The Evel Knievel Museum

“The most important thing in life is, if you have a dream, I mean a real good dream, follow it.”

- Evel Knievel

Robert “Evel” Knievel was an American pop culture icon who made headlines from the mid ‘60s to the early ’80s for his daring motorcycle jumping and risk-taking attitude. A man of unabashed courage and brashness, he derived as much fame from the jumps he failed to make, and the injuries he sustained, as the many he completed. The ultimate daredevil, his fearlessness was imprinted on the imagination of the generation that witnessed his antics and inspired the next one who regard him as the godfather of extreme sports.

Evel Knievel Museum Ribbon Cutting: Four Decades in the Making, Knievel’s Dream is Now Open! 

(Topeka, KS) Yes, it’s true. Robert “Evel” Knievel’s dream of creating a museum to “house his life’s memorabilia” is now a reality. As early as 1976, Knievel announced his plans to build a museum. Surprising to many, the Evel Knievel Museum is not located in Butte, Montana (Knievel’s hometown); nor is it in Las Vegas, Nevada (the venue of his infamous Wide World of Sports Caesars Palace jump). It is, in fact, in Topeka, Kansas. And when you hear the story of “Why Topeka,” Topeka, Kansas not only makes sense, but it leaves museum attendees wondering if Knievel’s influence from above isn’t as powerful as his earthly impact that created an enthusiastic generation of thrill-seekers and daredevils, inspired the X-Games, and earned him the irrefutable title of the “Godfather of Extreme Sports.”