Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum, located five miles northwest of downtown Indianapolis on the grounds of the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is recognized as one of the most highly visible museums in the world devoted to automobiles and auto racing. In 1987, the museum and Speedway grounds were honored with the designation of National Historic Landmark. The late Tony Hulman and Karl Kizer, the museum's first director, established the original Hall of Fame Museum in 1956. The building was located at the southwest corner of the Speedway's property where the Speedway's Administration Building now stands. It was large enough only to display a few vintage race cars. Before long, it was obvious something more substantial was needed. During 1975, Hulman built a larger, more modern museum within the Speedway oval, its opening coinciding with the United States Bicentennial celebration in 1976. Constructed of pre-cast cement and Wyoming quartz, the facility encompasses 96,000 square feet of museum and administrative office space. Museum display space measures approximately 30,000 square feet. A glass canopy above the main display floor provides year-round natural light. The building also houses two Speedway gift shops, the track's photography department and other offices. An air-conditioned snack shop and departure area for bus tours of the historic 2.5-mile oval is located near the museum's front doors. About one-third of the museum's estimated 250,000 annual visitors tour the museum during May, the month of the annual Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.