Museum of American Speed

What Museum of American Speed does

The Museum of American Speed is a nonprofit racing and automotive heritage museum founded in 1992 and located at 599 Oakcreek Drive in Lincoln, Nebraska. It preserves and exhibits American speed history through a physical collection of nearly 400 vehicles and over 600 engines, organized into named collections (Unser Collection, Starbird Collection / Darryl Starbird's Rod and Custom Hall of Fame, Herzog Motorsports, Zausner Collection) plus themed displays covering Indy Racing, Land Speed, Drag Racing, Open Wheel, NASCAR, Early Ford, GM, Customs, Luxury Cars, and Rare Motorcycles. The institution's core offering is a single physical destination venue that operates seasonally with extended hours May–September and reduced hours October–April.

The museum serves four customer segments: automotive enthusiasts (primary), educational groups on school field trips, corporate/event clients booking the venue for parties and meetings, and recreational vehicle travelers through the Harvest Hosts program. Revenue is generated through admission fees, gift shop sales, event rentals, recurring memberships, and donations. Beyond passive viewing, the museum layers in experiential programming such as Cars & Coffee gatherings, the Speedsters Trials & Reunion, a Model T Driving Experience, and school tours.

Operations are supported by a modest staff of 11–50 employees and a volunteer base. The technology footprint is intentionally lean — a Weebly-hosted website plus a SquareUp e-commerce storefront for apparel, books, and eGift cards — with no disclosed AI, API, or platform integrations. Marketing relies on event programming, earned media (USA Today 10 Best Readers Choice #1 ranking for Best Attraction for Car Lovers, Newsweek Fans Choice Award, 2025 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence), and partnership channels (Blue Star Museums, Harvest Hosts, Nebraska Museums Association, NAAAM).

Name

Museum of American Speed

Legal name

Museum of American Speed

Website

https://unserracingmuseum.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nonprofit museum in Lincoln, Nebraska preserving American racing and automotive heritage through nearly 400 vehicles and over 600 engines. It serves automotive enthusiasts, school groups, corporate event clients, and RV travelers via admissions, gift shop sales, event rentals, memberships, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Heritage Museum

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (71211), Museums (712110)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museum & Landmark Guided Tours (Skip-the-line/Docent-led) (THAJAAAC), Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)

Keywords

• Automotive heritage museum
• Racing history exhibits
• Classic vehicle displays
• Museum event venue
• Educational driving programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Lincoln

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission Fees: Museum admission fees for visitors to view collections and exhibits
2. Gift Shop Sales: Retail sales of apparel, books, and gift cards through SquareUp e-commerce storefront
3. Event Rentals: Venue rental for corporate events, parties, and meetings. Catering services available for events.
4. Memberships: Annual membership program offering benefits to supporters of the museum
5. Donations: Donation program allowing supporters to contribute financially to the museum's operations and preservation efforts

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Museum of American Speed operates a physical museum in Lincoln, Nebraska, exhibiting nearly 400 vehicles and over 600 engines that document American automotive and racing heritage across named collections (Starbird Rod and Custom Hall of Fame, Unser, Herzog Motorsports, Zausner). The museum monetizes visitation through admissions, an online gift shop, event venue rentals, and memberships, and supplements the core exhibits with community events (Cars & Coffee, Speedsters Trials & Reunion), hands-on driving experiences (Model T), and educational school programs.

