The Weekly 3
“Car museum” is the shortest and easiest way to identify a place that may have some cool cars to see. It’s a great search term. So much so that someone would sell the domain for a cool $139,000.
The thing is, the spectrum of car museums is vast, and just like space, it’s always expanding. I can tell you with 100% absolute certainty that if it exists, there are people who are into it.
Sometimes, it’s super hard to find niches in the wild. Museums are a wonderful resource for people to not only find their interests but also discover them. I discovered that I’m really into concept cars.
When I was at the Henry Ford Museum and the Petersen, I found myself being pulled towards their concept cars. Miles Through Time Automotive Museum had the Ford Ghia Arioso, which is super cool, but some of the concept cars run, and that’s even better.
It doesn’t matter what your interests are; chances are you’ll find it at a museum somewhere. Definitely not at every museum, but part of the fun is visiting as many museums as you can to discover what you can learn.
Art Car World is a unique museum for sure. This is one where I know people will not like it. I have not had an opportunity to visit myself, yet, but eventually, I will. It may never be my favorite, but it’s unique, and I find it fascinating what the mind can come up with.
Fasny Museum of Firefighting is an impressive museum, but if you were just searching for car museums, you may never find it. This museum has over 90 vintage fire trucks on display in a 50,000-square-foot building. The kid will come out in you when you visit this museum. Honestly, who doesn’t think fire trucks are cool?
Inheriting my grandpa’s (Pop’s) 1959 Cadillac Coupe from my dad led to the creation of Miles Through Time Automotive Museum. Some visitors are familiar with how the museum was started and understand it was my Pop’s car. The others inevitably refer to it as Elvis’s car.
Interestingly enough, Elvis Presley never owned or drove a 1959 Cadillac, despite owning over 100 Cadillacs. If you want to see an Elvis car, you can visit Graceland and tour the Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. There are more than just Cadillacs on display.
There are hundreds of museums all over the world with cars in them. Visit as many as you can.
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
ARIZONA
Art Car World
Art Car World is a museum dedicated entirely to the celebration and preservation of this popular mobile art form.
Explore Automotive Museums in
NEW YORK
FASNY Museum of Firefighting
The FASNY Museum of Firefighting in Hudson, New York, has grown into an educational institution occupying more than 50,000 square feet and featuring 90 vintage and rare fire engines dating back to 1731.
Explore Automotive Museums in
TENNESSEE
Elvis Presley Automobile Museum
Elvis Presley Automobile Museum is a part of Graceland. Elvis loved cars, and the Presley Motors Automobile Museum displays some of his favorites.
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.