Touring Indy’s Treasures: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
The Indianapolis area is home to a number of “treasures” — interesting places, museums, and landmarks that make Indy special. Join News 8’s Hanna Mordoh on a tour of Indy’s treasures.
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SPEEDWAY, Ind. (WISH) — The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is more than just a pit stop for racing fans.
The IMS Museum is located inside the historical 2.5-mile track and is recognized as one of the most highly-visible museums in the world dedicated to automobiles and auto racing.
“We are in one of the most incredible car museums in the world. We have the largest collection of winning cars from the Indianapolis 500 right behind me. You know, for a long time, I think, this was really a hidden gem in Indianapolis,” IMS Museum President Joe Hale said.
Hale says the hidden gem is being discovered more and more every day.
“It really is a way to bring the world’s attention to Indianapolis,” Hale said.
The Indianapolis 500 is packed with stories and the history of the race and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway are best displayed and discussed at the museum, which has been in the same building for almost 50 years. Although it’s on speedway property, the museum is technically a separate entity from IMS, according to Hale.
“Our job is to promote the history and record the history of the 500 — the epic drama of the Indianapolis 500,” Hale said. “But we are a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit. So, we own the collection. The Penske organization owns the building. They are a wonderful landlord because they only charge us $1 a year.”
One dollar is a very nice price to pay to be able to show off some of the most epic pieces of racing history.
Jason Vansickle is the museum’s vice president of curation education. He took News 8’s Hanna Mordoh on a tour to see some of those historical pieces.
One exhibit that always catches the attention of visitors is the collection of Indianapolis 500-winning cars displayed just beyond the museum’s entrance.
“We are right in the midst of our ‘Winning 500’ collection. This is the largest number of 500 winners on display to the public,” Vansickle said. “The innovation and the technology of the Indy car changed over the years. You look at the Wasp and think, ‘This was the pinnacle of technology during that time,’ and then you have something like Rossi’s ’16 winner or Wheldon’s 2011 winner…that is 100 years difference next to each other.”
The tour also included stops at some of the exhibits new to the museum this year.
One of those exhibits is called “Traditions.”
“What we wanted to do was highlight these multiple traditions that really make the Indianapolis Motor Speedway special to a lot of race fans,” Vansickle said.
Included is the Borg-Warner Trophy.
“The Borg-Warner Trophy is on permanent display here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway kMuseum when it is not out doing other public appearances,” Vansickle said. “This is what the drivers want to have their face enshrined on after winning the Indianapolis 500.”
The museum’s newest exhibition, “Sleek – the Art of the Helmet,” opened this week.
But the museum’s most exclusive exhibit takes visitors to somewhere unexpected — the basement.
“Last year, we started ‘The Basement Collection,’” Hale said. “We are now standing on some of the most valuable cars in the world, but they weren’t available to the public. So we said, ‘How can we create an exhibition around that?’”
Cell phones and cameras are not allowed in the basement in an effort to preserve the vehicles and the exclusivity of the exhibit. However, in May, News 8’s Cody Adams got an exclusive look at the collection.
“The Basement Collection” is a perfect finish for any race fan.
“It is really a bucket list location for a lot of people,” Hale said.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is open every day of the year except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. You can plan your visit at the IMS Museum website.