Fighter’s Heaven, the training camp of heavyweight boxing champ Muhammad Ali has been approved for a new Pennsylvania Historical Markers by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission.

The center is one of 24 markers approved, selected from 48 applications. They will be added to the nearly 2,300 familiar blue-with-gold-lettering signs along roads and streets throughout Pennsylvania.

In 1972, Muhammad Ali established the training camp in Orwigsburg, where he prepared for some the biggest fights of his career, notably Rumble in the Jungle and Thrilla in Manila.

Future heavyweight champions Larry Holmes, Tim Witherspoon and Eddie Mustafa Muhammad began their careers sparring there with Ali.

He hosted many celebrities at Fighter’s Heaven, including Andy Warhol, Diana Ross and Tom Jones, and gave his famous interview with Dick Cavett there.

The venue that Ali once trained at has been transformed from a group of empty cabins in serious need of repair, into a facility that is dedicated to Ali’s memory.

Ali’s former gym is the centerpiece of the project. It has a museum-like feel, complete with a boxing ring, posters, pictures and videos.

The Liberty Bell in Allentown was also awarded a marker.

Fearing destruction by the British during a fateful point in the American Revolution, the Continental Congress voted to remove all the bells from Philadelphia. Just before the British began their occupation of the city in 1777, the Liberty Bell was transported clandestinely from Independence Hall to Northamptontown (Allentown today) and hidden in Zion German Reformed Church.

Other markers include Parker’s Landing petroglyphs, a series of Native American rock engravings at one of the most significant archaeological sites in Pennsylvania, and Sylvania Electric Products, a company that produced proximity fuzes for artillery shells that were instrumental in Allied success during World War II.

Since 1946, PHMC’s historical markers have chronicled the people, places and events that have affected the lives of Pennsylvanians over the centuries. The signs feature subjects such as Native Americans and early settlers, government and politics, athletes, entertainers, artists, struggles for freedom and equality, factories and businesses, and a multitude of other noteworthy topics.

Nominations for historical markers may be submitted by any individual or organization and are evaluated by a panel of independent experts from throughout the state and approved by the agency’s commissioners.

More information on the marker program, including application information, is available online at www.PAHistoricalMarkers.com.