The phrase “car museum” gets thrown around so much you’d almost assume there is at least one car museum owner in every city. The reality is, they aren’t car museums, but there are a lot of people with amazing “car collections.”

Some are more than worthy of being a car museum, but lack a very important aspect which makes a museum, a museum. Collector vehicles can absolutely be assets, and while some people have stocks, others have cars. Some people collect baseball cards, others collect full-size cars.

It is pretty safe to assume that there is a collector for everything. Even the Soviet Car Museum I mentioned last week closed. Some people think those are very ugly cars while others love them enough to try to start a museum.

By the way, if you’re a Soviet Car fan, check out Automuuseum. The museum is in Europe, but even if you can’t visit in person, they have a lot of interesting vehicles you can still see.

The number of private car collections in the US far exceeds the number of car museums in the world. I love being able to see private car collections. It gives a window into that particular collector’s interests, which can be very niche or extremely eclectic. 

It’s also a privilege to be able to walk into someone’s private space and view their passion on display. Some private collections are displayed so amazingly, that I can still use them as a reference for doing something similar at Miles Through Time Automotive Museum.

Then there are the car collections that blur the line between just a private collection and a museum. These types of places are unique. They are typically the private collection of an individual or family, but intermittently they open as a museum and allow the public to visit.

These types of places typically do not have regular hours. They may only be open by appointment and possibly only for groups. They may only be open for fundraising events, and if they charge admission, it usually goes to a charity.

This week I’m going to share three examples of these types of “museums.”

First up is the Brothers Car Collection. Imagine owning over 600 vehicles and having a 117,000-square-foot building. This collection is world-class and could easily be a full-blown automotive museum if it was open to the public.

Unfortunately, getting into the Brothers Car Collection in Oregon is not easy. Timing is everything for this one. Luckily, you have a chance on August 17th with their cruise-in.

Benson Memory Lane Museum is a little different. This collection is located on one of the Benson dealership lots and is available to visit for special events and tours are given the first Saturday of every month. I’ve been able to visit this one, and although it is not as big as the other collections I’ve mentioned, it’s still worth the visit.

The last one I’m going to mention this week is one I still have not had the opportunity to visit yet, although I will as soon as I get a chance. The American Muscle Car Museum is the private 400+ car collection of Mark Pieloch. 

The 117,000-square-foot facility is located on 42 acres in Melborne, Florida. The building is full of classic and modern muscle cars. You cannot just show up and expect to see the collection. You have to wait for a special fundraising event, which luckily occurs often.

If you get the opportunity to see any of these “museums” or others like it, do it!

Have a great week!

SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT THIS WEEK’S 3 AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUMS.

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.