The Weekly 3
There is a brand new automotive museum you can visit, but you have to make an appointment. The Formula Automotive Museum doesn’t have a huge collection of cars, but what they have on display is special.
Coming from a guy who started a museum with only one car, any more than one is better off than what I did. This museum looks like they have some beautiful exotics.
Speaking of exotics, I had an opportunity to drive a Ferrari 458 on Saturday when it left Miles Through Time Automotive Museum. I am a fan, and the sound the car produces would get me in a lot of trouble.
Unfortunately, that means the museum no longer has a supercar on display, which is not good. The hunt continues to add a supercar to the museum’s collection. They aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but there are enough people who visit and experience joy from seeing one so close, that it is mandatory for me to add one.
Another museum which requires an appointment to visit is the Hajek Motorsports Museum. This museum doesn’t need any supercars, because they are all race cars. You do not have to be a race car fanatic to enjoy visiting museums like this.
The last museum I’ll mention this week is completely different from the first two, and it has the most genuine name you could ever imagine. The Vintage Car Museum is the creation of Tom & Therese Moncrief.
Like the Formula Automotive Museum, the Vintage Car Museum also doubles as an event center, which is an extremely popular money generator for all kinds of museums.
When you visit automotive museums, it is an opportunity to venture outside your normal interests and experiences. If you’re unfamiliar with supercars and exotics, check out Formula Automotive Museum. If you’re not that into racing, take a tour of Hajek Motorsports Museum. Vintage cars outside your normal interests? Check out Vintage Car Museum.
It goes without saying that if your interests are in line with the museum’s exhibits, you’ll definitely want to visit. There are so many different aspects of the automotive world, you can experience them all.
If you want to see more, visit the Weekly 3.
WHICH AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM WILL YOU VISIT NEXT?
Plan your next trip, discover your new favorite, or find the nearest museum
Sean Mathis
Creator of Automotive Museum Guide
Founder of Miles Through Time Automotive Museum
P.S. Make sure you follow AMG on Facebook and join the FB Group to see what’s going on at all the museums.
Explore Automotive Museums in
TEXAS
Formula Automotive Museum
The Formula Automotive Museum is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit that can be visited with an appointment. The museum averages between 10 and 15 cars.
Explore Automotive Museums in
OKLAHOMA
Hajek Motorsports Museum
The Hajek Motorsports Museum in Ames features the largest collection of vintage dragsters, including two Earnhardt cars, a Rusty Wallace car and one Bill Elliott car.
Explore Automotive Museums in
TEXAS
Vintage Car Museum
The trio of Vintage Car Museum, Event Center, and Grill is a love affair for Tom & Therese Moncrief. The museum houses many of Moncrief’s own cars and also a rotating collection of one-of-a-kind classic automobiles
Check out Past Newsletters
Incubators for automotive interests
Just about every museum’s mission is some version of preserving and sharing automotive history, which is true and necessary.
Museums that help keep brands alive
Some of the very niche automotive museums you can visit may have it a little more difficult to capture a broader interest. Or perhaps because they are so niche, they have the ability to be hyper-focused on what they specialize in.
History Museum, Art Museum or Car Museum
I would argue that sometimes a car museum is just a car museum, but the best are all 3.
How many wheels do you prefer?
If you need an excuse to ride or drive somewhere, just open up the MAP and find a museum to visit.
This guy bought the entire museum
Visit as many museums as you can. Volunteer if possible. Become an advocate. If you have a collection or even just one car or priceless knowledge, share it.
There is a reason to the madness
It’s funny how often I get asked why I do the things I do. Why did I start Miles Through Time Automotive Museum?
It’s TIME this week.
Today, Miles Through Time Automotive Museum leases just shy of 50,000 square feet inside a 275,000-square foot textile mill.
Route 66 Automotive Museums
When it comes to iconic American roadtrips, Route 66 is the highway most people think of.
Public Private Museum Collections
Last week was great. I look forward to the NAAM conference every year. If you are associated with a museum in some way, I highly recommend
A week in Ohio
This week I’m in Dayton, Ohio, for the National Association of Automobile Museums’ (NAAM) annual conference.