York Barbell Museum: A Weightlifting Hall of Fame

The Weightlifting Hall of Fame is a history of the strength sports evolving from mythology to the early Olympic games and the 19th and 20th  century amateur and professional strongmen through the current specialized sports of Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, and bodybuilding.  

 

An area is dedicated to Bob Hoffman the founder of York Barbell, Strength & Health and Muscular Development magazines.  He manufactured a line of bodybuilding supplements.  Hoffman coached the American Olympic Weightlifting teams from 1936 through 1968 and was a founding member of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports.

 

One of the centerpieces of the gallery of Fame is the heavy clumsy Travis dumbbell which weighs 1500 pounds when loaded.  It is named for the man who made it famous Warren Travis.  The wrench used to loosen the end nuts is 3 feet long and weighs over 90 pounds.  The globes were separated after the ends were removed and filled with water, sand, scrap metal, or lead shot to greatly increase its weight.  Travis traveled and performed around 80 shows per week and hip lifted this huge barbell during his shows.

 

Another individual featured is Louis Cyr with a statue of him and his actual 202 pound thick-handled stage dumbbell.  At its heaviest packed with lead-shot it weighed over 270 pounds.  Cyr used an overhead side press style to easily press the weight.

 

You can find plenty of memorabilia in other sections of the museum including Olympic weightlifting, bodybuilding, and power lifting.  A few highlights include a full-size body cast of Eugene Sandow who was featured in the Ziegfield Follies, John Grimek Olympic lifter and Mr. America, along with numerous pictures, programs, awards, trophies, and tickets.

 

Make sure to visit them at the address below, and contact them before you embark on your trip with any questions:

York Barbell USA

3300 Board Road
York, PA 17406

(800) 358-9675