IMS Museum, statewide events driving fan excitement ahead of Indianapolis 500
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Penske Entertainment Corp. are expanding fan events across the state and gearing up for the 109th Indianapolis 500.
“We want to own May. Just like March Madness owns March, we want to own May globally, not just in Indianapolis,” Penske Entertainment Senior Vice President Allison Melangton said. “We’ve created a lot of different civic programs to welcome all the visitors that come.”
IMS Fan Fests, which began last year, returned for another lap in 2025 with stops in Evansville, Fort Wayne, Bloomington and Indianapolis. Each event featured a race car on display, the Borg Warner trophy and several activities.
“We want to be able to bring the spirit of the Indy 500 and all that it means in having it for 109 years in our city around the state,” Melangton said. “If you can’t get to Indianapolis for the race, we want to bring a little bit to you … we’re going to continue to expand [the events].”
IMS also distributed more than 1,900 porch party kits at events across Central Indiana so fans could decorate their homes ahead of the Indianapolis 500.
Melangton said the newly renovated $60.5 million Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is a game changer for the city.
“This museum, nationally and internationally, is going to going to get a reputation for a must see,” Melangton said. “Visit Indy, for example, they’ll be able to sell this and use this as an attraction for the different conventions that they’re bringing in. It’s really got something for everyone, every single age.”
Photo Gallery: Inside the $61M overhaul of the IMS Museum
Museum Communications Manager Kelsey Burr tells Inside INdiana Business that April had double the number of visitors compared to April 2023 (the museum was closed for renovations in 2024) and membership numbers are nearly four times higher than originally projected.
“Daily, we get requests from all over the world on how can we experience how can a visitor experience the Indy 500 if they can’t be here on race day? That has happened for decades…this enables a visitor to see the Indy 500 in a very tangible way, year-round,” Visit Indy Executive Vice President Chris Gahl said. “When you look at what we’re most known for, the Indy 500, to have this caliber of museum and experience in place will extend the visitor’s time here.”
In addition to museum improvements, about $25 million was put into creating a dedicated educational curriculum and new programs, along with a space focused on science, technology, engineering, art and math learning.
The newly renovated museum added field trips for students, and Burr says over 5,000 people have participated in field trips so far.
READ MORE: IMS Museum renovations include accessibility enhancements