Interactive Evel Knievel Museum to Open in Topeka

By Adam Pockross - May 9, 2016

Evel Knievel

If you grew up loving Evel Knievel‘s death-defying, bone-breaking, stunt-riding theatrics, you probably want to know more about the man, the myth, and the legend. Well, pretty soon you’ll get the chance.

The Historic Harley-Davidson Dealership of Topeka is undergoing a 16,000 square foot expansion to house an Evel Knievel museum. And it’s fixing to be much more than just a big memorabilia display. But don’t worry, there should be plenty of red, white, and blue leather onesies to look at too.

If all goes according to plan, the museum will also feature some interesting interactive displays, all designed with STEM — science, technology, engineering, and math — education in mind.

You’ll be able to launch virtual reality jumps, which were recreated by daredevil Doug Danger and captured from every angle. Another display will delve into the physics of what makes a jump fly or fail. And you can even visit an X-ray display that shows off all 433 of Evil’s broken bones, and how he broke each one.

The museum is expected to open later this year. And judging from the popularity of a two-month Evel exhibition at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee recently, it’s expected to be quite the draw, to the tune of 100,000 people annually.

To get a better sense of the museum, check out the video below, which finds Mike Patterson, owner of the dealership and president of the future museum, taking Shawnee County commissioners on a virtual tour of the space. Then let us know if you’ve got a new destination to ride to soon.