Richard Petty Museum facts for kids
The Richard Petty Museum, also called the Petty Museum, celebrates the amazing history of the Petty family in NASCAR racing. NASCAR stands for the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, which is a very popular type of car racing in the United States. The museum is found in the family's hometown of Level Cross, North Carolina, on Branson Mill Road. It first opened in 1998 to show the life and career of the famous racer Richard Petty.
Inside the museum, you can see many cool things from the Petty family's own collections. This includes old race cars, like a very special Plymouth Superbird. There's even a fun "pit stop" area just for kids, where you can pretend to be a race car designer!
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Where the Museum Has Been
The Richard Petty Museum has moved a couple of times over the years.
Original Home in Level Cross
The museum first opened its doors in Level Cross, North Carolina. This is the Petty family's hometown, so it was a very fitting place for it to be.
Moving to Randleman
In 2003, the museum moved to a nearby town called Randleman, North Carolina. This happened because Petty Enterprises, the family's racing business, needed the space where the museum was located. Randleman was a good choice because it was the closest town. It was also where Richard Petty and his wife, Lynda, went to high school.
Returning to Level Cross
After about 11 years, the museum moved back to its original home in Level Cross in March 2014. It is now located close to the Petty Garage and Richard Petty's own home.
What You Can See Today
The museum complex in Level Cross is now bigger and has more to explore.
Historic Buildings
The new museum area includes some very important buildings. One is called the "A-Frame Building," which was the first home of Petty Engineering. This was the start of the Petty family's racing business. You can also see the "Lee Petty House," which is where Richard and his brother Maurice were born.
NASCAR Hall of Famers
The museum has special exhibits about all four members of the Petty family who are in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. These racing legends include Lee, Richard, Maurice, and Dale Inman. They all played a huge part in NASCAR history.
Future Plans
There are plans to make the museum even bigger in the future. They want to add more exhibits about Lee Petty's amazing racing career. They also plan to include the "Reaper Shed," which is the exact spot where Lee Petty first started Petty Engineering.
