The Booth Family Hall of Athletics
Standard operating hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Special Hours of Operations for game days and holidays are listed below. We hope to see you soon!
PLEASE NOTE:
Parking lots 70/71 south of Allen Fieldhouse will be UNAVAILABLE the week of July 21-25, due to a complete surface overhaul planned. Visitors to the Booth Hall should park in the Allen Fieldhouse parking garage north of the building, and pay via the app/website noted on signage in the garage. Thank you for your understanding!
NORMAL HOURS OF OPERATION
Monday – Friday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday: Open for tours only, please pre-purchase tickets 48 hours in advance
TOUR OPERATIONS
Self-guided visits to the museum and the Original Rules of Basket Ball, located in the DeBruce Center, are available during weekday regular business hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Guided tours are available by advance purchase. Tour tickets available every day! More information and the links to purchase tickets can be found here. Tours typically run twice a day, Monday through Saturday – once in the morning and once in the afternoon. If possible, please purchase your tickets 48 hours in advance, especially for Saturday tours, to enable correct staffing. For special requests, please contact us here.
James Naismith Court is closed to the public, but is included as part of the guided tour experience.
SPECIAL HOURS OF OPERATION
Tuesday, November 11: NO PUBLIC HOURS for Veteran's Day; open to MBB game ticket holders only
Thursday, November 27: CLOSED for Thanksgiving
Friday, November 28: CLOSED for Thanksgiving
Wednesday, December 24: CLOSED for Christmas Eve
Thursday, December 25: CLOSED for Christmas Day
GAMEDAY HOURS OF OPERATION (affected dates listed, specific hours TBA)
Friday, October 24: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. before the KU/KSU VOLLEYBALL GAME in AFH
Tuesday, October 28:
Wednesday, October 29: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday, November 3:
Wednesday, November 5: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 9: Open only to WBB ticket holders
Tuesday, November 11:
Wednesday, November 12: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 15: Open only to MBB ticket holders
Wednesday, November 19: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 23: Open only to WBB ticket holders
Tuesday, December 2:
Sunday, December 14: Open only to WBB ticket holders
Tuesday, December 16:
Wednesday, December 17: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday, December 22:
Basketball Game Days:
The Booth Family Hall of Athletics will close down three (3) hours prior to home men’s basketball games and two (2) hours prior to women’s home games. It will reopen for ticket holders 60 minutes before tip-off for both men’s and women's games. Please note that upon reopening, guests will need to be compliant with the Kansas Athletics Clear Bag Policy for both men’s and women’s basketball games.
ABOUT THE BOOTH HALL
The Booth Family Hall of Athletics is a 19,335-square-foot museum adjacent to the east side of Allen Fieldhouse. This facility opened in January 2006 and was expanded in 2009 and 2015. It is open year-round, allowing Jayhawk fans everywhere to experience the history and tradition of Kansas Athletics. The Hall honors KU’s historic athletics programs, its coaches and student-athletes, past and present.
The original Hall was made possible through more than $5 million in gifts from the children and grandchildren of the late Gilbert and Betty Booth, longtime Jayhawk fans and Lawrence residents. Betty and Gilbert raised three children: Jane, David and Mark — in Garnett, Kansas. As the two oldest children reached high school, their parents looked to their future. Wanting them to have the opportunity to attend the University of Kansas, but knowing they could not finance lodging as well as tuition, they made a tremendous sacrifice. Leaving their long-time community connections, the Booths moved their family to Lawrence.
The family lived at 1931 Naismith Drive, just down the street from Allen Fieldhouse. Soon, Betty and Gilbert Booth developed new bonds. Kansas Athletics represented more than sporting events; it became a way of life. The Booths were proud holders of two season tickets to Allen Fieldhouse, and walks through the winter night from home to Allen Fieldhouse were treasured rituals. Sometimes the parents went together, other times parent and child, but family members were always there to cheer their beloved Jayhawks.
Booth family members who pledged their support to the Hall are David and Suzanne Booth of Los Angeles, and their children, Erin and Chandler; Mark and Lauren Bacich Booth of London, and their children, Miles, Coco and Cyrus; Mark and Jane Booth Berkley of Tescott, Kan., and their children and spouses, Stuart and Tina Berkley, Elizabeth Berkley, and Melissa and Marco Ungaschik.
In 2009, the Hall of Athletics took on a new look as part of a $7.9 million renovation to Allen Fieldhouse. This expansion opened up the east side of the concourse and added several interactive exhibits, a basketball championship trophy case, a new reception desk and allowed space to rearrange the existing exhibits, allowing for better traffic flow. The flooring in the new area is terrazzo, matching the existing Hall of Athletics, and new accent lighting was provided in the exhibit area. A new door system was added to allow better control and definition of the Hall of Athletics on non-game days.
The Booth Family Hall of Athletics underwent another renovation in 2015 which expanded the Hall of Athletics experience. New exhibits celebrate the legendary career of iconic KU basketball coach Phog Allen and his relationship with Naismith. The second-floor northeast concourse of Allen Fieldhouse serves as a corridor leading to the DeBruce Center and an exhibit that highlights Naismith’s contributions to KU and the world through basketball, fitness and character.
The renovation also involved upgrades to the second-floor northeast concourse similar to those that were made to the first level of the Fieldhouse in 2009. In addition to the exhibits, updates included a new staircase from the Hall of Athletics to the second level of the Fieldhouse, enhanced concessions and expanded merchandising.
The DeBruce Center opened in April 2016. Naismith’s Original Rules of “Basket Ball” are the featured exhibit in this facility and were installed in May 2016.
Location
1651 Naismith Drive, Lawrence, KS 66045
Guest Services: 785/864-7050
Admission
FREE to the public for self-guided visits. Guided tours require paid tickets. No food or drinks allowed.
