07.13.2023

SUBSCRIBE | REFER

Today’s Forecast

39º | Cloudy | 0% chance of rain | Sunrise 8:06 a.m. | Sunset 5:33 p.m.

Museum racing toward $89 million overhaul

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum announces $89 million campaign

Rendering of updated IMS Museum exterior

A rendering of the planned updated exterior of the museum. | Rendering via IMS Museum

This news is a little racy.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum announced an $89 million campaign, which it’s calling “The Stories Behind the Spectacle,” to overhaul and transform the 47-year-old museum. In addition to the major renovation, it also plans to create an endowment to support future investments.

The museum said its goal for the project is to “reimagine our space to display vehicles and objects better, protect our collection, and inspire the next generation of engineers, technicians, drivers, and fans.”

A rendering of new exhibit at IMS Museum with Borg-Warner Trophy — The planned “Winners Gallery” will feature winning Indy 500 cars and the famed Borg-Warner Trophy.
|
Rendering via IMS Museum

Plans for the transformation of the nearly 40,000-sqft museum will include a fully remodeled interior with a new mezzanine level and separate exhibit spaces, along with an educational area. The reimagined museum will also offer visitors:

Seven permanent and three rotating immersive experiences
The opportunity to get up close to some of the world’s most unique + valuable racing artifacts on a behind-the-scenes tour
The sensation of being in an IndyCar Series car
Education on the tools and equipment of the racing trade by competing in a mock pit stop

This will be the museum’s first major renovation in nearly 40 years since it opened at 4750 W. 16th St. in 1976. The renovation will also include extensive mechanical and air system upgrades + require the museum to close for about a year-and-a-half.

Rendering of race car exhibit at transformed IMS Museum — A rendering of planned “Gasoline Alley” gallery that will display the evolution of the Speedway, which will include cars, artifacts, audio, and visual elements.
|
Rendering via IMS Museum

The museum is expected to temporarily close for the project starting in October. Then in November, the entire museum will close until April 2025 so the revamped experience can debut ahead of the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500.

The fundraising campaign has raised $46 million for the not-for-profit so far. If you’d like to support the campaign, you can make a one-time donation, a pledge commitment, or a legacy gift. To learn more about your options of giving, contact Bridget Sutton, Director of Development at IMS Museum.

Events

Thursday, July 13

Late Night Thursdays | Thursday, July 13 | 10 a.m.-8 p.m. | Indiana State Museum, 650 W. Washington St., Indianapolis | Museum admission | In addition to exploring your favorite galleries and exhibits, you can find special events happening throughout the museum later.
Dominic Fike | Thursday, July 13 | 8 p.m. | TCU Amphitheater At White River State Park, 801 W. Washington St., Indianapolis | $16-$65 | See the American singer-songwriter and actor during his “Don’t Stare At The Sun” tour.

Friday, July 14

Sip & Paint | Friday, July 14 | 6:30-9:30 p.m. | The Alexander, 333 S. Delaware St., Indianapolis | $80 | Paint, sip cocktails, indulge in art, and savor delicious bites with Cheerie Joy Studios at Plat 99 — all painting materials and two drinks are included.

Saturday, July 15

Marion County 4-H Showcase | Saturday, July 15-Sunday, July 16 | Times vary | Indiana State Fairgrounds 4-H Exhibit Hall, 1202 E. 38th St., Indianapolis | Free | Celebrate the achievements of young people in Marion County + check out project displays, animal shows, public speaking contests, and the 4-H fashion revue.

Sunday, July 16

Paddle Board Yoga | Sunday, July 16 | 4 p.m. + 6:30 p.m.| Indianapolis | Free | Register for your chance to be one of 10 lucky registrants per class randomly selected for a free 90-minute paddle board yoga session on the Canal.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Giveaway

Want to win a hand-crafted, midcentury modern coffee table you’ll keep for life?

Presented by an INDYtoday partner

BeyondMakers-PartnerGiveaway-7.13.2023-POD.png

This might be one of the best prizes in INDYtoday giveaway history.

Local Indiana woodworkers Beyond Makers specializes in designing and building architectural projects, small goods, and custom furniture, and we’ve partnered with them to give away a stunning cherry coffee table for one very lucky reader to take home.

Co-owner Garrett Henry describes this piece as “encapsulating the way we like to build, and what we like to build. This table is built with classic wood joinery techniques for strength and beauty and incorporates half-lap joints, and through mortise and tenons. We chose to build out of cherry for its natural beauty and wood tone instead of relying on stain to get the look we wanted. The design is simple and timeless.”

How to enter:

Head over to Instagram and make sure you’re following @theindytoday and @beyondmakers
Comment on our post + tag a friend

That’s it. We’ll announce the winner in our newsletter on Monday, July 31. Beyond Makers will coordinate in-person pickup.

Enter to win on Instagram

News Notes

Biz

The owner of beloved Black Circle bar and music hall near 46th and Hillside said the community helped save the business by raising $36,000 in two days. The funding will be used to repair damage from flooding back in May. (WRTV)

Coming Soon

Local lifestyle clothing + accessory brand WDRFA, owned by influencer Mike G., announced it’s opening a store soon. There’s no word on timing or location yet, but follow along on social media for updates.

Community

The Community Heights Neighborhood Association will expand a street mural to calm traffic around Anna Brochhausen Elementary School. Traffic control barriers are also being added in the center turn lane. The project costs around $30,000 + funding was made possible by conducting a traffic study. Read more. (WRTV)

Active

Registration is now open for the 11th annual Colts 5K run + walk on Saturday, Aug. 19. The route will start and finish at Lucas Oil Stadium and pass by Indy landmarks like Monument Circle, the Convention Center, Victory Field, and the JW Marriott Hotel. View the course and register. (WTHR)

Event

Online fashion giant Shein is coming to Indianapolis for a four-day pop-up shop. Today through Sunday, July 16 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., shop 1,000+ different styles at Selfie WRLD (8401 Michigan Rd.). Win a free gift with in-store purchases or a shoutout on social media.(WTHR)

Finance

Everyday investors profit from a $45 million Banksy collection (yes, the Banksy) thanks to Masterworks, who last sold one of the artist’s works at a 32% net gain. Masterworks has completed 13 exits (all profitable), with three recent sales delivering net annualized returns of 17.8%, 21.5%, and 35%. INDYtoday readers can skip the waitlist to join.†*

Shop

Parking your car on sunny streets while running errands around town? This No. 1 bestselling sunshade keeps your car’s interior cool and minimizes rays.*

† See important Masterworks disclosures.

Share INDYtoday

Share the good news. Get rewarded.

Have someone who needs to stay in the know? Get amazing rewards for every new subscriber you bring by sharing your unique referral link (below).

Facebook

Twitter

{{profile.vars.rh_totref_13}} friends are looped into all things local because of you.

Claim your rewards

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Nicole Hernandez

From the editor

The last time I visited the IMS Museum was last year to check out some of its newer exhibits at the time, including “Sleek: The Art of the Helmet,” which explored the stories and designs behind racing helmets + featured nine helmets designed by Hoosier artists.

If you haven’t visited the museum in a while, it might be worth paying a visit before it temporarily closes — that way you can get a true before and after experience of the museum.

Missed our previous newsletter?

›

Send Us A Scoop, Question, or Feedback

Content marked with an * is paid advertising. Content marked with an ^ is created by our content studio. The company may also generate commission from affiliate links in the newsletter.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602

ADVERTISE | CAREERS | ETHICS | PRIVACY | THE BUY