The Muhammad Ali Center, a museum and cultural center built as a tribute to the champion athlete and his values, is located in Louisville, Kentucky's "Museum Row" in the West Main District of downtown.
The six-story, 96,750 sq ft (8,988 m2). museum opened on November 19, 2005 at a cost of $80 million.[1] It also includes a 40,000 sq ft (3,700 m2). two-level amphitheater and plaza, to be connected to the Louisville Museum Plaza upon its construction.
The cultural center features exhibitions regarding Muhammad Ali's core values on respect, confidence, conviction, dedication, charity, and spirituality.[2][3] An orientation theater helps present Ali's life from birth to the present. A mock-boxing ring is recreated based on his Deer Lake Training Camp. A two-level pavilion, housed within a large elliptical room, features Ali's boxing memorabilia and history. A large projector displays 'The Greatest', his signature fight, onto a full-sized boxing ring. There are also pods where one can view Ali's greatest fights on video-on-demand terminals that feature pre- and post-fight interviews.
Another exhibit offers individuals the chance to explore sense of self, others and purpose through an interactive terminal program. The final exhibits include 'Hope and Dream' and 'Global Voices'. 'Hope and Dream' is composed of over 5,000 tiles with drawings and paintings from children from 141 countries; they tell what they want to be when they grow up.[2][3] 'Global Voices' is a similar project, in which the Ali Center asked questions to both children and adults from around the world. The answers were submitted through a variety of mediums, such as drawings and poems, and are now displayed in the exhibit.
Two art galleries, the LeRoy Neiman Gallery and the Howard L. Bingham Gallery, feature rotating exhibits that are located on the third floor.
Contents |