The National Wrestling Hall of Fame is excited to announce that it is displaying an animatronic Abraham Lincoln for a limited time.

Lincoln was a "catch as catch can" wrestler who was widely known for his wrestling skills and had only one recorded defeat in a dozen years. He was honored as an Outstanding American by the Hall of Fame in 1992 and is featured in the museum’s “Presidential Grapplers” exhibit with eight other U.S. Presidents who wrestled.

The animatronic is on loan from the Oklahoma Territorial Plaza in Perkins, Oklahoma, which has generously agreed to allow the Hall of Fame to display it until June 6.

“Abraham Lincoln is one of the 14 American Presidents who wrestled and with his birthday being in February it seemed like the perfect time to share this unique version of our 16th President,” said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the Hall of Fame. “We are grateful to the Oklahoma Territorial Plaza for allowing us to share such an exhibit that is not only entertaining but also educational.”

The life-size animatronic’s mouth, eyes and arms move as it speaks, for approximately six minutes, about Lincoln’s early life and how he entered into politics. It was commissioned by longtime Perkins resident Cecil Acuff to be part of the Lincoln Library exhibit at the Territorial Plaza, which includes memorabilia from Lincoln, the Civil War and other U.S. Presidents, collected by Acuff.

Located at 405 West Hall of Fame Avenue in Stillwater, the Hall of Fame’s regular hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. The museum will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, February 16, for the Oklahoma at Oklahoma State wrestling match. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for military veterans, $3 for students and $15 for families. Children 5 and under are admitted free. Special group and team pricing is available. For more information please telephone (405) 377-5243.

The Hall of Fame published “The Wrestling Presidents – From Pins to Patriots” by William S. Worley and Gary M. Gray in 2008, which can be purchased in the museum gift shop and at https://ebay.to/3bdActW.

Information about Lincoln and other U.S. Presidents who wrestled can be found at http://bit.ly/2tlC9jA.

The Oklahoma Territorial Plaza is a six-acre park, located at 750 North Main Street in Perkins, Oklahoma, just south of the intersection of Highway 33 and US 177. It is a joint project of the City of Perkins, the Perkins Community Foundation and the Oklahoma Territorial Plaza Trust. The Plaza incorporates many methods to interpret and exhibit the history, culture and art of our community and the evolution of Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory into the State of Oklahoma. The buildings are open Memorial Day through Labor Day on Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m. Group tours are available year-round by calling David Sasser at (405) 547-2411. For more information on the Territorial Plaza, please visit OKTerritory.org.

 

[embed]https://youtu.be/EQPJCVqXK7Y[/embed]