If you’re reading this story, odds are very good you know who Miss Elizabeth is. The First Lady of Wrestling. The most iconic valet in wrestling history. One of the most iconic women in WWF history – even if they’ve failed so far to honor her in their own Hall of Fame.
The good folks who run the Capital City Museum in Frankfort, Kentucky will tell you they were not aware of Miss Elizabeth or her significance to the world of wrestling. Not until they put a few of her dresses out on display. “All of the sudden,” said museum director Dr. Eleanor Hasken-Wagner. “People were coming out of the wood work! That’s when we realized, we’ve got something really special here.”
The museum came into possession of a few Miss Elizabeth gowns after Elizabeth’s mother passed away. After seeing the reaction from visitors, many of whom came exclusively to see Miss Elizabeth display, they went to work on creating something bigger.
The result is a two year exhibit set to open on Monday, March 31. The Capital City Museum partnered with a man from Northern Kentucky named Jeremiah Smith- Rouse to expand the exhibit, which now includes some leather jackets, limited edition Miss Elizabeth merchandise, a necklace worn by Elizabeth, and her majorette jacket from Franklin County High School. Fans will also be able to view an interactive video timeline of Elizabeth’s life and family in Frankfort as well as her wrestling career.
Elizabeth Hulette was born in Frankfort, Kentucky. After graduating from Franklin County High School, she attended the University of Kentucky in Lexington, granduating with a degree in communications. She came to national attention when she worked as the valet to her then husband Randy “Macho Man” Savage, who earned his stripes in the business working for his father in Lexington.
To fully honor the Frankfort native, the museum wanted to do more than just host a static exhibit. “We wanted to capture the excitement of watching wrestling,” said Dr. Hasken-Wagner. “So we’ve decided to host some drive-in movie nights in our parking lot. We’ve got a video screen and an FM transmitter, and we will be showing matches with Miss Elizabeth’s involvement on a screen.”
The Capital City Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to the museum and the drive-in nights is free, but donations are gladly accepted. The Lovely Miss Elizabeth exhibit will be located on the second floor of the museum and is scheduled to run for two years. The drive-in dates and times are posted below.
