Indianapolis

Travelers' Takes

Rates and Deals

The Brickyard Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum

More Photos
skmkart6
skmkart6
First Reviewer
5 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
3
Reviews
7
Photos
Sort by: Most Recent|Positive|Negative|Most Useful
1-3 of 3
Editor Pick

The Brickyard Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum

  • January 2, 2008
  • Rated 4 of 5 by RoBoNC from Indianapolis, Indiana
The Brickyard Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum

“Gentlemen Start Your Engines” – From the beaches of Daytona to the desert of Arizona, these words are as famous as the drivers themselves and the tracks they race on. While some tracks are more famous than others, no other track has more history than the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It is the only the landmark related to automotive history to be included on the National Register of Historic Places.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway was built in 1909 and has a seating capacity of 275,000 with an infield capacity that brings the total to 400,000 making it the largest sporting facility in the world. It is a two and a half mile track and like Daytona, which has a lake in the infield, Indianapolis has a road course track as well as an 18 hole golf course which has been used by the PGA.

The most famous race which began in 1911 is the Indianapolis 500, which has been hailed as the “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” It is the Super Bowl of the Indy Circuit just as the Daytona 500 is to the NASCAR circuit. Besides the Indy 500, the track also hosts NASCAR’s Brickyard 400 and it used to host the United States Grand Prix on the Formula One circuit.

Tickets to any of the major races here cost anywhere between $70-150. We were not able to attend a race here, but that did not stop us from experiencing all that the track had to offer. There is a museum on the grounds that is dedicated to the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and has over 75 different vehicles on display. Such vehicles on display include the Marmon “Wasp”, which won the inaugural Indy 500 in 1911 as well as all four vehicles driven by A.J. Foyt, who has won the Indy 500, a record four times. Besides race cars, there is a 1925 McFarlan TV6 Passenger Roadster and a 1935 Duesenberg Model JN, in which only three were built.

After looking at the different vehicles in this massive museum and taking the opportunity to crawl into an Indy Car, it was time to see the track. Along with your admission, you can take a ride in an air-conditioned vehicle around the track. The two and a half mile lap lets you experience the track from the driver’s perspective, albeit not at the speed that you would like. The golf course is clearly visible as well as the new road course in the infield. Some of the unique characteristics of the track are at the start/finish line. Before the track was paved, it was covered in bricks. A three foot section of section of bricks was left and is where the Brickyard 400 gets its name. A racing tradition is for the winner and his crew to knell down and kiss the bricks. The other obvious feature is the Control Tower designed as a Chinese Pagoda and it can all be experienced for $6.

From journal Two friends, Four Days and a Lifetime of Memories

The Brickyard Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum

  • April 24, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by brendamae_02 from springfield, Illinois
This is one of the biggest races in NASCAR. It is very fun to see a race in person, as opposed to on TV. Not only is there racing, but most of the races, there are concerts being held and lots of other activities!

From journal Brickyard 500

The Brickyard- Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum

  • September 30, 2005
  • Rated 5 of 5 by skmkart6 from Gold Coast, Australia

Last weekend I was lucky enough to visit "The Brickyard," or the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. What an awesome day - we started off by taking a look around the museum located just beside the track. The museum showcases all the cars that have participated at the Indy 500, past and present. There are also Nascars on display and a small section devoted to Formula 1, which is a relatively new addition to the Indy Speedway calendar. The museum costs about $5 for adults and there is a gift shop located within the museum as well that offers all kinds of gifts and apparel. After spending about an hour in the museum, we decided to take the track tour (about $3), which runs for about 30 minutes. The tour is conducted on a bus and it drives right around the actual circuit. You get some awesome photo opportunities, as well as the bus stops at each turn, also on the start/finish line and gasoline alley.

From journal The Brickyard

Sort by: Most Recent|Positive|Negative|Most Useful
1-3 of 3

Compare Indianapolis Rates

1. Enter travel information

City

2. Select websites to compare rates

Each selected website will open a new window.

Helpful Indianapolis Links

Indianapolis Travel Deals