The Visitor Centre today is ... Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
- JULIE WHITE
- Jun 24
- 16 min read
Updated: Jul 11
Start your engines, as the museum at the home of the iconic Indy 500 has had a major revamp and is better than ever.
I love motor racing. So, imagine my excitement arriving at the hallowed ground of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This cathedral of speed, with its 2.5-mile track and the iconic Yard of Bricks start/finish line, hosts the world’s largest single-day sporting event by attendance: the Indy 500.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has also hosted Formula 1 (2000–2007), MotoGP, NASCAR, and other international series, showcasing its versatility and global appeal. It has helped elevate motorsports into a universal language, one of competition, engineering, and spectacle, delivered with all the pizzazz that passionate racing fans expect from an American sporting institution.
The trackside museum, has evolved into one of the world’s premier collections of racing history, with more than 55,000 artifacts and over 150 vehicles.
With its recent revamp, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway museum has taken that excitement to an entirely new level. Boasting a reimagined layout, enhanced interactive exhibits, and a modern design that pays tribute to the Speedway’s storied past, this dynamic experience redefines how we engage with racing heritage. It was memorable before, but now it’s a must-see for any motorsport enthusiast. In many ways, the updated design puts the visitor even more in the driver’s seat of history.
I can’t wait to return and experience the changes in person. But for now, here’s my guide to this much-loved museum.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) history
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) stands among the most iconic and revered racetracks in the world. Since its construction in 1909, this legendary 2.5-mile track, recognised as a National Historic Landmark, remains a symbol of racing excellence and innovation.
The track holds a special place in NASCAR history, and its importance continues to grow with each passing year. One of the key reasons for this is the prestigious Brickyard 400, which has been a major part of the NASCAR Cup Series since its debut in 1994. This annual spectacle draws some of the biggest names in motorsport, offering a unique challenge that every NASCAR driver dreams of conquering.
The track's legacy though is truly rooted in the Indianapolis 500. Every May the track reverberates with motoring mayhem. The race is a 500 mile test of speed and endurance, with drivers reaching speeds over 230 mph. The site is immense, and it needs to be, to cater for the world's largest single-day sporting event crowd. The 2025 Indianapolis 500 had a sold-out crowd of approximately 350,000 spectators. What were empty lots during our visit, transform into hospitality and brand experience areas, creating a vibrant and festive atmosphere throughout the race weekend.
In November 2019, the legend that is Roger Penske, purchased IMS, the IndyCar Series, and IMS Productions through his company, Penske Entertainment Corp. This marked the first time the Speedway changed ownership since Tony George’s grandfather Carl G. Fisher helped found it in 1909.
The 88 year old's team, Team Penske, competes in its 59th season in 2025, and has won the Indy 500 a record 20 times. Penske invested in track infrastructure, the races themselves, fan amenities and events, to elevate the Speedway's global prestige, with an increased emphasis on innovation, diversity, and preserving the future of IndyCar. Penske has actively supported the revamp of the IMS Museum, promoting the storytelling of the Speedway's legacy, including a spotlight on his own team's history.
The Museum history
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum operates independently of the Speedway itself, receiving no direct funding and relying instead on admissions, donations, and programming to sustain itself. While not owned by the IMS brand, it plays a vital role in preserving its legacy, serving as both custodian and storyteller of one of motorsport’s most iconic venues. That’s exactly why it earns its place in this guide to brand-led visitor experiences.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum officially opened in 1956, housed in a modest building just outside the track.
With the help of curator Karl Kizer and racing legend Wilbur Shaw, Tony Hulman rescued the Speedway and rekindled the spirit of the Indy 500. After Shaw’s death in 1954, Hulman founded the Museum to honour the race’s legacy and its iconic machines. What began as a modest collection of just 13 cars quickly grew, and with it, the museum’s role in telling the story of the Speedway’s evolution.
In celebration of the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976, the Museum moved into a purpose-built facility within the infield of the track, placing it at the very heart of the action, where racing history had unfolded for decades. The expanded 96,000-square-foot building welcomed millions of visitors over nearly 40 years, until plans for a major renovation were announced. When we visited, the space felt a little static and dated, but the sheer range and historic value of the collection was undeniable.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum earned the number 3 spot on USA Today’s 2024 Readers' Choice Awards for Top Sports Attractions. It came just behind two of Louisville, Kentucky's primary attractions: the Kentucky Derby Museum, and one of my favourites, the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. With over 140,000 visitors each year, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is a must-see for racing fans and casual visitors alike.
