NASCAR Hall of Fame

Thousands of visitors flock to Canton, Ohio and Cooperstown, N.Y., each year to visit the Football Hall of Fame and the Baseball Hall of Fame in these respective locations. NASCAR is one of the country’s most popular sports, but no Hall of Fame existed for these professional drivers. This changed in May of 2010 when Charlotte opened up the NASCAR Hall of Fame, a 390,000 square-foot structure that cost approximately $160 million to build.

The Hall of Fame is a NASCAR fan’s paradise as it features four floors of historic artifacts, driver tributes and speed-infused simulators that put you right in the action. The city of Charlotte beat out Atlanta and Daytona Beach, Fla. for the right to build the museum and shrine to NASCAR, as Charlotte has become home to many drivers, owners and teams.

The Hall of Fame will take roughly three to four hours to see everything, and it features so many different aspects that everyone — no matter how big of a fan — will enjoy a visit. The Hall of Fame starts off on the first floor with a ramp named “Glory Road,” which simulates the banks of 46 past and present racetracks. The track/ramp has 18 different historic cars that lead up to the second floor, and a 33-degree wall that recreates the high turns of the Talladega Superspeedway.

The second floor is dedicated to the race-week experience with simulators that put you in the driver’s seat or as a member of the pit crew. A high-thrill video simulator in a full-sized NASCAR is an additional $5.

Floors three and four are dedicated to the history of NASCAR and is filled with historic artifacts from the sport’s six decades of existence.

The museum will eventually be filled with shrines to drivers who are elected into the Hall of Fame following the 2010 initial Charter Class that includes Dale Earnhardt, Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., Junior Johnson and Richard Petty.

A day pass for the Hall is $19.95 for adults, $12.95 for children aged 5-12 and $17.95 for seniors 60 or older. 

HelloCharlotte Tip: Charter Memberships can also be purchased, which includes discounts, free merchandise and access to exlcusive events including future induction ceremonies. The cost of a Charter Membership varies depending on what events the membership entitles you to. Details can be found by clicking here.

- by Mike D'Avria, Charlotte Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

He worked for the daily newspaper, The Athens Banner-Herald in Athens, Ga. before turning to freelance writing and video production.

Mike is the Executive Editor of CampLeadership.org, and has lived in Charlotte for four years.