The original Phillie Phanatic gets a building for the Mascot Hall of Fame
First of all, yes, there is a Mascot Hall of Fame. It was founded in 2005 by David Raymond, who was the original Phillie Phanatic. Up to now, it has only been an online thing. But that's about to change.
First of all, yes, there is a Mascot Hall of Fame.
It was founded in 2005 by David Raymond, the original Phillie Phanatic. Up to now, it has been only an online thing. But that's about to change. Next year, the Hall of Fame will become an actual hall: a 24,000-foot building in Whiting, Ind., about 40 minutes south of Chicago.
And yes, the Phanatic will be there: both in the form of Raymond and the actual mascot, who was in the inaugural Hall of Fame class in 2005.
(Raymond played the role from 1979 to 1993. So, no, he didn't officially induct himself.)
The Wall Street Journal reported this week that a groundbreaking for the museum is set for Oct. 21.
If the renderings are any indication, it's going to look pretty wild - including a Phanatic head hanging from the ceiling that's even bigger than the Phanatic's already big dome. Click here for a few samples.