SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Grand Prix weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is here. While drivers are revving their engines around the road course, IMS Museum organizers are busy remodeling ahead of next year's race.
Officials began updating the museum in September 2023, using $50 million from a major capital campaign that began last July.
“The space that we're standing in right now opened in 1976,” said Kara Kovert Pray, Vice President of Advancement at the IMS Museum.
“Honestly, with the exception of a few minor adjustments, it really hadn't been renovated or updated too much since that time."
Visitors will now be able to take a walk through time at the track, learning about the history over the decades.
“Just ahead, it's our Indianapolis 500 winners gallery, we'll have 17 cars on display here,” said Jamie-Le Brenneman, Collections and Exhibitions Coordinator at the IMS Museum.
Some of their exhibits will be digitized, allowing them to add onto the history that's changing year after year.
Guests will also be able to see and hear the sights and sounds of race day through an immersive experience.
“You'll see the flyover, you'll hear taps, you'll see all of those things that you'll experience on race morning,” said Brenneman.
Previous exhibitions didn't offer many hands-on experiences, but now race fans get in on the action.
“They'll be able to try to change a tire as fast as they can, hop on a simulator and drive the course here at IMS and see if they can qualify for the Indy 500,” said Kovert Pray.
The museum added a 6,000-square-foot upper level and access to the lower level, which hasn't been allowed before.
A special gallery will also be dedicated to the legacy of Roger Penske, owner of the track.
“As a team owner, he's won 19 Indianapolis 500s, so he'll showcase his 19 Baby Borg trophies," Brenneman said. "He'll have a few cars on display, and some other things back here."
The museum also has classroom spaces for field trips and a wellness room.
Sponsors will be honored along the walls for making the museum renovation possible. The museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and is continuing to fundraise for this project.
Organizers said they did not want the museum be closed for more than one Indy 500, so they're anticipating being back and open again before May 2025.