Chequered flag for the renovations
In July 2023 the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum announced plans for a bold $89 million transformation, to completely renovate and revitalise the museum. The Museum closed to the public in November 2023, so I was extremely lucky that I visited before that.
The museum’s dramatic transformation was brought to life by a talented team of specialists. Schmidt Associates led the architectural and engineering work, reimagining the space to meet today’s standards while honouring its legacy. The ambitious plan was to double the public usable space, a 40,000 square foot expansion, a massive challenge considering they were couldn't build up or out, to protect the sightlines for race fans in the existing bleachers.
Exhibit design was handled by one of my favourite design teams, JRA (part of RWS Global), who have again crafted immersive, story-driven experiences that connect visitors to the Speedway’s rich history. They are the design team behind two more brand visitor attractions that I have featured, Louisville Slugger Museum and the World of Coca Cola, plus more I have visited but not written up here yet.
The museum swung its doors back open on April 2, 2025, and the galleries now include seven permanent exhibitions, three rotating ones, plus plenty of interactive experiences, and a new mezzanine which showcases never before seen artefacts from the Speedway’s remarkable past.
“One of the things that we strive to do as a design firm is preserve, protect, and build upon the assets of this community. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the front door for visitors to Indianapolis from around the world.” (Sarah Hempstead, CEO and Principal-in-Charge, Schmidt)
In addition to the museum is the Stories Behind the Spectacle campaign, a $20 million grant from Lilly Endowment. This funding created a classroom at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, focused on STEAM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Maths). The space will offer hands-on learning tools and programs designed to inspire students in their quest for potential careers in the motorsports industry.
Visiting the Indianapolis Motor Speedway: What to Expect
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum design - Then and now
The scope of the renovation was vast, and nearly everything is new. I will try to showcase the changes, but without having experienced them in person, I cannot truly comment on their effectiveness. However, they look terrific.
The drive up the the track has you in awe. The sheer scale of the stands surrounding the track and the vastness of the circuit, makes swinging into the car park a memorable event alone.
There were private tours being advertised in the parking lot, but we knew that there was a bus tour of the track on offer anyway, so we headed inside.
The original atrium had sun drenched walls featuring images of past Indy 500 winners, many of whom are UK racing legends, such as Jim Clark and Graham Hill (who stands alone as the only driver to win the so-called Triple Crown of motorsport, winning the Indy 500, the Monaco Grand Prix and the Le Mans 24 Hours).
There were pictures of Formula 1 drivers that had also won this iconic race, such as Jacques Villeneuve, Emerson Fittipaldi and Takuma Sato (the first Japanese driver to win the Indy 500).
I'm not a massive Indycar fan, though I have followed F1 all my life, but there was something here for everyone.
There were several tour options and we paid for the Behind the Scenes Tour. We felt it was good value and would deliver a deeper appreciation of the circuit. (The track tour is still operating and images of this will come later in this article).
There was plenty to see and we were surprised at how close you could get to these historic machines.
A lot of what we saw was static, with cars and artefacts displayed next to images and boards full of text.
One gallery explored the history of the Speedway’s owners, with early trophies offering a glimpse into its storied past. Elsewhere, themed exhibitions added depth, like Roadsters 2 Records, which charted the 1960–1972 transformation of the Indy 500. It was a golden era of radical design shifts, rear-engine revolutions, and international drivers who rivalled film stars in fame.
I did enjoy that us Brits had such an impact early on.
Packed with historic images, we found this one of Scotland's own Jim Clark, with Lotus founder Colin Chapman. His landmark victory in 1965, in his Ford powered Lotus, was the first car to win with an engine located behind the driver.
You could even see his racing suit and his 1964 Lotus Type 34 Indycar.
A.J. "Super Tex" Foyt is one of the most legendary figures in Indianapolis 500 history, having become the first driver to win 4 times, in 1961, 1964, 1967 and 1977. The car on display is his 1964 winning Sheraton-Thomson Special.
