The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum will undergo a massive renovation beginning this fall, bringing new experiences to the infield facility.
The museum plans to spend $89 million on the project, labelled “The Stories Behind the Spectacle Capital Campaign,” with $46 million already committed from donations large and small.
There are multiple ‘immersive and dynamic’ experiences planned, including seven permanent display galleries, and three others that rotate displays regularly.
There will also be a racing simulator set up for visitors to try out, as well as other interactive components like a simulated pit stop competition.
These components are in addition to the historic collection of valuable racing cars and artifacts that the museum has displayed regularly since it officially opened in 1954.
The IMS Museum sits within the oval of the historic speedway, and is available for fans to visit all throughout the year.
“The relationship between the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IMS Museum is critical to telling the story of our history, introducing new fans to the racetrack and our races, and helping to keep the Indianapolis Motor Speedway a year-round attraction in central Indiana,” said IMS President Doug Boles.
“From the very beginning, all of us at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IMS Museum board of directors have unanimously and enthusiastically supported the IMS Museum’s vision.
“The IMS Museum will create an immersive and awe-inspiring environment for visitors to experience the thrill of ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ in new and unique ways while at the same time celebrating the history and traditions that make this place and, in particular, the Indianapolis 500 unlike anything else on Earth.”
The planned enhancements represent first significant renovation of the museum in nearly 40 years.
The work is being funded largely by donations, including a few large individual donations that have made the project possible.
A $20 million grant from Lilly Endowment has specific goals of enhancing the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) portion of the museum, which will include a dedicated classroom with many educational resources.
A second phase of the project will also see a new $15 million automobile and equipment restoration facility constructed, which will allow visitors to tour and see automobile restoration work being done in real-time.
The museum already employs specialists to maintain a fleet of historic cars from IndyCar’s past, many of which are kept in full working order and are driven on special occasions.
In order to complete the renovation, the museum will close to visitors for nearly one and a half years. It will close to the public in October of this year, and will reopen in April 2025, shortly before the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500.
