While not exactly providing the thrills of Evel Knievel’s famous Ceaser’s Palace jump, a museum dedicated to the wild-living and wildly popular daredevil is open in Las Vegas.
The Evel Knievel Experience: An Interactive Museum of America’s Original Daredevil celebrates the life, legacy and larger-than-life persona of legendary American stunt rider and entertainer Evel Knievel. Located in Las Vegas’ Arts downtown District, the experience traces its evolution from a single iconic jumpsuit into an expansive archive of the largest collection of Evel Knievel artifacts in the world, including items from the Knievel family.
Its opening on Saturday, June 27, is as flashy as the man himself would have done it – minus attempting to jump the Ceaser’s Palace fountains of course – with professional motorcycle stunt performances with high-flying jumps, freestyle riding, backflips along wiht a ustom and classic motorcycle show; live music, food trucks and beverages.
Headlining the celebration are professional stunt riders, including Austin Winters, who will pay tribute to Knievel’s legendary daredevil spirit with shows at 11 a.m., Noon and 1 p.m. The event goes from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Admission to the festival is free and admission to The Evel Knievel Experience is $35 . Those tickets can be purchased on the Evel Knievel Experience website, with last entry being at 8 p.m.
“Evel Knievel gave everything 100%, so our grand opening festival naturally will reflect that same ambitious spirit,” said Mike Patterson, co-founder and CEO, The Evel Knievel Experience. “This event is shaping up to be one of the most thrilling events of the summer, and we cannot wait for visitors to step into Evel Knievel’s world through adrenaline-pumping stunts and an extraordinary collection of artifacts that made history.”
Originally launched as the Evel Knievel Museum in Topeka, Kansas, in 2017, the Las Vegas experience expands upon the award-winning, internationally recognized collection.
The Evel Knievel Experience: An Interactive Museum of America’s Original Daredevil collection includes rare artifacts from Evel Knievel’s life; immersive exhibits highlighting the ambition, spectacle and risk behind his legendary career; and a variety of high-adrenaline experiences.
The grand opening festival is sponsored by Carter Power Sports, Nostalgia Street Rods and Stunt Double Strong Lager.
Knievel achieved international fame in Las Vegas by jumping over the Caesars Palace fountains on December 31, 1967. He cleared the 141-foot distance but didn’t stick the landing. His motorcycle hit part of the safety rampcausing him ot tumble over and over again, leaving him with multiple broken bones and a crushed pelvis. The dramatic footage of it (see the video above) made Knievel a household name and his stunts became even bolder, including a failed attempt to jump over the Snake River Canyon in Idaho.
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