't think that the founders of the Hall of Fame could have dreamt of," Saunier said. "I think that they would be extremely pleased to see how the community has embraced the Pro Football Hall of Fame and what it means, both economically but also from a standpoint of a destination of excellence, of the best who's ever played the game."
Helping to further drive the festival's economic impact is the Hall of Fame Village. It continues to grow as a tourist hot spot, with fresh dining destinations like Don Shula's American Kitchen and Smoosh Cookies, as well as new exciting ways to play with Top Golf and a cool Ferris Wheel.
And there's more to come: Hall of Fame Village CEO Michael Crawford confirms they're opening a world class waterpark next year, the only football-themed water park in the country. He added that they're also looking into retail sports betting.
"Going to the Hall of Fame was a bucket list item and people would come and enjoy that experience," explained Hall of Fame Village CEO Michael Crawford. "Now, when guests are coming, they're saying to themselves, 'Wow this is very repeatable and we can actually increase our length of stay, meaning I could stay a night or two nights and have fun things for my kids to do, have places for us to go and eat and play.'"
On Monday, WKYC bumped into former Cleveland Browns offensive guard and Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe DeLamielleure, who believes the small city of Canton is experiencing a renaissance. He has returned with his wife every single year since he was inducted in 2003.
"Canton was nothing like this 20 years ago when we came," he said. "It's fantastic now. When we drive around now, we go, 'What happened?' It's like you're in Disney."
The Hall of Fame Game will be at Hall of Fame Stadium on Thursday night, when the Browns will play the New York Jets. The induction ceremony is Saturday, with Browns legend Joe Thomas set to be enshrined with the class of 2023.