NASCAR Hall of Fame

After NASCAR committed to building a hall of fame, several cities competed for it. Richmond, Virginia, and Kansas City, Kansas, were eliminated in January 2006, leaving Charlotte, Atlanta and Daytona Beach as finalists. Many fans and commentators saw Charlotte as the favorite because of stock car racing's deep roots in North Carolina, and its bid was led by car owner Rick Hendrick, then-mayor Pat McCrory and local business leaders. The City of Charlotte owns the building, and the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority operates it.

Groundbreaking took place on January 26, 2007. Wikipedia reports a construction cost of about $160 million, though earlier sources cite figures closer to $150 million, so treat the exact number as approximate. The architecture is by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, with structural engineering by Leslie E. Robertson Associates, and a stainless steel Möbius strip, fabricated by Zahner of Kansas City, wraps the structure as a visual reference to the continuous loop of an oval track.

The Great Hall is the main atrium, described as the Hall's own Times Square, with a large video screen and rotating exhibits. Glory Road is a ramp banked at 33 degrees, matching the banking at Talladega Superspeedway, lined with 18 race cars and tributes to dozens of past and present tracks. The Hall of Honor is a 360-degree space where each inductee is enshrined with an exhibit of his or her own.

Heritage Speedway on the fourth floor covers seven decades of NASCAR history with artifacts. The High Octane Theater seats 278 and has a curved screen 64 feet wide; it screens a primer film for first-time visitors. Other areas include Inside NASCAR, racecar simulators and Studio 43, a nod to Richard Petty's famous car number.

The first class was inducted on May 23, 2010, the day after the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race: Dale Earnhardt, Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., Junior Johnson and Richard Petty. The class was chosen by a voting panel from a list of 25 nominees. Today, according to the Hall, three inductees are chosen each year from a list of 15 nominees. Sources give differing running totals of inductees depending on the year, so check the Hall for the current count.

The Hall mounts temporary exhibits and special events that change from season to season, and the building has been described as undergoing improvements to the guest experience, so check the Hall directly for current hours, exhibits and ticketing. Because it sits in Uptown, a Voyzo private tour with a private vehicle and driver and door-to-door pickup can combine it with other Charlotte stops without your group needing to find parking.