Automotive museums in USA

Created: November, 1995
Last updated: 28 April, 2006

Updates:
California has been updated.

Comments, questions:

Thanks to Jim Hayes, Dave Sisson and J.J. Lasne for the help! Additional sources: Museums USA, Classic Car

States: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin.

Alabama

The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum

6030 Barber Motorsports ParkwayLeeds, Alabama 35094

Phone: (205) 699-7275. FAX: (205)-702-8700

E-mail: bvmm@barbermuseum.org

www.barbermuseum.org/

International Motorsports Hall of Fame

P.O. Box 10183198 Talladega, AL 35160

Tel: (205)362-5002

www.motorsportshalloffame.com

Mercedes-Benz USA

Tuscaloosa, USA

There's a museum at the Visitors' center. www.mbusi.com

Museum of Alaska Transportation & Industry: P.O. Box 870646, Wasilla, AK 99687; Ph: (907) 376-1211; www.museumofalaska.org

Hall of Flame Museum: 6101 E. Van Buren, Phoenix, AZ 85008; Ph: (602) 275 3473; www.hallofflame.org

Franklin Museum

1405 East Kleindale Road, Tucson, Arizona 85719

Ph: 520-326-8038

E-mail: HHFF2@aol.com

www.franklincar.org

Penske Racing Museum

7125 E Chauncey Ln, Phoenix, AZ, 85054-6145

Ph: 480 538-4444

www.penskeracingmuseum.com

The Museum of Automobiles: Petit Jean Mountain, Morrilton, AR 72110; Tel: (501) 727-5427; Open daily 10 to 5.; www.museumofautos.com and they also have a page at Classic Car Source

California

Blackhawk Automotive Museum

3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Danville, CA 94506

Tel: (925) 736-2280

Founded 1990. 1,0000 members. Open Wednesday-Sunday 10 am to 5 pm. Showcases 90 cars dating from 1897 to the 1960s. Rotating special exhibit of marques and coachbuilders, automotive art and scale model trains. Quarterly full color newsletter. Museum Shop & Bookstore, Blackhawk Automotive Research Library. Membership rates vary with category.

Home page: www.blackhawkauto.org

Blaker Antique Auto and Clock Collection

1301 Fulkerth Road, Turlock, CA 95380

Tel: Jess C. Blaker (209)634-4931

Ed Cholakian Enterprises Inc dba All Cadillacs of the Forties

12811 Foothill Blvd, Sylmar, CA 91342

Tel: (818)361-1147 ; (800)808-1147 ; FAX (818) 361-9738

Concours Motorcars

619 E. Fourth St. Santa Ana, CA 92703

Tel: (714) 953-5303

Dan Rouit Flat Track Museum

309 West Rialto Street, Clovis, CA

www.vft.org/rouit.htm

Deer Park Car Museum

29013 Champagne Blvd., Escondido, CA 92026

Tel: (619) 749-1666

Firehouse Museum

1972 Columbia St., San Diego, CA 92117

J. Paul Getty Museum

17985 W. Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265

Hays Old Truck Town

2000 E. Main St., P.O. Box 2317, Woodland, CA 95776

Tel: (916) 666-1044 or 661-1167

www.truckmuseum.org

Heidrick AG history center

1962 Hays Lane Woodland CA 95776

(530) 666-9700 fax (530) 666-9712

Agriculture equipment and commercial trucks.

www.aghistory.org

Justice Brothers Racing Museum

2734 E. Huntington Drive

Duarte, California U.S.A. 91010

Telephone 626-359-9174

www.justicebrothers.com

Marconi Automotive Museum for Kids

1302 Industrial Drive, Tustin, CA 92780

www.marconimuseum.org

The Nethercutt Collection

15151 Bledsoe St., San Sylmar, CA 91342

Tel: (818) 364 6464

WWW: www.nethercuttcollection.org

Metropolitan Historical Collection

5330 Laurel Canyon Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91607

Tel: (213) 769-1515

Millers Horse & Buggy Ranch

9425 Yosemite Blvd., Modest, CA 95351

Tel: (209) 522-1781

Movieland Cars of the Stars Museum

P.O. Box 5130, 7711 Beach Blvd. or 6920 Orangethorpe Ave.

