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FOXBORO - Former school committee member Paul Carroll wants to welcome Foxboro students to The Hall at Patriot Place.

"We really believe we have a better mousetrap," Carroll said, referring to the interactive learning attractions to be found at the sports museum that opens Thursday.

Carroll, a retired teacher and administrator now living in Scituate, will work as the education/tours director at The Hall.

Foxboro students in grades three through eight will be invited to tour the facility free on school field trips.

Bryan Morry, The Hall's executive director, said the majority of careers in sports are not on the playing field but in interesting and rewarding related roles. Presented by Raytheon, with a $22 million investment from the Krafts, The Hall will showcase the history of the Patriots and provide a home for the team's Hall of Fame. Long-time Foxboro resident Steve Grogan, inducted in 1995, is one of the 12 players in the Patriots Hall of Fame.

"The museum will also explore the history of football in New England and will feature an integrated educational program to benefit visiting school groups," Morry and Carroll wrote in an announcement. High school football is included.

The museum's educational program "adheres to Massachusetts frameworks in many of the published curricula," they wrote.

Morry said The Hall's first year will be a time of learning for the organization itself, and feedback from teachers, students and parents will be appreciated.

For more information, call Morry or Carroll at 508-543-8200 or visit http://www.patriot-place.com/thehall.aspx