The Weekly 3
I hope you had a great 4th of July weekend. I know many people have been traveling. I’ve gotten to see friends on social media visit automotive museums while they travel. One even visited Miles Through Time Automotive Museum before officially heading back to Texas.
Some of the greatest places to visit are off the beaten path. Visiting unique museums in obscure places can create memories that last a lifetime.
These places don’t necessarily have to be obscure or in the middle of nowhere, but they do have to be discovered by you, to be able to experience them.
If you’re an automotive enthusiast like me, you’d be down to visit any place that has a few cars, just to satisfy your curiosity. If you have someone with you that isn’t as die-hard of a wheeled fan as you, discovering museums where there is more to it than just vehicles is a bonus.
The Harold Warp Pioneer Village would be a great place to take your road trip buddy if they are a fan of history. There are over 50,000 historical items to see in this old village and cars are just some of them.
Perhaps viewing 50,000 items is too much for you, and you prefer to hone in on something very specific. This way, when you leave the museum, you feel like you may be a bit of an expert on the subject.
The Greyhound Bus Museum may be the place for you. Who knew buses could be so interesting? At the Greyhound Bus Museum you’ll see 18 historical buses, including a 1914 Hupmobile which was the very first bus used for passenger service.
If the opposite of fancy is your thing, the Cloud Museum should be on your radar. This is the personal collection of Johnny Cloud which began in 1989. You’ll see all kinds of old cars, trucks, tools, equipment, and more inside and outside.
I think it is fascinating to be able to see what people have managed to collect over the years and then make it accessible to the public, which is key.
Over 40 vehicles have been donated to Miles Through Time Automotive Museum over the last few years. That means myself, the museum and all the volunteer docents have been entrusted to be the temporary caretakers of those vehicles.
In general, all vehicles are going to outlast all of us. We are all just temporary caretakers. Some people choose to share their vehicles now, while others may choose a museum after their gone to share for them.
The automobile has been around for almost 140 years and there have been thousands of brands over the years. You couldn’t possibly see it all, so don’t miss an opportunity to see any of it.
Have a great week!
SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT THIS WEEK’S 3 AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUMS.
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
MINNESOTA
Greyhound Bus Museum
Greyhound Bus Museum was established in September of 1989 by Gene Nicolelli, a local resident who discovered a plaque honoring Hibbing as the birthplace of the bus industry in an abandoned Greyhound terminal.
Explore Automotive Museums in
CALIFORNIA
Cloud Museum
Items at the Cloud Museum are the personal collection of Johnny Cloud. A long-time Bard, California, resident who began the collection in 1989.
Explore Automotive Museums in
NEBRASKA
Harold Warp Pioneer Village
The Pioneer Village complex comprises 28 buildings on 20 acres housing over 50,000 irreplaceable items of historical value, restored to operating order, arranged in groups, and also in the chronological order of their development.
Check out Past Newsletters
Would you name your museum after yourself
Every so often I get asked if my name is Miles while I’m at Miles Through Time Automotive Museum. If my name was Miles that would have been an amazing double entendre.
From a group of car enthusiasts and a racing team to a trucking empire
One museum was founded after a successful racing career. One was created after making a fortune from a well-known truck stop, and one came to fruition after a group of guys came together and created the only car museum in their state.
Do you know what museum is named after both the city and the founder?
I tell everyone I talk to at every museum I visit, that every museum is different, and they are all worth visiting, even if you only visit once.
Getting Creative with Automotive Museums
The good news for people like us, is that there are no shortage of cool places to visit all over the world.
The Price of Admission
The price of admission is always a subject of debate. It is also one of the most common updates to museums listed in the Automotive Museum Guide.
You can see 5 vehicles or hundreds
One of the cool things about the Automotive Museum Guide is that you can use it as a resource at your pace. Most people do not travel the country specifically to visit automotive museums.
Closed for the season is better than closed for good
I’m on the road again this week, so this one will be brief. Last week I had to share the unfortunate news about a few automotive museums closing very soon.
These two museums are closing VERY soon
I have unfortunate news about two automotive museums that are closing this year. The first one I had a heads-up about it, so I knew it was coming.
For a Short Time, There Were 3 Cadillac Museums
There are two Cadillac museums you can visit in the USA. For a short time, my one-car museum could have been the third Cadillac museum in the country.
Underground storage is a thing
This was by far one of the most unique and cool places I’ve ever been to pick up a vehicle. The vehicle had been stored inside the side of a mountain for the last decade in a place called Brady’s Bend Underground Storage.