Buena Park, CA 90602 or 90620

Tel: (714) 522-1154 or (717) 523-1520 or (213) 583-8025

Murphy Auto Museum

2340 Palma Drive, Suite 104, Ventura, California 93003

dan@murphyautomuseum.com

WWW: www.murphyautomuseum.com

Pacific Bus Museum

P.O. Box 61105, Sacramento, CA 95680-1105

WWW: www.pacbus.org

Petersen Automotive Museum

6060 Wilshire at Fairfax, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Tel: (213) 930-CARS

Open all year. Tuesday-Sunday 10-6; Closed Monday

www.petersen.org

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum

7850 Beach Boulevard Buena Park, CA 90620

Tel: James Cvetkovich (714)522-7045

San Diego Automotive Museum

2080 Pan American Plaza #12,, San Diego, CA 92101.

Tel.: (619)- 231-AUTO/2886.

Admission: $7 adults, $6 seniors 65+ and active military, $3 children 6-17, free for children under 6.

Open daily, 10:00 am - 4:30 pm, with extended summer hours.

www.sdautomuseum.org
sdauto@cts.com

The San Diego Automotive Museum takes visitors on a historical trip through the fascinating history of the automobile ^Ö the defining invention and ultimate icon of the 20th century. Located in beautiful Balboa Park, the San Diego Automotive Museum features a permanent display of classic and historically significant cars and motorcycles; special rotating exhibits displaying the finest and rarest vehicles in the world; a comprehensive resource center containing rare publications, photos and vintage films; a collection of automotive memorabilia and an active restoration display, giving visitors a glimpse of authentic restoration techniques. The Museum Store carries an array of unique automotive-themed merchandise.

Specialty Sales

4321 First St., Pleasanton, CA 94566

Tel: (510)484-2262. Fax: (510)426-8535

Toyota USA Automobile Museum

19001 South Western Ave., Torrance, CA 90501

Museum is open by appointment only by calling 310-468-4728-Museum Curator, Susan Sanborn

Phone: 310-329-5170

Towe Auto Museum

2200 Front Street

Sacramento, CA 95818

PHONE (916) 442-6802

www.toweautomuseum.org

Vintage Museum of Transportation and Wildlife

1421 Emerson Avenue, Oxnard , CA 93033

Tel: (805)486-0666 (805)486-2586

Otis Chandler's personal collection of his race cars (IMSA Porsches, etc.) and muscle cars, plus the trophies of an avid big-game hunter.

WWW: www.chandlerwheels.com

Vintage Coach otherwise known as Albright's Twin-H-Ranch

16593 Arrow Blvd., Fontana, CA 92335

Tel: (714) 823-9168

Wagons to Wings Museum

15060 Foothills Rd., Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Tel: (408) 779-4136

Cussler Museum: 14959 W. 69th Avenue, Arvada CO 80007; Opening times: Mondays & Tuesdays 10 AM to 4 PM. April thru October - to be reopened in April, 2006!; www.cusslermuseum.com; Classic Cars owned by Author Clive Cussler
Dougherty Museum Collection: 8382 1075th St., Longmont, CO 80501; Tel: (303) 766-2520
Forney Transportation Museum: 4303 Brighton Blvd., Denver, CO 80216; Tel: (303) 297-1113; www.forneymuseum.com
Front-Wheel Drive Auto Museum: 250 North Main St., Brighton, CO 80601; Tel: (303) 659-5295 or -6536
Shelby American Collection: 5020 Chaparral Court, P.O. Box 19228, Boulder, Colorado 80308-2228; Ph: (303) 516-9565; www.shelbyamericancollection.org
House of Cars Car Museum: 1102 South 21st St., Colorado Springs, CO 80907; Tel: (303) 473-7776
Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb, Visitors Center & Race Car Museum.: 135 Manitou Avenue, Manitou Springs, Colorado 80829.; Tel: (719) 685-4400.; It has about a dozen cars, old and new, that have raced up Pikes Peak.
Royal Gorge Scenic Railway & Car Museum or Buckskin Joe's Antique Auto Museum: 1193 Fremont County Rd. #A, Canon City, CO 81212; Tel: (303) 275-5485

