Search the Collections  Collections Management Section  Curation Section  Conservation Section Home / Artifacts / Curation Section / Sports Since North Carolina's earliest days, its citizens have been avid sports fans and competitors. From colonial horse races, to the birth of NASCAR, to ACC college athletics, sports have a long and storied tradition in the state. The Museum of History is the permanent home of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. This 3,000-square-foot exhibit contains uniforms, equipment, and awards associated with and donated by the more than two hundred athletes, coaches, and media representatives who have been inducted into that organization. Highlights of the exhibit include A Rose Bowl trophy from 1942, when the game was played at Duke University A basketball autographed by members of the North Carolina State University team that won the 1958 Dixie Classic tournament, held at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh A uniform worn by baseball Hall of Famer Walter "Buck" Leonard as a member of the Negro League's Homestead Grays The golf bag Arnold Palmer used during the 1973 Ryder Cup tournament A 1988 Pontiac race car driven by Richard Petty in several NASCAR races between 1988 and 1990 A press badge used by Mary Garber, one of North Carolina's first female sportswriters A jacket worn by coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines during the 1967 season, when his Winston-Salem University basketball team won the NCAA Division II national championship A gold medal won by swimmer Steve Rerych at the 1968 Olympics The track shoes worn by Jim Beatty in 1962 when he became the first person to run an indoor mile in under four minutes Contact a specialist in Sports at ncmoh@ncmail.net or call 919-807-7962. FAQs How Can I Donate an Artifact to the Museum? Artifact Wish List: What Is the Museum Looking For? Can the Museum Appraise Objects for Me?