Evel Knievel Experience Sets Opening Date in Downtown Vegas

The Evel Knievel Experience, a new interactive museum dedicated to the late stunt performer’s career, is set to open June 27 in the Arts District in downtown Las Vegas. Tickets are now on sale. The project relocates the long-running Evel Knievel Museum from Topeka, Kansas — where it closed permanently on November 2, 2024 — to a new, larger home in Las Vegas.

The move makes much more historical sense, as Knievel had no ties to Topeka, whereas Las Vegas was the site of the jump that made him a global icon. In its new home, the museum’s founders promise to build a more comprehensive version of the attraction.

The attraction will feature many of the same artifacts that anchor the Topeka museum, including:

• Knievel’s red, white, and blue jumpsuits
• Several of his Harley‑Davidson motorcycles
• The Skycycle X‑2 used in the 1974 Snake River Canyon attempt
• The helmet worn during his Dec. 31, 1967 crash while attempting to jump the Caesars Palace fountains

Palace of Lies

Although the museum’s Friday announcement said the Caesars crash “left Knievel in a coma for 29 days,” that’s actually a myth created at the time by casino owner Jay Sarno. Knievel never lost consciousness following the spill that made him famous. He was never in any real danger and wasn’t even admitted to the ICU. (Read all about that here.)

The museum’s operators — Mike Patterson and Lathan McKay — have worked with the Knievel estate since the Topeka museum opened in 2017. The Las Vegas expansion continues that partnership.

“Evel Knievel tapped into the fountain of youth through sheer determination, resilience and an unshakable belief in pushing life to its limits,” McKay said in Friday’s announcement. “After dozens of crashes, countless broken bones and near-death experiences, he continued pursuing some of the world’s most daring stunts with the energy and fearlessness of someone decades younger.

Added Kelly Knievel, Evel’s eldest son and a Las Vegas resident: “We’re thrilled to be able to share what made Evel Knievel so special and such a significant contributor to American culture. The Evel Knievel Experience is another great attraction for visitors to our city.”

The Las Vegas location will expand on the original collection with several interactive elements, including a virtual-reality jump simulation that places visitors on a stationary motorcycle while they experience a 16-car jump. A “Jump Planner” feature allows guests to design a hypothetical stunt and see whether it would succeed based on physics inputs. Another exhibit, “Bad to the Bones,” will document Knievel’s injuries and crash history using medical imagery and archival footage.

The Evel Knievel Experience will operate daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 1001 S. 1st Street. On-site parking will be available for $4 per hour. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.ekexperience.com.