The Winner's Gallery exhibition area showcased more than 25 Indy 500-winning cars, spanning more than a century of history, including a 1922 Duesenberg, 1938 Maserati, 1948 Watson, and 1911 Marmon Wasp, the famed six-cylinder that won the first Indianapolis 500.
Probably my favourite car in the museum was the 1941 Indianapolis 500 winner, the Noc-Out Hose Clamp Special Wetteroth. Just so pretty, if a car can be pretty. Check out the hand painting skills of that signwriter.
And the designer in me cannot resist the colour combination with all that chrome.
Plus, I always appreciate a red leather interior.
The first Indy 500 winner was the 1911 Marmon Wasp, with its vibrant yellow paint and distinctive tail, built by the Indianapolis-based Nordyke & Marmon passenger car company, with an experimental 6-cylinder engine developed by Ray Harroun and Louis Schwitzer.
Fun Fact - The 1911 Marmon Wasp was the first race car to feature a rearview mirror
Ralph De Palma, the pioneering Italian-American racing driver, famously led for 196 of 200 laps at the 1912 Indy 500, only to suffer mechanical failure, upon which he and his mechanic heroically got out and pushed their car the rest of the way, but were not classified as finishers, since they didn’t complete all 200 laps under power. Joe Dawson, driving his number 8 National Motor Vehicle Company car won and that's on show.
Then there's Canadian former racing driver Jacques Villeneuve's 1995 winning Reynard 95I-Ford Cosworth XB for Team Green (Forsythe/Green Racing).
Another important car is from the 1982 Indianapolis 500, won by Gordon Johncock for Patrick Racing in his Cosworth powered Wildcat Mk. VIII. Johncock narrowly beat Rick Mears in one of the closest finishes in Indy 500 history at the time, winning by just 0.16 seconds.
You could even see how the track has altered over time.
There was a display on the evolution of helmets, some examples were even worn by Mario Andretti and Michael Schumacher.
The next exhibit focused on the Indy 500 race itself, featuring a simple display with just a few artefacts. We couldn’t ignore our Scottish roots when we came across information on the Gordon Pipers, who have played at the race since 1962. Their most memorable role is in Victory Lane, where four bagpipers welcome the winner during the traditional milk toast and Borg-Warner Trophy presentation.
So the F1 drivers have a slightly different body shape! Somebody should have told my husband.
The original track was all paved with bricks, but now only a 3 foot wide sections remains. After the third running of the Brickyard 400 in August 1996, Dale Jarrett’s crew chief, Todd Parrott, told Jarrett that he wanted to kiss the bricks. After celebrating in Victory Lane, Parrott and Jarrett walked down to the bricks at the start/finish line, turned their caps around, knelt down and kissed them. It wasn’t until the 2003 Indianapolis 500 when the NASCAR tradition was adopted by IndyCar drivers.
It's not champagne they toast with at the Indy 500, but milk. The milk tradition began in 1936, when winner Louis Meyer, craving something to cool him down, and asked for a glass of buttermilk. A dairy rep noticed, and that simple moment grew into a lasting ritual.
Gasoline Alley is one of the original areas that has been reimagined in the new museum.
There was plenty of scope to improve their welcome video, which they have definitely done.
Track tour
It was good to see that the Track tours, which restarted in May 2025, remain an integral part to the upgraded museum visit. We certainly enjoyed a behind-the-scenes look at the famous race track. I am not sure if they have the same route, but they do offer printed texts and wheelchair accessible buses. They can also offer American Sign Language interpretation with a minimum 48 hours' notice.
We hopped on board a minibus and were whisked around part of the circuit.
When we visited, a Ferrari track day was in full swing, so no “kissing the bricks” for us, much to the disappointment of many hopeful fans.
The Pagoda is an iconic nine-storey structure that serves as the control tower for the Indy 500. Inspired by traditional Japanese architecture, it houses race control, media, timing and scoring, and VIP hospitality suites.
The noise of Ferrari's racing on the track at full throttle was fabulous and the various viewing platforms and galleries offered terrific views.
Before we headed inside we got to see the winner's podium.
While he's no Max Verstappen, my other half could dream for a little while!
We never felt rushed here, and the schedule gave us time to get up close to the stands and, having been to Silverstone, I could image them filled with excited fans.
Next stop was the Media Centre.
There were rows and rows of tables laid out for the press.
