Evel Knievel: King of the Daredevils Exhibit

This ice boat was constructed for a build-at-home kit and is powered by a Harley-Davidson engine!

Exhibits

EVEL KNIEVEL: KING OF THE DAREDEVILS

Originally on display July 10 - September 6, 2010

Model skeleton marked by Knievel, noting the locations of broken bones and surgical plates and screws, and documenting the liver transplant he received in 1999.

“The people don’t come to see me die. They come to see me defy death.” — Evel Knievel

Death-defying feats have fascinated mankind for centuries. From sword-swallowers to human cannonballs, the daredevils of history have risked life and limb to draw a crowd. Few performers gained lasting fame. But in the 1970s a motorcycle-jumping stuntman from Butte, Montana vaulted this tradition from its sideshow origins to unthinkable heights of popularity and influence.

Evel Knievel made the leap from rural county fairs to sold-out stadiums through a unique combination of bravado, determination, and promotional genius. He invented himself and his business, jumping, crashing, and miraculously recovering to promise even more unbelievable acts to come. A generation of kids grew up transfixed by his televised exploits, imitating his stunts on bicycles and with Evel Knievel toys. Decades after Evel hung up his red-white-and-blue cape, his legacy lives on in the young athletes who have taken extreme sports to mainstream acceptance.

EXHIBIT GALLERY

1 of 2

XR-750 from the January 31, 1977 infamous attempt to jump a 90-foot shark tank at the Chicago International Amphitheatre.

2 of 2

Museum Vice-President Bill Davidson welcomes guests to the exhibit opening in the presence of one of Knievel’s iconic star-spangled jumpsuits.

1 of 8

Back to All Exhibits

Exhibits

EVEL KNIEVEL: KING OF THE DAREDEVILS

EXHIBIT GALLERY

Harley-Davidson USA