Topeka, Kansas will become the permanent home for the Evel Knievel touring exhibition. The world’s largest collection of items belonging to the famed stunt performer, born Robert Craig Knievel, is being installed in a dedicated, expanded 16,000-square-foot wing at Historic Harley-Davidson. The Evel Knievel Museum is scheduled to open in mid-summer 2016, giving visitors a comprehensive look at the artifacts and history behind one of the most famous daredevils in American pop culture.
The centerpiece of the exhibit is Knievel’s Big Red Mack, the customized show rig that doubled as his mobile home while on tour. This iconic truck served as the heart of his traveling operation and provides an intimate glimpse into his life on the road. Alongside the rig, the museum displays a wide range of original gear: performance leathers and helmets worn during his career, including the suit he had on during the infamous failed attempt to jump 13 London buses at Wembley Stadium.
A significant selection of his jump motorcycles is on view, featuring notable examples such as the Laverda American Eagle and the 1970 Harley-Davidson XR750 Ironhead. These bikes represent the technological side of Knievel’s stunts and highlight how his machines evolved as jumps grew in scale and complexity. Complementing the motorcycles and apparel are personal and fan memorabilia: pinball machines, parachutes, photographs, and letters from admirers that chronicle both the public’s fascination and the personal connections he forged with supporters.
The exhibit does not shy away from the physical cost of Knievel’s career. On display are medical artifacts, including his personal X-rays, that document the many injuries he sustained. Knievel is widely known for the extraordinary number of broken bones he suffered during his lifetime; his medical records and X-rays help tell the story of the risks he took and the price he paid to pursue his stunts.
Arranged to create a narrative experience, the museum aims to appeal to a broad audience—fans of motorsports, pop culture historians, and casual visitors curious about the spectacle of live stunt performance. The carefully curated collection provides context for Knievel’s rise to fame, his impact on popular entertainment, and the equipment and people behind the scenes who made the shows possible.
Located within the Historic Harley-Davidson complex, the Evel Knievel Museum benefits from a setting that complements its focus on motorcycles and the culture that surrounds them. The expanded space allows for immersive displays and preserves the artifacts in a setting designed for long-term exhibition, ensuring that Knievel’s legacy is accessible to future generations.
Visitors can expect a chronological presentation that traces Knievel’s early beginnings, career milestones, and later years, with artifacts arranged to emphasize both spectacle and biography. The museum balances the excitement of Knievel’s public persona with personal elements drawn from his life offstage, providing a fuller portrait of a man synonymous with high-risk entertainment.
As the final stop on the touring exhibition, the Topeka installation consolidates a vast array of items that had traveled widely, keeping rare and fragile pieces together in a permanent collection. The result is a focused, professionally curated museum that preserves the artifacts and stories of one of America’s most recognizable stunt performers.