Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing

The Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing is the drag racing museum of Big Daddy Don Garlits in Ocala, central Florida. It is built around the Swamp Rats, the numbered series of cars Garlits built and drove, and it is also home to the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame.

The museum's Swamp Rat Gallery lists 55 Garlits cars, 48 of them numbered Swamp Rats, running from street cars and hot rods through 19 front engine dragsters and 24 rear engine cars to Drag-Pak and electric dragsters. Swamp Rat 14 moved the driver in front of the engine and changed the sport, Swamp Rat 1 ran 204.54 mph, and Swamp Rat 34B tops the list at 323.04 mph. Others carry names fans know: the Wynn's Liner, the Sidewinder, the Mono-Wing car and the Bonneville car.

The museum runs events on its grounds, including the annual Mopars with Big Daddy weekend in November, and the gift shop sells the book Don Garlits and His Cars with the full stories.

• The Swamp Rats, the cars Garlits built and drove. The museum's gallery covers 48 numbered cars, from Swamp Rat 1 at 204.54 mph to Swamp Rat 34B at 323.04 mph.

• Swamp Rat 14, the rear engine dragster that put the driver in front of the engine and changed drag racing, with a best of 225.56 mph and 6.21 seconds.

• The named cars in the series: the Wynn's Liner, the Jungle car, the 250 MPH car, the Black Car, the Sidewinder, the Streamliner, the Mono-Wing car and the Bonneville car.

• Swamp Rat 15, the car that never ran.

• Front engine dragsters and the street cars and hot rods where it all started.

• Swamp Rats 37, 38A and 38B, Garlits' first, second and third electric dragsters, and the Swamp Rat 35 Dodge Challenger Drag-Pak.

• The International Drag Racing Hall of Fame and its inductees.

• The gift shop, with the book Don Garlits and His Cars.

• Bringing friends or family? Dogs on a leash or in a stroller are welcome, and children aged 5 to 12 years pay US$10.

• Open daily, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

• Admission: adults US$22, seniors aged 60 years and over, military, veterans, first responders, college students and teenagers aged 13 to 18 years US$17, children aged 5 to 12 years US$10.

• Groups of 10 or more: adults US$12, seniors and teenagers US$10, children US$3, assisted living facilities US$7.

• Pets are welcome on a leash or in a stroller.

• Mopars with Big Daddy runs each November, with raffle and auction money going to St. Jude Children's Hospital. Other events are listed on the museum website.

• The museum has a published autograph policy on its website.

• Address: 13700 SW 16th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34473. Contact: (352) 245-8661 or chuck@garlits.com.

Last verified: 8 November 2026

Official link: https://garlits.com/