In 1985, the movie Hoosiers was filmed in the gym and brought new life to the nearly 100 year old structure. Before the Knightstown Gym became The Hoosier Gym, Home of the Hickory Huskers, it served the community for 64 years.
Originally, Knightstown began playing basketball on the third floor of the Knightstown Academy Building. One of the requirements of playing on that court was playing around two posts one on each end of the court. Obviously, those were not ideal conditions to play the game. The citizens of Knightstown decided it was time to find a new home for the then Knightstown Falcons. That new home was above Jolly Drug Store in the downtown area. This was less than ideal as attendance quickly outgrew the drug store attic. It was time to find a more permanent solution.
Community leaders formed a group of investors to raise money for a new gymnasium. They successfully achieved their goal and on November 25th, 1921, the Sulphur Springs Blue Birds played the Knightstown Falcons in the first ever game held in the gym. The Gym stands today much like it looked in 1921, as a testament to their foresight.
However, the testament to those developers of the Gym, would not be here today were it not for the single minded determination of one special lady. Prior to the filming of Hoosiers, a gym in Waveland Indiana was supposed to be the home gym of the Hickory Huskers. That special lady, Peg Mayhill, was determined that the Knightstown gym should be the home of the Huskers. She had multiple reasons, her husband Tom was the Editor of the Knightstown Bannerand had attended almost every game played by Knightstown in the gym from 1947 through that final game in 1966. Her son played on the final KHS team that played in the gym, and her daughters had been cheerleaders there as well. For her it had to be filmed in Knightstown, where she had spent so many hours watching games. She was successful in her quest. Had it not been for her efforts, the Hoosier Gym would surely be a parking lot for the Academy Building Apartments next door.
Today the Knightstown Gym is now The Hoosier Gym & Museum and is visited by an average of over 60,000 visitors per year. It has been visited by individuals from 70 countries, and every state of the union many times over. First and foremost it remains a basketball gym. Each season the gym hosts over 100 games with the majority of those being between high school teams. All of those high school games are from the schools regular schedule and are not exhibitions. Teams from Mississippi, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Michigan and of course, the hotbed of high school basketball, Indiana have all played here.The Gym also hosts Indiana's best high school basketball players in the annual Hoosier Classic.
Visitors keep coming to mark an item off of their buck list. It has become more difficult to schedule games as more team want to play than there are dates. As you read this, if you have not visited, do so. If you have visited, come again.
Below are archived newspaper, website, and magazine articles that have been gathered by Hoosier Gym volunteers and actors of the movie Hoosiers. For the full Hoosier Gym historical experience please visit the Gym in person.
Go Hickory!
"The Boys of Hoosiers" article in Indianapolis Magazine, January 1986, by Mary Beth Moster
- Original copy owned by Lisa Smith-Mathews, who played a Cheerleader in the movie Hoosiers. Thank you, Lisa, for your help in sharing the Gym's history.
Hoosiers World Premiere, Program, Indianapolis Circle Theatre, November 10, 1986
- Original copy owned by Lisa Smith-Mathews, who played a Cheerleader in the movie Hoosiers. Thank you, Lisa, for your help in sharing the Gym's history.
- Original copy owned by Lisa Smith-Mathews, who played a Cheerleader in the movie Hoosiers. Thank you, Lisa, for your help in sharing the Gym's history.
Photo Album
- Owned by Lisa Smith-Mathews, who played a Cheerleader in the movie Hoosiers. Thank you, Lisa, for your help in sharing the Gym's history.
Cheers from the Movie
- Owned by Lisa Smith-Mathews, who played a Cheerleader in the movie Hoosiers. Thank you, Lisa, for your help in sharing the Gym's history.