WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.336 >>GERRY: YOU'RE LOOKING AT ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC SYMBOLS IN THE REGION AND FOR THAT MATTER THE ENTIRE STATE. 2 00:00:03.336 --> 00:00:09.943 IT'S THE MICHIGAN CITY LIGHTHOUSE AND PIER, THE ONLY PUBLIC OPERATING LIGHTHOUSE IN INDIANA. 3 00:00:09.943 --> 00:00:15.014 IT WAS BUILT MORE THAN 110 YEARS AGO AND IS KNOWN FOR ITS DISTINCTIVE RAISED WALKWAY AND RED ROOF. 4 00:00:15.014 --> 00:00:24.257 THE LIGHTHOUSE CLOSED IN 1940, SAT VACANT FOR NEARLY 25 YEARS AND SUFFERED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM NEGLECT AND VANDALISM. 5 00:00:24.257 --> 00:00:29.362 THE CITY OF MICHIGAN CITY TOOK OVER THE PROPERTY AND THEN LEASED IT TO THE MICHIGAN CITY HISTORICAL SOCIETY IN 1965 TO 6 00:00:29.362 --> 00:00:35.702 RESTORE AND ESTABLISH A MUSEUM WHICH OPENED IN 1973. TODAY, THE PIER IS A POPULAR SPOT FOR FISHING, WATCHING THE 7 00:00:35.702 --> 00:00:43.376 SUNSET AND IS A FAVORITE AMONG PHOTOGRAPHERS. >>>YOU SEE THEM ON THE SIDELINES, IN THE STANDS OR ON 8 00:00:43.376 --> 00:00:48.848 THE FIELD OR COURT, E AND NOW THE MASCOT HALL OF FAME HONORS THESE ENTERTAINING, UNSUNG HEROES OF SPORTS AND 9 00:00:48.848 --> 00:00:53.887 COMMUNITIES! THE INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS ARE FOCUSED ON STEAM-BASED EDUCATION, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, 10 00:00:53.887 --> 00:01:01.327 ENGINEERING, ART AND MATH. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ORESTES HERNANDEZ JOINS US NOW TO EXPLAIN HOW THIS UNIQUE VENUE IS 11 00:01:01.327 --> 00:01:10.537 25,000 SQUARE-FEET OF FUN FOR KIDS, ADULTS AND SPORTS FANS. WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM. >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. 12 00:01:10.537 --> 00:01:16.576 >> THANKS FOR YOUR HOSPITALITY. >> OF COURSE. WE HAVE A VISITOR, THERE HE IS REGGIE. 13 00:01:16.576 --> 00:01:22.549 GOOD TO SEE YOU. >> HE LIVES HERE. HE IS THE OFFICIAL MASCOT OF THE MASCOT HALL OF FAME. 14 00:01:22.549 --> 00:01:29.923 >> YOU CAN TELL HE LOVES WHAT HE DOES. >> THERE HAS TO BE PRESSURE TO BE A MASCOT OF THE MASCOT HALL 15 00:01:29.923 --> 00:01:36.796 OF FAME. >> HE REPRESENTS THE BEST OF THE BEST AND WHEN WE BRING THOSE MASCOTS TO MAKE APPEARANCES HE 16 00:01:36.796 --> 00:01:44.871 HAS TO TIDY UP THE PLACE. >> GOOD TO SEE YOU. >> THANKS FOR BEING HERE MY MAN. [CHUCKLING] 17 00:01:44.871 --> 00:01:52.512 >> TALK ABOUT THE HALL OF FAME. A UNIQUE VENUE, CERTAINLY GLAD TO BE HERE. IT'S A VERY COLORFUL VENUE IN 18 00:01:52.512 --> 00:01:57.417 WHITING INDIANA. HOW DID THIS COME ABOUT. >> YOU THINK ABOUT THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT AND HOW THINGS HAPPEN GO 19 00:01:57.417 --> 00:02:07.727 ALL THE WAY BACK TO JULY 2003. RANDALL SIMON WHO WAS A MEMBER OF THE PITTSBURGH PIRATES TOOK THE BASEBALL BAT TO AN ITALIAN 20 00:02:07.727 --> 00:02:17.670 SAUSAGE DURING THE SAUSAGE RACE. A MASCOT THAT'S A BIG TRADITION AND THAT CULMINATED IN A MASCOT RIGHTS MOVEMENT. 