If you call Alabama home, it is important to know about the history of the state, which includes that of the sports world.

The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame is located at 2150 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. in downtown Birmingham right next to the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex.

I was fortunate to step foot inside the building for the first time during the media luncheon to welcome in Tommie Agee who played at Maplesville High School before an illustrious football career that led him to being named a member of the 2019 class.

Just walking around and looking at all of the symbolic pieces of sports history, not just in the state but also worldwide in some cases, was overwhelming.

The Hall was first created in 1967 as a way to preserve and celebrate the state’s great sports athletes and moments.

A tour of the museum allows you to venture the three-story building that is home to more than 5,000 sports artifacts that garner historical value across a wide range of sports.

One of the things that makes the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame so unique is that it is not just fixated on one sport, but instead looks to capture the entire spectrum.

The 2019 class represented that broad spectrum, joining Agee with former University of Alabama football player Antonio Langham, World Series champion Luis Gonzalez and Olympic soccer gold medalist Catherine Reddick Whitehill.

It is definitely a sight to see and something that I encourage all families with a sports enthusiast to attend at some point this summer.

The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information call 205-323-6665 or visit www.ashof.org.