We headed into the commentary box and we would imagine the late Murray Walker giving us race updates.
And we couldn't resist pretending we were racing drivers or team principles, setting the world's press right on our latest strategy.
We even got to see where the stewards sit.
The far reaching views from the rooftop were superb. Just shows how massive the track is.
Back on the tour bus, we were taken around the backstage areas of the track.
You never consider the gas station, maintenance sheds or the back of the pits when you're watching the race.
Retail Space
The gift shop included lots of IMS and racing merchandise. There were shelves filled with die cast models of all shapes and sizes, from race teams to historic models.
The new museum
The new museum is a world away from the one I remembered. Galleries feature curated, rotating exhibits, drawing from a vast archive without overwhelming visitors, keeping things fresh for return trips.
Spread across two levels, the John H. Holliday Family Indianapolis 500 Winners Gallery features 17 winning cars upstairs and another 12 below, including the legendary 1911 Marmon Wasp to Dan Wheldon’s 2011 Dallara, each displayed on their own platform with enhanced lighting and information panels.
At the heart of the gallery is the Borg-Warner Trophy, the iconic prize awarded to the winner of the Indianapolis 500. Crafted from sterling silver, it stands over five feet tall, weighs 110 pounds, and features the sculpted faces of every past champion. There's now more information on the creation of the trophy, including how the portraits are made.
The new digital information panels are a welcome enhancement. It gives the museum more of an opportunity to showcase historic information in context, and it is great to see there is even more spotlight on the achievements of women in motorsport, such as Janet Guthrie, the first female to qualify and race in the Indianapolis 500 in 1977.
Gone are the flimsy wall information panels, replaced by interactive displays that can be updated more easily. And there's so much space for accessibility.
In the Qualifying Zone, there are numerous interactive activities such as the Pit Stop Challenge, which tap into the museum trend of gamification, using interactive play to engage visitors and make learning more hands-on and memorable.
A key focus of the renovation was making sure every visitor feels welcome and included. That’s why the museum added a wheelchair-accessible racing simulator, where you control everything using just the steering wheel, no pedals needed. The simulators are attracting attention from more than just fans, drivers, influencers, and former IndyCar pros are expected to join in, posting lap times and competing with the public throughout the season.
In the Best of the Best: The Four-Time Winners gallery, four legendary drivers; A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, Rick Mears and Hélio Castroneves, each have one of their winning cars on display, along with their racing gear.
The Starting Line Experience, is similar to that I reported on at the Silverstone Museum, taking visitors through a sped up race. Each car was even rewrapped to mirror this year’s front row lineup, a clever nod to the current race.
Gasoline Alley has also been much improved. You now get to see historic cars in their own garages, surrounded by props, with added audio visuals, showcasing the development of technology and the evolution of design over the last 115 years.
The Penske Gallery houses team winning Indy 500 cars, various Team Penske engines, all 20 Baby Borgs and race-winning driver helmets and fire suits.
The Track Lounge marks the final stop on your visit, and the place to book a tour of the legendary circuit. Before boarding the bus, you can explore an interactive map tracing the Speedway’s evolution since 1909, or hop into a race car for that must-have Instagram moment.
A quiet wellness room offers a peaceful, private space for nursing mothers, guests with sensory sensitivities, or anyone needing a break. In partnership with KultureCity, the Museum is becoming Sensory Inclusive™, with sensory bags, containing noise-cancelling headphones, fidget tools, and light-filtering glasses, available at the Welcome Centre. Clear signage highlights “headphone zones” to support sound-sensitive visitors. The Museum also offers meaningful opportunities for reminiscence therapy, making it a valuable resource for those living with memory loss.
Restoration and Event Facility plans
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum has unveiled plans for a new 60,000-square-foot Restoration and Event Facility. Located in the town of Speedway, just outside the circuit, the new site will house the Museum’s full-time restoration team and offer additional space for vehicle storage, rotating exhibits, and public tours.
Alongside six restoration bays and two detailing bays, the facility will also feature an event space for hire, creating new opportunities for local meetings and gatherings. Work is set to begin in summer 2025, with completion expected by late 2026. I cannot wait to visit that.
In conclusion
If the previous incarnation of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum was any indication, I’d recommend a visit. Yes, the old space leaned toward static displays, but what was there was thoughtfully presented and rich with heritage.
