The Gallery of Icons

At the National Inventors Hall of Fame® (NIHF), our mission is to be a catalyst for change by recognizing inventors and invention, promoting creativity, and advancing the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship.

One of the greatest examples of our mission is the Gallery of Icons™, an exhibit in our National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum in Alexandria, Virginia.

What is the Gallery of Icons?

The Gallery of Icons is a thoughtfully designed wall featuring nearly 600 icons — one to honor each NIHF Inductee by displaying his or her name, patent number, invention name and Induction year. The icons’ hexagon shape is one of the strongest and most efficient shapes found in nature. Hung in a tessellating pattern, the icons resemble a honeycomb — a natural building concept in which each element becomes stronger as part of the whole. Together, these icons signify strength, innovation and American ingenuity.

Intellectual Property

The Gallery of Icons represents Intellectual Property Triangulation®, or the combination of a design patent, a utility patent and a trademark, maximizing the strength of the patent and trademark system.

The exhibit’s patents include utility patent number 9,953,550 and design patent D755,669, issued to co-inventors including Mike Oister, NIHF CEO, and Vince Greczanik, our VP of Engineering and Exhibits. Additionally, the exhibit’s design patent D744,370 is issued to both Oister and Greczanik along with Jayme Cellitioci, NIHF’s Creativity and Innovation Strategist.

Annual Illumination Ceremony

Each year, we honor the new Inductee Class in a private Illumination Ceremony at the National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum. During this event, the new Inductees’ icons are illuminated, one by one, as each Inductee applies his or her name plate to a hexagon in the Gallery of Icons. This marks the beginning of our full celebration of the latest Inductee Class, culminating in the annual Induction Event, hailed as the Greatest Celebration of American Innovation®. 

See It for Yourself

Plan your trip to the National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum, located at the United States Patent and Trademark Office Headquarters, Madison Building, 600 Dulany St., Alexandria, VA 22314. The Gallery of Icons begins your museum experience, laying out the history of American innovation. An interactive kiosk allows you to search and learn about each of the Hall of Fame Inductees and their inventions.

Want to learn more? Read about our Inductees and check out our post on American History and the Gallery of Icons.