The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum reopened on Wednesday following a large project to renovate the entire facility.
The museum, which is located inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway between Turns 1 and 2, is now open for public visits after being closed for nearly 18 months.
Access was halted in October 2023 so that a full interior remodel could be completed, the first significant changes to the museum in nearly 40 years.
Approximately $70 million was spent on the renovation, adding impressive displays all throughout the facility while redesigning it from the ground up.
The museum added 40,000 square feet of display space, including a ‘Gasoline Alley’ rendition that features replica garage stalls from different decades alongside period accurate cars.
There is a special Penske Gallery where all 20 of Team Penske’s Baby Borg trophies and their respective driver helmets are arranged to show off Roger Penske’s unmatched success at Indianapolis as a team owner.
There is also a station where fans can attempt to change tires for a simulate pit stop, alongside a row of driving simulators available for use.
In all there are three floors for visitors to peruse, with seven permanent and three rotating displays.
On time and under budget
“I’m thrilled to welcome guests back to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum after a massive renovation that finished on time and under budget,” IMS Museum President Joe Hale said.
“With the support of our campaign from Lilly Endowment Inc., the John H. Holliday Family, Penske Foundation, Dyson Foundation, The Heritage Group and countless others, we have made the IMS Museum a cultural destination celebrating the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Indianapolis 500.”
The IMS museum first opened in 1954, and is available for visits all throughout the year even though it is located within the speedway.
The reopening was completed on schedule, with the first tours taking place on April 2, making the museum available during the Month of May for this year’s upcoming 109th running of the Indianapolis 500.
Tickets for the museum and track tours can be purchased on the museum’s website at https://imsmuseum.org/visit/plan-your-visit/ .
