By now you’ve probably heard of The Tonya Harding & Nancy Kerrigan 1994 Museum, dedicated to one pivotal year in the lives of “two of the world’s most well known athletes who did more in their young lives than we ever will,” as its website says. After a ton of pre-opening coverage, the museum — located in the hallway of a Williamsburg apartment — celebrated its opening last Saturday with a gala at Standard Toykraft, and now we have this video tour in which creator Viviana Olen assures us that “it’s very real.”
She and her co-curator and co-habitator Matt Harkins started the museum after watching the ESPN film 30 for 30: The Price of Gold. The pair funded it through $2,036 raised in a little over a month on Kickstarter. The exhibit includes photos and artifacts from Harding’s and Kerrigan’s early lives, coverage of the infamous attack, footage of their 1994 Lillehammer Olympic performances, and unique memorabilia, including several creepy needlepoints. All the items on display are explained by emoji-illustrated placards.
Kinder reviewers have called the museum “a narrated corridor of memes” and “no joke.” Others have written it off as a “Hipster Hell,” and included Harkins and Olen on the “World’s Worst in Sports” list for the week.
Go decide for yourself and figure out if you’re a Nancy or a Tonya. The apart–er–museum is currently only open by appointment, but it’s free so book yourself a spot. Or just watch their virtual tour in the video above.