Areté
“The act of actualizing one’s highest and best sense of self”
—Plato, Aristotle, Socrates
The New Jersey Hall of Fame Entertainment and Learning Center at the American Dream will inspire visitors to realize their highest and best sense of self. Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates referred to this pursuit as areté. Our state-of-the-art exhibits are designed to encourage visitors to explore their passions through the achievements of our inductees.
Mission
The Center is dedicated to inspiring our children by recognizing and honoring the lives of New Jersey legends and outstanding citizens.
Hometown Tour Exhibit & Main Entrance
The Hometown Tour exhibit will invite visitors to embark on a VR journey in a classic car with New Jersey Hall of Fame inductees. Together, they will ride past the inductees’ favorite spots in their hometown, including a trip to their school, the street they grew up on, their favorite restaurant, and the first place they performed. The inductees will be able to share how New Jersey and their homes inspired them, and created the environment that allowed them to thrive.
Model T Exhibit—Fly Me to the Moon
The experience will be centered around the Model T that Henry Ford gifted to Thomas Edison. Visitors will climb aboard a simulation of the Model T car and soon discover that Edison has made a few enhancements. Visitors will embark on an epic ride through New Jersey’s contributions to the field of science, including a visit with the Kelly brothers in space!
Great Hall – New Jersey Wall of Fame
Since its founding in 2008, over 200 of New Jersey’s most outstanding citizens have been inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. This select group of men and women have been chosen for their individual achievements, for what they represent to the state and the region, and for having inspired past, present, and future generations.
The Wall of Fame will be composed of hundreds of illuminated honorary plaques to celebrate each inductee and feature key moments of their journeys on a central circular screen.
Visitors will be able to further learn about each inductee on the nearby gesture activated New Jersey map, which will also feature a rotating collection of artifacts belonging to the inductees.
Everyday Heroes
The Everyday Heroes wall will appear alongside the Wall of Fame, focusing on the stories and achievements of New Jersey citizens, and highlighting the diversity of the State. Visitors will be able to share how New Jersey has impacted and inspired them. They will be able to read and watch testimonials, and be invited to submit their own on social media. Visitors will also be able to learn about the arête scholarship and essay contest.
Karaoke Stage
Visitors will have the opportunity to sing along with New Jersey’s greatest music legends. A hologram created using the “Pepper’s ghost” technique will allow visitors to perform on stage alongside the inductees, while their friends and family watch and celebrate with them this very special moment.
Jersey Proud Theater
Using existing footage of inductees from films and TV, musical performances, acceptance speeches, and notable moments in history, a 10-minute film will be made. The film will be a moving testimonial, showcasing the struggles and triumphs of the inductees, culminating in their rise to success.
Late Night Jersey TV
Using green-screen technology, visitors will co-host the Late Night Jersey TV program. They will choose from a list of New Jersey Hall of Fame inductees to interview, and will select questions from a scripted list, to which inductees have already been pre-recorded giving a response.
The Late Night TV studio will be an important place for inductees to share their success stories and inspire the next generation.
The broadcast studio will also play host to special live events, which will be live-streamed on the large screens at the ELC.
Gift Shop—Sports Mural and Selfie Interactive
Before visitors exit, they will be directed through the gift shop, passing a sports mural along the way. They will be able to browse a collection of biographies and books written by some of the inductees. Here they can also pose with their favorite inductee in a green screen selfie interactive, and take home a souvenir photo.