LATROBE, Pa. -- Fred Rogers' famous blue sneakers, red sweaters and hundreds of digitally archived episodes of the "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" television show will all be part of a new educational building in his honor.

The $12 million Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media opened Thursday on the campus of Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, near where Rogers grew up.
Watch The Video: Mr. Rogers' Sneakers, Sweater, Digital Archives On Campus

"He would say, 'Mercy.' That was always the thing he would say when he was amazed," said Rogers' widow, Joanne, who donated a piano that was used to compose music for the long-running TV show.

Rogers had been trying to create the center for about three years before he died of stomach cancer in 2003 at age 74.

The center will train educators to use media, including television, to teach young children. It will also feature space for the Fred Rogers archives, along with a library science area, workshops, exhibits and a conference center with room for up to 300 people.

"There's display boards all the way around telling the story of Fred's life and his work," executive director Maxwell King said. "Right beneath us is the Fred Rogers archive, and that's where are stored 300 boxes of artifacts from 'Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood,' from his life."

Saint Vincent vice chancellor and president James Will said the project began out of respect to Rogers, who was a longtime friend of the college.

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