NASCAR Honors Its Pioneers:
NASCAR has always stuck close to its roots and there isn’t another sport that honors the tradition and its pioneers quite like the boys, and girls, of auto racing. That is why when NASCAR declared they were building a shrine to honor their history in Charlotte, North Carolina, everyone knew that it would be of epic proportion. Indeed it was.
It was of no shock to anyone when NASCAR announced that Charlotte would be the site for the Hall of Fame. Nearly 75% of all employees associated with NASCAR lives and works in the Charlotte area. Team owner Rick Hendrick was the key player involved in locating the land and securing the bids for the development.
When the ground breaking took place on January 26th, 2007 it was clear to see that this was an important event and the NASCAR Hall Of Fame would mean as much to its creators as it would the fans. $160 million later, the Hall is as great as any in the Country.
The doors opened and the first fans entered on May 11th, 2010 and they have not slowed down yet. Most of the Hall’s success comes from the different attractions that serve to please a wide variety of fans in general.
From the older generation that hold the legends such as Fireball Roberts and Tim Flock close to their hearts, to the modern era fan that drives up to see Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt’s Daytona 500 cars, NASCAR Hall Of Fame has something for the whole family to see.
Plenty To See At NASCAR Hall Of Fame
When visiting the Hall Of Fame, keep in mind that there is much more to see than merely pictures of drivers past and present and a few classic cars. Visitors have four floors in which to attempt to take everything in.
Considering all the unique attractions and displays, it would be well advised to set aside a couple of days to enjoy everything there is to see. Trying to view all the different things there is to see in one day only leads to rushing through, possibly missing important things and failing to truly enjoy the experience entirely.
On the bottom floor is a movie room that has video screenings describing all The Hall’s features, as well as clips from some of the greatest races in the sports long history. Think of it as a video tour through time. Taking visitors from the dusty dirt roads of the moonshine runners stomping grounds, to the 3 wide finishes at the Daytona 500, these video tours are a must see for first time visitors.
The videos continue up to the 2nd floor, where visitors will also find a replica of the 33 degree banked turns at Talladega, referred to as “Glory Road”. Viewers of Showtimes’ “Inside NASCAR” will quickly recognize “Studio #43″, named after the historic car number of King Richard Petty.
The 3rd floor draws much of the NASCAR Hall Of Fame attention. Located in the center is a 360 degree “Wall Of Honor”, in which the photos of drivers from every era are proudly displayed. However, the real excitement is the race weekend simulator that lets fans enjoy a race weekend from the team perspective. It is the favorite among the children age 3-83.
There is so much more to see and enjoy during a visit to the NASCAR Hall Of Fame. There is a restaurant, the Hall Of Fame Cafe, Buffalo Wild Wings, a ballroom and simply way too much to try and experience all in one day.
That is one of the best tips anyone can give a potential first time visitor, plan a two day trip if you truly want to get the full NASCAR Hall Of Fame experience. Also purchase an audio tour guide for $5. The device gives you a detailed description and history of any attraction you point it at. The audio tour guide is by far the best $5 you will spend all day.
The Places To See And Stay While Enjoying Charlotte’s NASCAR Hall Of Fame
By taking one of the many bus tours, visitors will see the Hall in all its glory, plus get an up close view of a racing garage, pit crew practice and a variety of other interesting sites and sounds associated with NASCAR. The bus tours are scheduled every few hours, so getting one isn’t too difficult.
There are areas where a visitor can become a pit crew member, visit inside an actual race hauler, and get an idea of what the life of a team member is really like on race day. The driving simulators alone will have you not wanting to leave.
Those that choose to plan a trip to the NASCAR Hall of Fame and decide they need an extra day to take it all in, need to book their hotel rooms in advance. Trying to find vacancies in and around the Charlotte area, especially near the Convention Center, in uptown Charlotte, where The Hall is located, can be very difficult. On race weekends even more so.
The Hotels closest to NASCAR Hall of Fame are The Hampton Inn, The Hilton Garden Inn, TheWestin Hotel and The Hilton Center City. All of these hotels are within walking distance of The Hall Of Fame, as well as the train station and tour bus rentals.
The NASCAR Hall Of Fame has a huge video room that displays races for visitors to see on race day. On Saturday and Sunday, the Hall is pretty crowded with visitors waiting to watch the race, taking simulator rides and touring the facility. So if you are not from around Charlotte and want to enjoy every aspect The Hall Of fame has to offer, it would be best to come through the week.
NASCAR Hall Of Fame Package Deals And Rates
Hours of operation; Open 7 days a week 10am – 6pm
Thursday, OCT. 11th 7am-8pm
TICKETS ;
( ADULTS : $19.95) / Children ages 5-12 ($12.95)
Seniors (60 and over) $17.95
(Military: $17.95)
There are several package deals that offer discounts, such as;
($87.80 Family Pack)/ includes 2 adult tickets, 2 children tickets, 4 simulator rides, 4 cafe vouchers and 4 tickets. Lanyards to hold your tickets.
($26.95) Individual Package Deal / includes one ticket, adult, 1 simulator ride, 1 cafe voucher and 1 lanyard.
($99.80 Adult Combo Pack)/ includes 4 adult tickets, 4 simulator rides, 4 cafe vouchers and 4 lanyards.
See more details at NASCAR Hall of Fame.
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