Antique Auto Museum: P.O. Box 430 Manchester, CT 06040
Connecticut Fire Museum: 58 North Rd., East Windsor, CT 06088; Tel: (203) 623-4732; Exhibits: Sponsored by the Connecticut Antique Fire Apparatus Assoc., this new museum exhibits a growing collection of fire trucks. Twenty pieces of motor apparatus are on display includ- ing numerous pumpers, ladder trucks and a rescue van. At the Trolley Museum one can ride historic streetcars on a 3-mile round trip.
Hartford Automobile Club: 815 Farmington Ave., Wet Hartford, CT 06119; Tel: (203) 233-8511
Museum of Connecticut History: 231 Capitol Ave., Hartford, CT 06115; Tel: (203) 566-3056

Delaware Agricultural Museum: 866 North Dupont Highway, Dover, DE 19901; Tel: (302) 734-1618
Hagley Museum: P.O. Box 3630, Wilmington, DE 19807; Tel: (302) 658-2400
Magic Age of Steam: P.O. Box 127, Route 82 Yorklyn, DE 19726; Exhibits: The Magic Age of Steam exhibit features the T. Clarence Marshall Museum containing a collection of 23 cars on display. Twenty of the autos are powered by steam. There are also examples of stationary steam engines, steam models, and a steam traction engine. Rides are offered on a 3/4-mile miniature steam railroad and a 1/12-size stern-wheel steamboat. Of special inter- est are the two Stanley Mountain Wagons which regularly carry passengers around the grounds.
Nemours Mansion & Gardens: P.O. Box 109, Rockland Rd., Wilmington, DE 19899; Tel: (302) 651-6912

Smithsonian Institution: 14th & Constitution, Washington, DC 20560; Tel: (202) 357-2700; Exhibits: The National Museum of History and Technology contains extensive transportation exhibits. The Vehicle Hall presents vehi- cles which are propelled by three different means: horsepower, motor-power, and manpower. Of the 45 cars at the Smithsonian about 20 are on permanent display. The oldest mechanically propelled vehicle is an 1869 Roper steam velocipede. Of par- ticular interest is the 1903 Winton which was the first car to be driven from coast to coast. www.si.edu

Autoland, Inc.: U.S. Highway 1 Hobe Sound , FL 3455
Birthplace of Speed Museum: 160 East Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach, FL 32074 (32176?); Tel: (386) 672-5657
Elliott Museum: Hutchinson Island, Stuart, FL 33494; Tel: (772) 225-1961; Exhibits: Built by the late Harmon Elliott in memory of his father, the inventor Sterling Elliott, this museum was opened in 1961. There are 25 autos on display in the Vehicular Wing. Here one can see the development of wheeled transportation with exhibits of horse-drawn vehicles, bicycles and motorcycles. Another wing of the building houses 12 Americana shops brought by Mr. Elliott from Salem, Mass. The Museum is now operated by the Martin County Historical Society.
Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing: 13700 SW 16th Avenue Ocala, FL 34473; Tel: (877) 271-3278; www.garlits.com
Ft. Lauderdale Antique Car Museum: 1527 SW 1st. Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33315; Tel: 1-954-779-7300; Dedicated to the pre-war Packard Automobile (1942) and memorabilia; WWW: www.antiquecarmuseum.org
Klassix Auto Museum: 2909 W. International Speedway Blvd,; Daytona Beach Florida.; Closed in 2003
Sarasota Classic Car Museum: 5500 N. Tamiami Tr., Sarasota, FL 34239; 941-355-6228; Open daily 9:00 - 6:00pm; E-mail: classiccarmuseum@aol.com; Formerly Bellms' Cars & Music of Yesterday, reorganized and updated.; www.sarasotacarmuseum.org
Silver Springs Antique Car Collection: State Road 40, Ocala, FL 32670; Tel: (904) 236-2121
Tallahassee Antique Car Museum: 3550A Mahan Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32308; Phone: (850) 942-0137; E-mail: devoe@electro-net; www.tacm.com
Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: Polypack Inc, 3301 Gateway Centre Blvd., Pinellas Park, FL 33782; Hours are Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm., Sunday noon to 4:00 pm.; Ph: (727) 579 8226; E-mail: info@tbauto.org; WWW: www.tbauto.org; Alain E. Cerf's fascinating collection with such rarities as a Tatra, Ruxton, BSA three-wheeler is now being housed in a new dedicated building.

Paul Negyesi

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