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The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is in the homestretch of its $64 million overhaul, with plans to reopen to the public April 2.
The museum, which is inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway but operates independently, has been closed since November 2023 for a complete remodel of its interior, which will modernize the 100,000-square-foot structure and offer a new mezzanine level, multiple exhibit spaces and an educational area.
Joe Hale, president of the museum, said they plan to begin installing exhibits and returning cars to the property over the next few weeks.
“It’s kind of bittersweet, in a way,” that work is wrapping up on the project, Hale said. “It’s been an interesting process. We put together a new team, we all learned a lot through doing this. But the good news is that we’re on schedule and we’re under budget, so you can’t ask for much more than that.”
Hale said he believes visitors “will be blown away” by the overhaul of the property, and he has high hopes for the response the improvements will elicit. Among those improvements are 12 distinct gallery areas and more interactive elements than were available in the museum’s previous iteration. They also added 40,000 square feet to the museum’s footprint.
“It’s so completely different—it really tells the story of the Indy 500, it tells the story of the drivers,” he said. “I think people are going to be stunned when they come in. They will be assured, and I think, gratified that we haven’t lost our mission … of telling the stories of the 500, but the way we’re doing it is completely new, much more interactive, participatory and entertaining, but also much more educational than it has been in the past, especially for families and kids.”
In addition to museum improvements, about $25 million has been put into creating a dedicated educational curriculum and new programs, along with a space in the building focused on science, technology, engineering, art and math learning. Another $10 million will be put toward the museum’s endowment.
As part of its reopening, the IMS Museum is increasing its ticket prices and creating new membership options for visitors. Tickets will be $25 for adults; $23 for seniors age 55 and older; and $18 for youth (ages 5 to 16) and veterans. Children under five will be provided free admission.
It will also offer membership programs for families, as well as free community days, free general admission for active military and their families with a valid military ID, and is part of the local Access Pass program, where qualified families can purchase general admission tickets for $5.
The membership tiers include:
- Individual and guest, $125 annually
- Family or grandparent (two adults and all children or grandchildren in the home), $175
- Family or grandparent plus (two adults and all children or grandchildren in the home, plus two guests), $215
- Student and teacher discount for kindergarten through 12th grade and college or vocational schools, $25
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Excited for this.
Long overdue. The “old” museum was like an old garage, (literally I guess) packed with a mess of stuff with no more room, no flow, and no rhyme or reason. Looking forward to seeing it myself and showing it off to visitors. Now that I think of it — and I have in the past, the museum needs a small extension, a storefront of some kind, in the heart of downtown. It would be a great way to pull more people and downtown visitors to the main museum and the track itself, and, as rote as they are, a great place for a museum gift shop.
I can’t wait to see it.