TOPEKA, KS
– Among the many exciting attractions that Kansas has to offer,
visitors to northeast Kansas
can add a new museum to their must-see list of experiences – The Evel
Knievel Museum at Historic Harley Davidson in Topeka. The museum held a
ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, May 26.
The
$5 million, 13,000 sq. ft. museum features Evel’s motorcycles, leathers
and helmets, his fully-restored Mack truck dubbed “Big Red” and his
personal and never-before-seen
memorabilia. The two-story museum also features several interactive
experiences including a virtual reality 4-D motorcycle jump, “Broken
Bones” interactive with Evel’s actual X-rays, “Plan Your Jump”
challenge, “Engine and Suspension” interactive and a “Snake
River Experience Room” featuring Knievel’s actual X2 Skycycle.
The
museum was made possible, in part, by an $88,000 Attraction Development
Grant from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism
(KDWPT). The
program works to assist the development of sustainable, market-driven
travel experiences in Kansas that will attract visitors and create
long-lasting economic benefits from the creation of jobs, capital
investment, revenue and visitation.
During
its two-week soft opening, forty-six percent of the museum’s visitors
were from out of state, including 13 states and four foreign countries,
so the museum is quickly becoming a destination.
“We
are tremendously excited to have the Evel Knievel Museum join the large
number of amazing attractions in Kansas,” said Linda Craghead, KDWPT
Assistant Secretary for Parks and Tourism. “We congratulate Historic
Harley Davidson and all the dedicated people and
organizations that helped make the museum possible, and we’re proud
that the state could play a role in bringing it to Topeka.”
The
Evel Knievel Museum at Historic Harley Davidson is located at 2047 SW
Topeka Blvd., Topeka, KS 66612. For information, call 785-215-6205, or
visit
www.EvelKnievelMuseum.org.
A
grand opening celebration will be held June 30 and July 1. Tickets for
the grand opening are limited and can be purchased online at
www.eventbrite.com.
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