The Penske Racing Museum is a completely free and small, yet very nice racing museum in the Phoenix area.
As you come to the end of the directions on your GPS, you may wonder why you’re turning into an auto complex.
The museum is tucked in between the Ferrari and Lamborghini dealerships in the Penske Automall, so you’ll see lots of new, fun cars out front too like Ferraris, Maseratis, Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Bugatti and others!
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When you enter the museum, there is a nice volunteer at the desk who welcomed us and offered for us to look around.
You’ll immediately see all the race cars as they are all in one large room.
On display are various race cars from 1963 to 2022.
There are race cars from the Indianapolis 500, Nascar and the Daytona. There are about 15 race cars on display.
It’s really neat to see different styles of cars and also see how different the racecars looked back in the 60s and 70s compared to how they look today.
Most of the cars here have been involved in some big races they have won over the past several decades.
Each of the race cars on display has a sign that tells you various information such as:
- The type of car
- The year it was made or driven
- The engine type
- Horsepower
- Who it was driven by
- Fuel capacity
It will also tell you what history the car has been a part of. Make sure to check the signs as they make it more interesting to know what a big deal some of these cars really are!
You’ll be able ot see a few of the trophies earned at these races which is really neat to see in person.
While you shouldn’t touch them of course, they are right up close for you to see the detail of them and are not behind any protected glass.
While I’m not personally a racecar fan, I wanted to bring the kids to check out the cars.
I ended up finding it a lot more interesting than I thought and the cars were still neat to look at.
Since I’m not very knowledgeable in racing, I did ask questions and the docent was helpful in giving me some history and answering my newbie questions.
From inside the museum, there are sliding doors that give you access to the high-end dealerships next door which you can look around in.
We actually stopped here on our way to the Musical Instrument Museum which is just a few minutes away, so if you’re looking for more to do nearby, I highly suggest that museum!
Hours & When to Go
There really is no bad time to go. We want after lunch on a Saturday and only one couple walked in during the time we were there.
There really is no bad time to go! And since the museum is small, you reall only need to plan for about 15-30 minutes max to spend here.
The museum is open from 10am Monday through Saturday and from 12pm to 5pm on Sundays.
Tickets & Pricing
The Penske Racing Museum is completely free so you’re welcome to just walk in and view the racecars.
Events
On the third Saturday of every month, the museum hosts a Cars & Coffee event from 7am to 9am.
Fre coffee is supplied and there are also food trucks on-site to pick up some breakfast. Lots of car enthusiasts attend this event making it really fun to see all kinds of:
- Classics
- Exotics
- Hotroads
- Motorcyles
- And lots more
Upstairs & The Cafe
There is an upstairs cafe, however, we didn’t go during our visit as it was roped off.
I was told the view from upstairs overlooks a track that is in the center of the surrounding dealerships which would be neat to see.
There is also a trophy display upstairs.
Getting There & Parking
The Penske Racing Museum is located at 7125 E Chauncey Ln, Phoenix, AZ 85054.
While there is no dedicated parking just for the museum, there is parking right out front in one of the open dealership spots.
