The Evel Knievel Museum is leaving for Las Vegas. Here's when its last day in Topeka will be.

Nov. 2 will be the Evel Knievel Museum's last day open in Topeka, it announced Tuesday.

Real estate developer J Dapper has begun work on the museum's future location in the 32,000-square-foot Mission Linen building in the arts district of downtown Las Vegas, said a news release put out by Amanda Beach, the museum's marketing director.

"Our team is excited about this move as we will oversee design of the new Las Vegas museum, and we will continue to operate the attraction from Topeka," said Mike Patterson, the museum's co-founder, in the release.

Tuesday's news release "formally" announced the Evel Knievel Museum's move to Las Vegas, it said.

"I do have mixed feelings about the museum leaving Topeka," it quoted Patterson as saying. "This is our hometown and we have been so proud to have it reside in Topeka for the past seven years."

What is the Evel Knievel Museum?

The two-story Evel Knievel Museum opened in 2017 at Topeka's Historic Harley-Davidson, 2047 S.W. Topeka Blvd. The museum and business both plan to vacate the building, which Shawnee County agreed to buy last year.

The museum shares photos, videos, memorabilia and information detailing the life of Knievel, an internationally known motorcycle stunt performer who died of pulmonary disease at age 69 in 2007.

"The museum has been a real; economic win for the Topeka community with all those visitors, and we are very proud of that," Patterson said in Tuesday's news release.

The museum was visited in 2017 by Knievel's son, stunt motorcyclist Robbie Knievel, who died last year at age 60 of pancreatic cancer.

Beach confirmed in August 2021 that arrangements were being made to try to move the museum to Las Vegas.

"There are more people involved in this decision than just our team in Topeka," she said at that time. "This has been a joint venture with the Knievel family from the beginning."

Future museum building housed multiple laundry firms

The Mission Linen building, which is set to become the museum's future home, was built in 1950, though a review of historical resources suggests at least part of it may have been built before 1943, said a document filed last year with Las Vegas' city government.

The Mission Linen building was occupied over the years by multiple laundry firms, including Mission Linen Supply, that document said.

"After sitting vacant in the heart of downtown Las Vegas’ Arts District for the past 20 years and undergoing various ownership, the building was purchased by Dapper Companies, headed by local real estate developer J Dapper, on August 30, 2022," it said. "The building will undergo rehabilitation under the new owners, who will follow the Secretary of the Interiors Standards for Rehabilitation of Historic Properties."

Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.l

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Topeka's Evel Knievel Museum reveals its last day here will be Nov. 2