Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum (WLTM) is the largest tennis museum in the world. The museum was inaugurated at The Championships centenary event in 1977. On the 12 April 2006, HRH The Duke of Kent declared the brand new Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum open to the public inside the grounds of the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
This museum has exhibits and artefacts dating back to 1555 as well as touch screen computer consoles for visitors to interact with. Memorabilia from many famous players from Victorian times up to present day are included in exhibits which change seasonally. The museum also has a viewing platform called CentreCourt360 allowing guests to sample the atmosphere of Centre Court, except for the period around The Championships. Guided tours are also available which take visitors behind the scenes of the All England Lawn Tennis Club and includes admission into the museum. Audio guides are available in eight languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Russian, Croatian and Brazilian. WLTM is open year round to the public except during The Championships week where entry is possible for tournament ticket holders only.
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Highlights
Cinema: The museum's cinema features a 200 degree screen which is currently showing a film about the science of tennis. Filming took place during the 2005 Championships on Centre Court of Russia's Maria Sharapova against Spain's Nuria Llagostera Vives. The film focuses on 20 different aspects of the match and showed viewers how players' bodies and equipment are affected during the course of a match.
John McEnroe's Ghost: Through new projection and filming technology, the museum has created a ghost-like-image to take visitors on a tour of the normally off-limits area. John McEnroe reminisces about the dressing room, including how he first met Jimmy Connors and how he would emotionally prepare himself for matches.
The Whites of Wimbledon: There is an extensive collection of past and present fashions of Wimbledon attire. Everything from outfits worn in the 1880s to Rafael Nadal's dri-fit 'pirate' trousers are on display. There is also an interactive exhibit where one can feel the weight difference between male and female clothing in 1884.
Technology: Interactive touch screen consoles are evenly distributed throughout the museum hallways. Other features include the 'Get a Grip' rotating wheel of rackets; 'The Reactor' game and an archive of great past Championship matches.
CentreCourt360: CC360 is a viewing platform for museum guests to experience Centre Court. There are touch screen computers inside the platform that offer information in eight different languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Russian, Croatian and Russian.
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Guided tour
Led by London's Blue Badge Guides, Guided Tours take visitors around the Grounds of The All England Lawn Tennis Club. Tours include access to Court No.1, the Press Interview Room, the players' restaurant & terrace, and Centre Court. Tours last about 90 minutes and include the price of museum admissions.
The Kenneth Ritchie Wimbledon Library
Available to visitors by appointment, the Kenneth Ritchie Wimbledon Library is home to a collection of books, periodicals, videos, and DVDs relating to tennis. It is the largest tennis library in the world.
Wimbledon Shop at the Museum
The Wimbledon Shop is at the entrance of the Museum and is free to enter. Items for sale include tennis and casual clothing, towelling goods, sport bags, DVDs, books, jewellery, rackets, souvenirs, and tennis accessories. An online Wimbledon shop also has a wide range of merchandise.
Location
The Wimbledon Museum is inside the grounds of the All England Lawn Tennis Club. To access The Museum, guests must enter through Gate 4 of the club.
Bibliography
- Warren, Valerie (1982) The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum. Wimbledon: The Museum ISBN 0-906741-09-2
- Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum (1977) Fernedge Printers, printed by, [1977?]
- Briggs, Susan (2009) "Wandering Around Wimbledon".
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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