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Lincoln museum leaves rivals in dust, zooms to No. 1 in national poll

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The Museum of American Speed is among the 70 stops in this year's Nebraska Passport program.

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A NASCAR convertible at the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed.

Racing pedal cars (front) are seen in the tin toy gallery at the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed.

The museum has an extensive collection of Ford Model Ts, including this hot rod that once belonged to Edsel Ford, Henry Ford's son.

A trophy room is part of the Unser Galleries at the Museum of American Speed.

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L. Kent Wolgamott

The Museum of American Speed just took the No. 1 spot in the Newsweek Fan’s Choice for Best Motor Racing Museum, topping nine others.

That win comes four years after the museum was named the No. 1 Attraction for Car Lovers in USA Today’s 2021 Best Reader’s Choice Awards.

PHOTOS: Check out these vintage Speedsters

Being named the best museum/attraction by readers is, for Museum of American Speed curator Tim Matthews, the best possible ranking, as it comes from the museum’s audience — the more than 100,000 people who visit Lincoln’s top tourist attraction each year and the car fans who have heard about the museum and experienced it online.

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Alex Azevedo sits in his dad's vintage motor car before the International Speedsters Trials and Reunions road trip at the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed on June 22, 2023, in Lincoln.

Journal Star file photo

“It’s really meaningful. It does carry a lot of weight with us,” Matthews said. “When it happens, you pinch yourself, you’re going up against competition like the Petersen (Automotive) Museum, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and you get the votes from the public.”

Here’s how Newsweek described the Museum in its Top 10 countdown:

“A playground for hot rod enthusiasts and high-speed thrill seekers, the Museum of American Speed offers three floors of exhibits featuring antique cars, automotive toys and unique finds like vintage lunchboxes and autographed guitars. Explore the evolution of the Model T, take a ride on the working car merry-go-round and marvel at classic motorcycles. Before peeling out, swing by the gift shop for a cool ball cap or keychain.”

Rayne Critchfield, 4, prepares to send his LEGO car down the ramp on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, at The Museum of American Speed in Lincoln.

Journal Star file photo

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On any day, at least 275 vehicles are on display at the museum at 599 Oakcreek Drive, along with the largest collection of vintage pedal cars, gas-powered miniature race cars and BMX bicycles.

“I always like to think of it as a pretty well rounded glimpse at American car culture from the beginning to today,” Matthews said. “The only thing we don’t do is Teslas, modern cars. But everything from the golden era, we’ve got.

“You’ve got hot rods, Model T’s, custom cars, Indy cars, NASCARs, toy cars, pop culture stuff, like lunchboxes, movie posters, art.”

All of that is divided into spaces by type of car and engines, including the just opened Unser Galleries with cars, engines, helmets, suits, trophies and memorabilia from the first family of Indy car racing.

And of course, Al Unser’s bright yellow Cosworth that he drove to his fourth Indianapolis 500 win in 1987 is on display.

This fall, the museum will hold a grand opening for its new land speed gallery, a massive space that houses “cars” that aimed to set land speed records on the Bonneville Salt Flats, including “Spirit of America,” Craig Breedlove’s jet-engine-powered land-speed racer that, in 1964, became the first car to travel more than 500 mph.

So what it is the most popular gallery, what are most people coming to see?

“That is hard,” Matthews said. “I ask people at the doors what they’re taking away and lately it's been the BMX bikes and the Dragula car, the one made out of a coffin. But it doesn’t seem like there’s one particular area or thing people are coming to see.”

The Museum of American Speed is open from noon to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. It is closed on major holidays, including Labor Day.

Inside Lincoln’s world-famous racing treasure trove

The museum features Hedy Lamarr's 1958 Cadillac.

JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

Soap box derby cars are seen at the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed.

Journal Star file photo

Dylan Schwarzenbach, a restoration technician, demonstrates a 396 engine cutaway Friday at the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed.

JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

A Dale car is seen Friday at the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed.

JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

The museum has an extensive collection of Ford Model Ts, including this hot rod that once belonged to Edsel Ford, Henry Ford's son.

Journal Star file photo

Tim Matthews, curator at the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed, gives a tour Friday.

JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

Racing pedal cars (front) are seen in the tin toy gallery at the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed.

Journal Star file photo

A NASCAR convertible at the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed.

Journal Star file photo

The Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed includes a collection of drag racing funny cars.

JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star file photo

A Ford automobile at the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed.

JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

A Mallard Turbo Offy, the last front-engine car to run in the Indianapolis 500, is on display at the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed in Lincoln.

JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

Bob Mays, historian at the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed, poses for a photo with the museum's recreation of the garage of legendary Indy car builder A.J. Watson.

JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

Indy car engines are on display at the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed.

JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

The VPJ-2 Indy car driven by Nebraskan Jan Opperman in the 1974 Indianapolis 500 is on display at the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed.

JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

The garage of legendary Indy car builder A.J. Watson is part of the display at the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed.

JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

This 1957 roadster than led the Indianapolis 500 sits in the reproduced garage of its legendary builder, A.J. Watson, at the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed.

JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

Reach the writer at 402-473-7244 or kwolgamott@journalstar.com. On Twitter @KentWolgamott  

Kent Wolgamott

L. Kent Wolgamott

Entertainment reporter/columnist

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Indy car, 5.22

The Museum of American Speed is among the 70 stops in this year's Nebraska Passport program.

A NASCAR convertible at the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed.

Racing pedal cars (front) are seen in the tin toy gallery at the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed.

The museum has an extensive collection of Ford Model Ts, including this hot rod that once belonged to Edsel Ford, Henry Ford's son.

A trophy room is part of the Unser Galleries at the Museum of American Speed.

Alex Azevedo sits in his dad's vintage motor car before the International Speedsters Trials and Reunions road trip at the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed on June 22, 2023, in Lincoln.

Rayne Critchfield, 4, prepares to send his LEGO car down the ramp on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, at The Museum of American Speed in Lincoln.