Evel Knievel Museum Moving to New Home in Las Vegas

Lauren Novak May 14, 2:22 pm

Viva Knievel! Evel Knievel, 1977 — Everett Collection

The Evel Knievel Museum in Topeka, Kansas is gearing up to close its doors for the final time this year. The museum is dedicated to motorcycle daredevil Robert Craig Knievel, known as Evel Knievel. It has been in Topeka since 2017 and has helped to bring tourism to the city. Now, it will close on November 2, 2024, and will be moved to Las Vegas and re-opened there sometime in 2025.

Construction has already begun at the Las Vegas location and the museum co-founder Mike Patterson is overseeing the move. He said, “I do have mixed feelings about the museum leaving Topeka. This is our hometown and we have been so proud to have it reside in Topeka for the past seven years. We have welcomed guests from over 80 different countries and every U.S. state many times over. The museum has been a real economic win for the Topeka community with all those visitors, and we are very proud of that. Our team is excited about this move as we will oversee design of the new Las Vegas museum, and we will continue to operate the attraction from Topeka.”

Viva Knievel! Evel Knievel, Lauren Hutton, 1977

Everett Collection

The museum features the stuntman’s collection of bikes including his 1974 Mack Truck & Trailer “Big Red” plus helmets and other items from his career and past. It also boasts a virtual reality experience where you too can “fly” over cars like Evel Knievel once did. Evel Knievel had a very successful career in stunts and was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999. He passed away in 2007 after battling diabetes and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis for many years.

“I can’t think of a better place to display the legacy of Evel Knievel than Las Vegas,” added family brand owner and Las Vegas resident, Kelly Knievel, son of Evel Knievel on Facebook. “With guts, charisma and showmanship, he built himself a legacy that’s still going strong 50 years after that crash at Caesars Palace. We’ve got all of my dad’s memorabilia, plus the latest and greatest razzmatazz – fitting for the King of the Daredevils.”

Everett Collection

The museum space was purchased for almost $3 million in December 2023 by the Shawnee County Board of Commissioners. Let us know in the comments if you’ve ever visited the Evel Knievel Museum or if you plan to!