Product overview

The Museum of American Speed is a physical museum dedicated to preserving and exhibiting American automotive and racing heritage. The museum offers a unified visiting experience centered on its core exhibition collections featuring nearly 400 vehicles and over 600 engines spanning multiple racing disciplines. The collections include the Starbird Collection (Darryl Starbird's Rod and Custom Hall of Fame), Unser Collection, Herzog Motorsports, Zausner Collection, and extensive displays of Indy Racing, Land Speed, Drag Racing, and Open Wheel vehicles. Beyond static exhibitions, the museum provides experiential programs including Cars & Coffee events, Speedsters Trials & Reunion, and Model T Driving Experiences. The venue also hosts private events and operates a retail gift shop selling apparel and books.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Starbird Collection - Rod and Custom Hall of Fame Exhibition collection featuring Darryl Starbird's Rod and Custom Hall of Fame vehicles for museum visitors interested in custom car culture and design heritage.
• Unser Racing Museum Collection Exhibition collection featuring legendary racing vehicles and memorabilia from the famous Unser racing family, aimed at visitors interested in Indy and American racing heritage.
• Herzog Motorsports Collection Exhibition collection showcasing Herzog Motorsports racing vehicles and memorabilia for visitors interested in short-track and stock car racing history.
• Zausner Collection Exhibition collection featuring the Zausner Vicky and Zausner Speedway Special Roadster show vehicles for visitors interested in vintage show car craftsmanship.
• Vehicle Exhibits Gallery Core exhibition of nearly 400 vehicles spanning multiple categories including Concept Cars, Early Ford, GM Displays, NASCAR, Performance Fords, Rare Motorcycles, Customs, Road Racing, Luxury Cars, and Twin-Engine Model T Speedsters.
• Engine Collection Gallery Exhibition of over 600 engines organized into themed rooms including GM Engine Displays, Miller Room, Open Wheel, Indy Pit, Prototype, Land Speed, Luxury Car Engines, Legends in Racing, Model T Engines, and Midget Racers.
• Indy Racing Exhibits Exhibition of historic Indy racing vehicles including Al Unser's Johnny Lightning Special, Bobby Unser's Gurney Eagle, NOVI specials, Watson Roadsters, and Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials.
• Land Speed Record Exhibits Exhibition of land speed record vehicles and artifacts including Bonneville T-Bird, Spirit Of America, Lakesters, and Streamliners.
• Drag Racing Exhibits Exhibition of historic drag racing vehicles including The Klein Nomad, 1966 Plymouth Hemi Belvedere, Dick Landy Dodge, S&S Willys Gasser, and Ramcharger Funny Car.
• Art Gallery Art collection featuring works by Darrell Mayabb, Peter Vincent, Tom Fritz, and Stanley Wanlass that complements the museum's automotive theme for visitors interested in racing-themed visual art.
• Cars & Coffee Community Events Regular community event gatherings for automotive enthusiasts to connect and share their passion for vintage and performance vehicles at the museum venue.
• Speedsters Trials & Reunion Special event featuring Model T and early speedster vehicles with trials and reunion activities for vintage speedster owners and enthusiasts.
• Model T Driving Experience Hands-on driving experience allowing participants to operate historic Model T vehicles, available to museum visitors seeking interactive heritage programming.
• Event Hosting and Venue Rental Fully catered parties and corporate event meetings hosted at the museum facility, available for booking by businesses and private clients seeking a distinctive venue.
• Museum Gift Shop Online and on-site store offering apparel, books, and eGift cards for museum visitors and supporters through the SquareUp platform.
• Annual Membership Program Annual membership program offering benefits to museum supporters in exchange for ongoing financial contributions to the museum's preservation mission.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Blue Star MuseumscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe museum participates in the Blue Star Museums program, offering free admission to active-duty military personnel and their families during the summer months. This national initiative is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.
• Harvest HostsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership allowing recreational vehicle travelers to overnight at the museum property. Provides unique accommodation option for travelers while driving museum visitation.
• Nebraska Museums AssociationminorOthersProfessional membership in state museum association supporting best practices and networking among regional museums.
• National Association of African American Museums (NAAAM)minorOthersProfessional membership in national museum association for African American museums and historically related institutions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum: Philadelphia-based automotive museum focused on racing sports cars. Directly comparable in scale and scope — a specialty collection of historic race cars with a strong enthusiast identity and event-driven programming.
• Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum: Birmingham, Alabama museum housing the world's largest motorcycle collection alongside vintage race cars. Comparable as a specialty motorsports museum with named collection depth, event hosting, and educational programming.
• AACA Museum (Antique Automobile Club of America): Hershey, Pennsylvania museum operated by the Antique Automobile Club of America. Comparable as a membership-supported automotive heritage museum with rotating exhibits, educational programs, and a strong enthusiast community base.
• National Corvette Museum: Bowling Green, Kentucky museum dedicated to Corvette history. Comparable as a single-marque specialty automotive museum with a significant collection, gift shop, memberships, and event programming targeted at enthusiasts.
• Saratoga Automobile Museum: Saratoga Springs, New York automotive museum with rotating exhibits and educational programs. Comparable as a smaller specialty automotive museum with similar programming mix including events, memberships, and school field trips.
• Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum: Auburn, Indiana museum housed in a historic automobile factory. Comparable as a specialty automotive museum emphasizing iconic American marques, with event hosting, gift shop, and seasonal visitation patterns.
• Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum: Direct peer operating a specialty motorsports museum adjacent to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Highly comparable as a racing-heritage museum with rotating exhibits, educational programming, and event-driven visitation on a major motorsports property.
• Motorsports Hall of Fame Museum (NASCAR): Daytona Beach motorsports heritage museum honoring Hall of Fame inductees. Directly comparable as a racing-focused museum with named inductee collections, memorabilia, and tourism-driven visitation patterns.
• Petersen Automotive Museum: One of the largest automotive museums in the U.S., located in Los Angeles. Comparable as a destination automotive museum with a deep vehicle collection, gift shop, event rentals, memberships, and educational programs serving car enthusiasts and general tourists.
• America's Car Museum (LeMay Family): Tacoma, Washington automotive museum with a large vehicle collection and event programming. Comparable as a destination automotive museum emphasizing American car culture, with event rentals, memberships, and educational programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MuseumofAmericanSpeed
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/museumofamericanspeed

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Museum of American Speed