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FOXBORO - The new football museum at Patriot Place won't open until next year, but it's already leaving diehards awestruck.

The final piece of structural steel was welded into place Monday at the Hall at Patriot Place.

"Pretty cool, huh?" New England Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft said.

Kraft, his son Jonathan, and Patriots Hall of Famers Gino Cappelletti, Steve Nelson and Andre Tippett autographed the white steel beam - joining numerous construction workers, such as "Green Iron Reese 7" and "Local 103 Dave Silver City Lights" - on Monday before watching a crane lift the heavy beam to its new home.

Scheduled to open in time for the Patriots 2008 season, the $22 million Hall will house the Patriots Hall of Fame and the new Patriots Pro Shop. It will also showcase the history of both the team and of football in New England through interactive multimedia exhibits.

"The past is very important to us because we think about all the experiences we had going to games as a family here," Robert Kraft said. "This is a way that we can create a legacy that is worthy of an NFL franchise."

The 36,000-square-foot facility will feature a 4,500-square-foot grand hall that will darken every 20 minutes for an audio-video program. The hall will have function space with up to 250 seats.

The hall's 150-seat panoramic theatre will present "Patriots Way," a 10-minute feature film, all day. The film will explore the root of the bond between New England and the Pats.

Four 30-foot-tall, double-sided interactive video pylons will honor the Patriots Hall of Famers. Touch screens will allow visitors to choose which players to highlight.

Among the other interactive exhibit topics will be: the Super Bowl, featuring the Patriots' three Vince Lombardi trophies; football in New England, including hanging jerseys of the year's championship teams, at levels such as high school and Pop Warner, in each of the New England states; "In the Game," where guests can hear players and coaches talk during a game; and Pats fans, including a photo opportunity in an actual Duck Boat used in the victory parade following Super Bowl XXXVI.

The facility is part of Patriot Place, the 1.3-million-square-foot commercial development the Krafts are building next to Gillette Stadium on Route 1.

"Families are going to want to come out during breaks in shopping," Jonathan Kraft said.

He said the New England football exhibit will include a place where players can record their tales.

And when they're older, "they can bring their kids back to learn about their exploits," Kraft said. The Krafts also plan to attract school groups to an educational program there.

"They'll be able to develop their math and English skills coming here," Robert Kraft said.

MICHAEL GELBWASSER can be reached at 508-236-0439 or at mgelbwasser@thesunchronicle.com.