Only the most dedicated motorcyclist would venture out on Columbus’s streets this time of year, but there is one place motorcycle enthusiasts can go to quench their unyielding thirst for the bikes.

The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is located a short drive east of Columbus in Pickerington and offers visitors the chance to see historic motorcycles, learn about the history and the people behind motorcycles, as well as view related memorabilia.

“The museum is dedicated to preserving the material and cultural heritage of motorcycling in America and presenting it as entertaining stories, topics or exhibitions here at the museum,” said Mark Mederski, executive director of the museum.

The museum first opened in Westerville in 1990 as the Motorcycle Heritage Museum. The collection then moved to Pickerington and was rechristened in 1999 as the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum.

Mederski said the museum was created as an outgrowth of the American Motorcycle Association whose first staff member, E.C. Smith, asked to be located in Columbus because he was a big Buckeye fan.

The museum features two regularly updated exhibits entitled “The Motorcycle Hall of Fame” and the “Museum Founders Hall,” and two rotating exhibits entitled the “Heroes of Harley-Davidson” and “From the Attic.”

“The Hall of Fame” is a collection of historic motorcycles and memorabilia associated with the hall of fame’s inductees.

Mederski said the museum has 298 inductees in its hall of fame and around 50 bikes on loan from private collectors on display.

“The owners periodically ask for their bikes back, and we replace them with something else,” Mederski said.

Founders Hall is a display of plaques honoring contributors to the museum. The museum is a non-profit organization that accepts tax deductible contributions. Contributors providing $500 or more have their name immortalized with a plaque in the hall.

The museum created the “Heroes of Harley-Davidson” exhibit to celebrate Harley-Davidson’s 100th anniversary. It is a display of motorcycles and memorabilia associated with the people behind Harley-Davidson’s success.

“It’s not so much a Harley-Davidson Motor Co. history as it is the story of the people – the heroes that really made Harley Davidson what it is,” Mederski said.

Learning from the popularity of earlier exhibits, “Heroes” includes the only bike that the museum allows people to touch. It is a 1965 Electra Glide, and visitors are encouraged to climb aboard for pictures.

“We decided, if at all possible, that would become a feature of future exhibits,” said Ed Youngblood, the curator of the exhibit.

“Heroes” will be on display until Febuary 2005 when it will be replaced by an exhibit honoring motocross racers.

The “From the Attic” exhibit opened on Dec. 6 and is a collection of toys and games that date back to the 1930s.

The exhibit runs through March when it will be replaced by an exhibit entitled “BSA’s Greatest Daytona” commemorating the 50th anniversary of the historic British motorcycle manufacturer’s legendary victories at the 1954 Daytona 200.

The museum’s Web site, www.motorcyclemuseum.org, offers virtual tours of the museum’s exhibits and information about the museum, as well as directions and museum hours.