The refreshed museum marks a clear shift: this is now a space designed for return visits, not just one-off pilgrimages. With hands-on elements, simulators, and an eye toward gamification, it aligns more closely with places like the Silverstone Museum, offering something for everyone, from wide-eyed kids to lifelong fans. There's nostalgia woven through it all too. Plus it's more accessible than ever, making it a meaningful stop for visitors with memory loss or sensory needs. And for the curious or career-minded, there’s plenty here to spark interest in motorsport or engineering.
The real standout for us was the track tour. Even with limited access, it offers a greater connection between museum and track than Silverstone does. Standing on the podium, where legends have stood before, felt iconic. It's the stand out moment that lingers in the memory.
Most visitors here are drawn in by IndyCar or motorsport more broadly. Whether the investment will pay off long-term is hard to say. May 2025 saw record monthly attendance, over 44,000 visitors, albeit in the museum's opening month, and May's Indy 500 always brings a crowd.
But here's the thing: I’d never seen the full Indy 500 before. It’s not widely shown on terrestrial TV in the UK. By chance, I found myself in the U.S. on 25 May 2025. The race was on. I sat down, watched the build-up, then the full race, and suddenly, everything from the museum clicked into place. The history, the engineering, the pageantry, it all made sense. And that, perhaps, is the museum’s greatest triumph: it makes you care. It gives the race depth. It makes you want to watch.
How long was the visit?
We were there for 3 hours.
How much are tickets?
We paid for our tickets and this was not part of any advertising.
Museum General Admission:
Adults $25
Seniors over 55 $23
Children 6-16 $18 and under 5's free
Please note: Museum admission does NOT include IMS gate admission. During events, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway charges an admission fee or requires a ticket to get onto the grounds.
Kiss the bricks Track Tour $15
(Museum admission is required to take a Track Tour and they run on a timetable and are weather and event dependent).
The “Kiss the Bricks” tour is a narrated, 30-minute bus tour that features one lap around the famous 2.5-mile oval with a stop at the start/finish line and the historic yard of bricks.
Victory Podium Tour $15
(Museum admission is required to take this tour and they run on a timetable and are weather and event dependent).
Offered on days when the track is in use. The tour features a trip through the Garage Area and famed “Gasoline Alley” with a final stop at the top of Victory Podium - where the Indianapolis 500 winner celebrates their triumph with the customary bottle of milk.
Opening times
9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily (Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day)
Hours may vary due to events.
Getting here:
We were driving from Louisville, Kentucky to Chicago, and made the stop as a break in the 4.5 hour drive. Depending on traffic, it is under 3 hours from Chicago, under 2 hours from Cincinnati and Louisville, and less than 20 minutes from the centre of downtown Indianapolis. Parking is free.
The Museum is located at 4750 W. 16th Street, Speedway, IN, 46224, inside the track between turns 1 and 2. The entrance to the Museum is located at Gate 2 on the north side of 16th Street. This is marked by a black banner on the west side of the entrance.
There is an international airport in Indianapolis, served by American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, and United, plus a few others like Alaskan. You could be at the track in under half an hour from the airport via taxi.
Address
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
4750 West 16th Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46222
Website: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
Where we stayed
We did not need overnight accomodation but there are several options within a few miles of the track.
What else is there to see close by:
Downtown Indianapolis centres around White River State Park, a hub of museums, attractions, and green space just steps from major hotels.
The scenic Central Canal winds through the park and links to the acclaimed Indianapolis Cultural Trail, a 10 mile path connecting vibrant neighbourhoods like Mass Ave, Fountain Square, and Indiana Avenue. Surprisingly rich in heritage, Indy boasts more monuments and memorials than any U.S. city outside Washington, D.C.
Children's Museum of Indianapolis is the world's largest kids' museum. This award winning museum, sprawled over five floors, with over 130,000 exhibits, was voted Best Family Museum by USAToday.
Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art is recognised by Fodor’s as one of the best Native American and Western art collections in the world.
Photographs: ©Julie White unless noted otherwise
Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed are solely my own. I pay for tours in full unless noted otherwise and any comments reflect my personal experiences on that day. Please drink responsibly. Please visit and garner your own thoughts and feel free to research the brand and the visitor centre in question.
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