400 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Charlotte
704/654-4400
www.nascarhall.com [1]
HOURS: June 1–Sept. 6 Mon.–Sat. 10 a.m.–7 p.m.,
Thurs. 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Sun noon–6 p.m.;
Sept. 7–May 31 Mon.–Sat. 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun. noon–6 p.m.
COST: $19.95 adults, $17.95 seniors, $12.95 children
Charlotte [2] beat out four other cities to be chosen as the site for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Construction on the 130,000-square-foot mecca of racing began in 2007 and the Hall of Fame opened its doors to the public in May 2010.
The Hall of Fame was designed as a tribute to drivers, crew members, team owners, and others who have impacted the sport and includes the 270-seat Full Throttle Theater that shows a film about the history of NASCAR, a hall with rotating exhibits, and Glory Road, a banked ramp leading to the 2nd floor that highlights racetracks around the United States and showcases historic racecars.
There are several permanent exhibits planned for the one-of-a-kind museum: A NASCAR vault that houses historic racing artifacts behind a glass wall, a racing simulator that offers visitors a driver’s perspective on race day, a tribute space that honors NASCAR heroes who have passed away, and a NASCAR newsroom.
The building, which stretches 19 stories into the Uptown skyline, will also house the headquarters for NASCAR and NASCAR Images.
Links:
[1] http://www.nascarhall.com
[2] http://www.moon.com/destinations/charlotte