Reimagined interactive IMS Museum opens April 2 | wthr.com

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SPEEDWAY, Ind. — The Month of May is just 31 days away. Just in time, the completely renovated Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is ready to reopen Wednesday, April 2.

More than $60 million in renovations were completed in 17 months to tell the story of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing in a fresh way.

"Making the museum accessible and entertaining for the next generation, to tell that history – 116-year history of the Speedway – is critical for a modern time,” said Jason Vansickle, the museum's vice president of curation and education. “Fans can still come and experience and look at it in the vehicles and the artifacts, but also the hands-on learning will give them an experience that they didn't have before."

Visitors take a walk through Gasoline Alley through the years with race cars from each era displayed in a garage outfitted from that time period.

The Starting Line Experience is a video and audio presentation that takes you to race morning and surrounds your eyes and ears with all the pre-race festivities right up to the green flag.

The cars that won the Indianapolis 500 and made racing history in Indy surround the Borg Warner Trophy on the main floor of the museum.

"We've stayed focused on the 500, and that's our mission, and the cars of the 500,” museum president Joe Hale said. “But the way we're displaying them is just transformational.”

The basement of the museum, once only for special guests, is now accessible to all visitors. A brand-new mezzanine displays non-car artifacts and looks down on the main floor with an opening in the shape of the IMS oval.

Team Penske has its own wing of the museum, celebrating Roger Penske’s unmatched success in the Indy 500.

The education area is all hands-on. You can change a tire during a pit stop, learn about every part of an IndyCar through an interactive display and test your driving skills around the famous 2 1/2-mile oval on a simulator.

The museum expects to be busy, especially in the month of May. You'll want to make sure you buy your tickets ahead of time for the day of your visit. Adult admission is $25, while seniors 55 and older get in for $23 and veterans for $18. Children 16 and under also cost $18, but kids 5 and under get in free.

The museum, a nonprofit separate from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, also announced a new membership program, including a new family/grandparent membership and family/grandparent plus two guests membership.

Information on memberships can be found at this link, and more information on the museum, including community programs, can be found here.