21 00:02:17.670 --> 00:02:27.747 AND A FEW YEARS LATER BECAUSE OF THAT MOVEMENT GAVE RAYMOND WHO IS THE ORIGINAL FINELLI FANATIC CAME UP WITH THE IDEA TO HELP 22 00:02:27.747 --> 00:02:35.588 FOUND THE MASCOT HALL OF FAME. HE DID IT TO HONOR AND SHOWCASE THE GOOD WORK THAT MASCOTS DO FOR COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE 23 00:02:35.588 --> 00:02:41.528 COUNTRY. >> I KNOW REALLY LOOKING TO GET A PHYSICAL LOCATION FOR THIS AND THE MAYOR HERE IN WHITING TOOK 24 00:02:41.528 --> 00:02:50.403 THE INITIATIVE TO CALL AND SAY CAN WE GET IT HERE. >> FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO MAYOR JOE WAS KIND OF CLUED INTO THIS 25 00:02:50.403 --> 00:03:00.980 WEBSITE AND HE CHECKED IT OUT AND THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS A GOOD FIT SO A LITTLE TINY 5,000 PERSON CITY IS KNOWN FOR KIND OF 26 00:03:00.980 --> 00:03:10.924 THE QUIRKY EVENTS THAT HAPPEN HER AROUND THE CITY AND IT'S REALLY A PERFECT FIT. >> TAKE US ON A TOUR IF YOU 27 00:03:10.924 --> 00:03:18.031 WOULD. TELL US WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT. >> YOUR VISIT BEGINS WHEN YOU WALK IN THE DOOR AND YOU LOOK UP 28 00:03:18.031 --> 00:03:27.040 AND YOU SEE 19 4-FOOT WIDE BALLOON HEADS WHICH IS HOW WE HONOR THE HALL OF FAME MASCOT SO THE PREMISE IS YOU ARE VISITING 29 00:03:27.040 --> 00:03:32.211 MASCOT UNIVERSITY. LEARN WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A MASCOT IN ALL THE FACETS OF BEING A PERFORMER. 30 00:03:32.211 --> 00:03:39.953 IT STARTS WITH A SIX MINUTE VIDEO THAT INTRODUCES YOU TO THE BUILDING, THE CITY OF WHITING AND WHY IT IS BUILT HERE IN 31 00:03:39.953 --> 00:03:55.268 WHITING INDIANA. IT WALKS YOU THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE SO YOU LEARN THE SCIENCE OF SILLINESS, 32 00:03:55.268 --> 00:03:57.370 THE SCIENCE BEHIND MASS CUTTING AND THEN LEARN A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY. THEN COME TO THE AREA WE ARE IN 33 00:03:57.370 --> 00:04:01.407 NOW AND YOU GET TO BUILD A MASCOT IN A VARIETY OF WAYS LITERALLY WITH MARKERS AND OLD-SCHOOL TO DIGITAL PLATFORMS 34 00:04:01.407 --> 00:04:11.017 WHERE YOU CAN E-MAIL YOURSELF ONE OF 498 BILLION OPTIONS TO MAKE A MASCOT AND THEN GET TO AUDITION TO BE A MASCOT AND THAT 35 00:04:11.017 --> 00:04:19.192 CULMINATES IN THE SPORTS COURT DOWNSTAIRS TO INTERACT IN THE SPORTS THAT MASCOTS REPRESENT. >> WHAT ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF 36 00:04:19.192 --> 00:04:25.431 THIS PLACE? YOU ARE JUST COMING UP A YEAR IN DECEMBER AND STILL A VERY NEW MUSEUM. 37 00:04:25.431 --> 00:04:31.237 >> WE ARE THE HALL OF FAME OF MASCOTS FOR PRO AND COLLEGE SPORTS. SOON TO ONE DAY BE THE 38 00:04:31.237 --> 00:04:38.511 INTERNATIONAL HALL OF FAME FOR MASCOTS. BUT WE ARE DOING THAT DISGUISED AS REALLY THE COUNTRY'S MOST 39 00:04:38.511 --> 00:04:48.721 UNIQUE KIDS MUSEUM THAT IS EMBEDDED ALL THE EXHIBITS THAT ARE MASCOT THEMED, BUT LIKE YOU MENTIONED WITH STEAM LEVEL 40 00:04:48.721 --> 00:04:56.329 EDUCATION SO NOT JUST SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION ARTS AND MATHEMATICS BUT PHYSICS AND HEALTHY NUTRITION AND THE GAMUT 41 00:04:56.329 --> 00:05:03.936 OF TOPICS CHILDREN FROM K3 NEED TO LEARN AND WHEN WE OPEN IT TOOK ABOUT A MONTH TO REALIZE WE ARE ALSO TEACHING ADULTS THAT 42 00:05:03.936 --> 00:05:09.676 IT'S OKAY TO BE A KID FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS. >> IT'S A FUN PLACE. ORESTES HERNANDEZ THE EXECUTIVE 43 00:05:09.676 --> 00:05:11.744 DIRECTOR HERE AT THE MASCOT HALL OF FAME.