The opening date for a daring downtown attraction is set.
The Evel Knievel Experience: An Interactive Museum of America’s Original Daredevil opens June 27 in the Arts District.
Its title seemingly as long as Knievel’s Caesars Palace jump, the museum is offering GA tickets starting at $35. Discounted general admission tickets are offered for ages 6 to 12, and groups of eight or more, locals and military members. Children ages 5 and under will be admitted free. The attraction will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with last entry at 8 p.m.
Parking will be available on site for $4 per hour. Most visits are expected to last approximately 60 to 90 minutes. In addition to self-guided general admission tours, the experience will eventually offer VIP and guided tours, group bookings and private event opportunities.
Evel Knievel’s oldest son, Kelly Knievel, says the Experience is “another great attraction for our city.”
Work on the attraction started two years ago in the 32,000-square-foot, former Mission Linen building at 1001 S. First St. in downtown. The museum was previously operating in Topeka, Kansas.
“We’re thrilled to be able to share what made Evel so special and such a significant contributor to American culture,” said Knievel, a partner in the museum and also the Knievel-themed Evel Pie pizza joint on Fremont East.
According to a news release, the Evel annex “will invite guests to step into the world of Evel Knievel through high-adrenaline experiences, rare artifacts from his estate and immersive exhibits capturing the ambition, spectacle and risk behind his legendary career.”
Artifact highlights will include Knievel’s iconic red, white and blue jumpsuits, which sparked the original museum collection; motorcycles that launched over (and sometimes into) vehicles and buses on his public jumps; the Snake River Canyon Skycycle X-2; and Knievel’s helmet from his famed/infamous Caesars Palace jump.
Among the interactive experiences: A custom 4D virtual reality jump, where visitors can sit on a motorcycle, wear a custom helmet and experience a 16-car-long jump; a Jump Planner, providing guests the chance to plan their own jump; a Bad to the Bones station offering a hands-on (or, off) look at Knievel’s most famous crashes and injuries.
Additional elements will include access to rare materials from the Evel Knievel estate and immersive storytelling through archival footage
The Experience will also offer a retail shop (a given in Knievel’s career) and an on-site cafe.
The fully restored “Big Red” Mack truck and trailer, restored by more than 90 workers, is also planned for display. “Big Red” was Knievel’s touring vehicle throughout his performance career.
The rig will lead “Big Red’s Run,” a caravan from Topeka to Las Vegas, which is promoting the museum’s launch. Motorcyclists, fans and roadside crowds are to take part in the event, leading to “Big Red’s” parade on the Strip on May 23, continuing to the museum’s entrance at the Arts District.
Knievel’s walking canes, jewelry helmets, wardrobe pieces, bikes, cars and many other artifacts fill out the display.
On Wednesday, the official X account for Evel Knievel teased the opening of The Evel Knievel Experience in Las Vegas, with an apparent archival clip of Knievel discussing the opening of a museum to house his memorabilia.
What if a man’s dream never really ended… it just waited until the right moment?
Tomorrow, it begins to unfold ⏳👀#EvelKnievel #EvelKnievelExperience #lasvegas #vegas #History pic.twitter.com/dRZLAoOmuK— Evel Knievel (@evelknievel) May 6, 2026
Last month, the museum’s YouTube account released an interview with co-founders Lathan McKay and Mike Patterson about the preservation process and the creation of the museum.
In a statement, Patterson, the attraction’s CEO said, “Evel Knievel’s story doesn’t belong to just one generation—it still resonates in a powerful way today. We designed this attraction as a place where people can feel that for themselves, whether they grew up watching him or are discovering his story for the first time.”
Knievel was born Robert Craig Knievel on Oct. 1, 1938, in Butte, Montana. The daredevil was known for his stunts, attempting more than 75 motorcycle jumps. His most famed stunt was a jump across the fountains at Caesars Palace in 1967, which resulted in multiple fractures.
He was known as a legendary stuntman who broke many records in his remaining years and was a fixture on ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” weekend telecasts. Knievel died at age 69 on Nov. 30, 2007, in Florida.
Knievel’s son Robbie completed the Caesars jump in 1989. In 2018, the stunt was replicated by then-34-year-old Travis Pastrana, who succeeded in the leap.
Colby Raha will become the latest motorcycle rider to attempt the jump on May 17 to celebrate the opening of Omnia Dayclub and Skybar.
Knievel’s legacy seems omnipresent in the city. As part of Las Vegas comedy lore, the late comic Geechy Guy told a joke about the daredevil, “You know who I saw when I first moved to Vegas? Evel Knievel. We were walking past the fountains at Caesars Palace late one night, and he tried to jump me.”
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
Deputy Neon Editor Kristen Di Chiara contributed to this report.