The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of the oldest and most revered motorsports facilities in the world. Since its construction in 1909, this famous 2.5-mile racetrack has become a National Historic Landmark and a legend in the world of auto racing. 

At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, our mission is to celebrate and preserve the history behind the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500. 

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum officially opened in 1956 on a non-profit basis, eventually operating under the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Foundation. In 1976, the Museum opened in its current location inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway between Turns 1 and 2. But the Museum’s origins can be traced back to 1945, when Anton Hulman Jr. purchased the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after World War II. 

Hulman worked with the Museum’s first curator Karl Kizer and three-time Indy 500 winner Wilbur Shaw to save our beloved Speedway and revive the Indianapolis 500. After Shaw’s death in 1954, Hulman formally opened the Museum, establishing a place to showcase historic racing vehicles and memorabilia. 

Back then, the Museum only had 12 cars on display, including Shaw’s race-winning Maserati. But now, the Museum has become one of the world’s premier collections of racing automobiles and artifacts—with more than 55,000 artifacts and over 150 vehicles. 

In fact, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum has been named one of USA Today’s Top Three Best Sports Attractions in the Country. Our facility currently boasts 80,000 sq. ft. of vintage cars, trophies, photographs, fine art, and other artifacts that capture the cultural significance of motorsports. And each year, we welcome more than 140,000 visitors, as race fans from around the world make the pilgrimage to the Racing Capital of the World.