The Hall of Honor Museum is a celebration of all things Steelers, and this year the museum is undertaking a new display to commemorate one of the biggest sporting events in Pittsburgh – the 2026 NFL Draft.
As part of the Museum's changing exhibit, highlights from the 2026 NFL Draft, which was held outside of Acrisure Stadium on the North Shore and in Point State Park, brought in local, national and international fans to enjoy an exciting three days of football and fun.
"As is our custom at the start of each season, we unveil a new changing exhibit right here in the Steelers Hall of Honor Museum," said Dan Rooney, the Steelers Vice President of Strategy. "This year, we thought it was only fitting to dedicate this space to a special celebration of the 2026 NFL Draft, an event that broke attendance records, garnered unprecedented global exposure and created lasting economic benefits for the City of Pittsburgh.
"This exhibit is designed to capture the energy of the Draft, while also highlighting how Pittsburgh was woven in every aspect of that weekend. From our Draft canvas to the Clemente Bridge that served as the walkway between downtown and the North Shore, the 2026 NFL Draft embraced the way our city created natural and for all to enjoy.
"The Pittsburgh Draft also gave us a platform to celebrate Western PA's football legacy as well as the passion of Steelers Nation. This exhibit gives us a chance to re-live some of the Draft's most memorable moments. When it was all said and done, Pittsburgh came together to put on a successful event that created momentum for our city's future. Like any big win, it's a team effort. From our partners at the NFL, VisitPittsburgh, to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Allegheny County, and the City of Pittsburgh, and the host of private, nonprofit, and community partners, we worked together to deliver a Draft that was, in our belief, one of the best in league history."
The eye-popping display in the Museum features all of the highlights from the Draft – from attendance to community impact.
"This was the largest event the city has ever hosted and I think we can all say that it was priceless," said Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O'Connor. "It was our moment to shine not only to the country, but to the world. And not only did it show five billion people what Pittsburgh was all about when you watched it on TV, but the hundreds of thousands of people that came here to see our beautiful city.
"We say each and every day, Pittsburgh is going to surprise you if you've never been here. We are one of the greatest cities in the world and we've displayed it. To have the Hall of Honor Museum have this for that that week, not only history for the Steelers and the NFL, but history for Pittsburgh. It's something that was iconic that we can only say thank you."
Among the things highlighted are:
Pittsburgh set the all-time NFL Draft attendance record, with 805,000 fans attending over three days. Pittsburgh passed the record set by Detroit in 2024, when they had 775,000 people over three days. Pittsburgh had over 600,000 fans in the first two days, with records broken for each of those days as well.
Fans who want to experience the thrill of being drafted can pick up a phone and listen to a call from Steelers General Manager Omar Khan, sharing the news that they have been drafted, just like he does when he calls players when they are select3ed.
Whether you were onsite for the Draft at Point State Park or looking over the city from Mt. Washington or coming out of the Fort Pitt Tunnel, the Draft was right at your fingertips. A large-scale light projection on the Wyndham Hotel paid tribute to Pittsburgh's deep football legacy throughout NFL Draft weekend. The nightly show also highlight the NFL Draft top prospects and picks, Western Pennsylvania's Hall of Fame football legacy, the Steelers storied history as six-time Super Bowl champions and home of the legendary Steel Curtain, and real-time "On the Clock" team-specific picks on a display powered by 24 laser projectors delivering 768,000 lumens of light across 41,000 square feet of projection surface.
The Draft wasn't just about football, but also about community. One of the features of the display highlights the ribbon cutting of the U.S. Steel Community Field at Hazelwood Green, a new multipurpose field which was designed to provide recreation, sports, and community space for the Hazelwood community, adjacent Mon Valley and residents across the Pittsburgh area.
Other things featured included Coach Mike McCarthy's first Steelers Draft Class, Steelers legends and exciting entertainment that was featured.
The 2026 NFL Draft presented by Bud Light delivered $177 million in economic impact and more than $1.5 billion in economic value for the Pittsburgh region, according to two independent post-event analyses released, cementing the event as one of the most impactful moments in the region's history.
Together, the studies demonstrate that the 2026 NFL Draft delivered immediate and long-term economic returns while also elevating Pittsburgh's reputation as a premier destination for tourism, conventions, business investment, talent attraction and future major events.
The 2026 NFL Draft exhibit is the latest addition to the museum which is home to more than 60 Hall of Honor inductees and over 10,000 square feet of Steelers history. The 2026 NFL Draft exhibit opens to the public on Aug. 14 at 10:00 a.m. Tours can be booked at steelers.com/museum. The exhibit will run through the summer of 2027.
