When the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum closed in its original form on Nov. 5, 2023, an older gentleman spoke over the microphone and echoed Semisonic’s iconic line from their 1998 hit “Closing Time.”
“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”
With that, the old museum closed and officially remained dormant for 514 days as the cars and exhibits vacated the building and the venerable structure that opened in 1976 underwent a massive renovation.
Between removing the skylight above the main foyer, adding an entire additional floor above what was the main display area and opening up the basement to the public, it’s hard to believe that the second-oldest building in the IMS infield (after the hospital) was able to undergo that kind of transformation.
It’s an awe-inspiring transformation that rivals the Speedway’s own transformation during the winter of 1945 ahead of the 1946 Indianapolis 500.
What was a fine museum in 1985 has become a re-imagined facility catering to all ages with new, modern, cutting-edge technology befitting an industry that is trying to be forward-focused in the modern age.
But what exactly is inside?
Not everything inside will be discussed here so as to not spoil what is an incredible experience. But there’s enough to keep any race fan entertained for hours.
Upon exiting the entrance lobby, visitors can either continue straight into the main display area or turn left into the Gasoline Alley Gallery. The rough, gray floor in the initial entrance is meant to replicate the original crushed rock and tar surface. As one steps into the Gasoline Alley Gallery, the floor changes to bricks, mimicking the first paved surface at IMS.
The retrospective section has memorabilia along the left wall corresponding to the IMS period represented on the right side of the gallery. Seven different cars from various eras are put into garage bays on the right side of the display with period-appropriate tools and other decorations, including a small refrigerator, a radio, different tools and other items.
There’s even an old laptop in the 1993 Nigel Mansell display.
In this same display, keen observers will notice that the outer shell of the garage changes. That represents the new concrete garage structures built during the second half of 1985 ahead of the 1986 Indianapolis 500.
After finishing the Gasoline Alley exhibit, visitors will turn right and head into the Starting Line Experience. The room will put them onto the main straightaway ahead of the race as they experience all of the pre-race festivities, starting with the cannon blast and ending with the green flag.
The sound system and lighting effects with the video immerse the visitor in a kaleidoscope of color and a symphony of sound that brings any 500 veteran into a near-perfect recreation of some of the most emotionally charged moments in sports.
After the Starting Line Experience, visitors will exit into the main exhibit area of the museum. From there, visitors have five paths they can choose. Going straight and downstairs after the Starting Line Experience will put them into the winning car display in what was the main display area in the previous iteration of the museum.
A visitor may decide to go down some more stairs from this exhibit to see another level of winning cars from various races at IMS, including Jeff Gordon‘s NASCAR Cup Series car from the first Brickyard 400 in 1994.
If the visitor looks up after the Starting Line Experience, they will see a new mezzanine floor constructed to be a winners’ exhibit. This exhibit shows off several items from winners of current races around IMS, including fire suits, helmets, ticket stubs, programs and other items of note from the most recent winners at IMS.
Going to the left from the Starting Line Experience will give visitors a choice to enter either the educational experience known as the Qualifying Zone or the Team Penske Exhibit. The Qualifying Zone deserves a special look here.
One of the main areas of change heading into the museum’s opening was a goal to attract and keep the attention of a younger audience. The older museum had no activity areas for younger attendees to learn about IndyCar racing or the 500. It’s fair to say that the older museum was designed for an older audience with no thought spared for kids.
That changes entirely in the Qualifying Zone. Driving simulators, training simulators, pit stop experiences, reaction time challenges, a soft-sided IndyCar for the youngest visitors and a dissected IndyCar give young ones a chance to learn, touch and see IndyCar racing up close and personal.
There’s also a classroom called the Innovation Workshop for extra learning activities whenever school groups want to visit.
“Everything in this room is on wheels so we can change this room any way we need to,” said IMS Museum Director of Education Jake Apollos of the Workshop.
The back of the museum’s main floor contains the final exhibit featured here: The Penske Gallery.
The exhibit is dedicated exclusively to Team Penske and their journey at the Speedway. The only non-Penske car featured in the exhibit is Lee Wallard’s 1951 500-winning car, as that was when Roger Penske first visited IMS as a teenager.
Other than that, the exhibit is a shrine to Penske’s relentless pursuit of perfection at Indianapolis. Perhaps the best part of the exhibit is the massive touchscreen display wall chronicling the team’s journey through the years at IMS. Visitors can touch buttons representing different years on the wall and can look at who drove for Team Penske in the various events at IMS through the decades.
To Penske’s credit, the wall doesn’t skip over the team’s failure to qualify for the 1995 Indianapolis 500. It addresses what happened 30 years ago factually.
After looking at every exhibit, visitors will have a brand new gift shop to go through and look at all sorts of different offerings and new merchandise.
The IMS Museum has undergone an impressive facelift over the last 17 months. However, it might be more appropriate to call the renovation an open-heart surgery because while the shell remains the same, the most significant parts inside are all new.
And it’s now open for all.
Do yourself a favor and go visit. You won’t regret your trip.
Christopher DeHarde has covered IndyCar racing and the Road to Indy for various outlets since 2014. In addition to open wheel racing, DeHarde has also covered IMSA and various short track racing events around Indiana. Originally from New Orleans, DeHarde moved to the Indianapolis area in 2017 to further pursue a career as a motorsports writer.