This week I am going to share with you three automotive museums that opened near the same time Miles Through Time Automotive Museum started in 2017. It is fascinating to see how each museum started and how they are doing today.

I had no clue what I was doing in 2017, hence the reason automotivemuseumguide.com exists.

I did all I could to absorb as much automotive museum knowledge as I could. It was difficult though, because the type of information I found most often were museums like Petersen which had just completed a $125 million dollar renovation in 2015.

As a guy with one inherited car trying to boostrap a museum, learning about a museum that just spent $125 million dollars was more discouraging than anything. 

To be fair, the more I researched car museums, I quickly realized I was way over my head and could have been deemed clinically crazy.

Nevertheless, I was drunk on excitement and went all in. It would be amazing right now if my next sentence could be and the rest is history, but, alas, I’m not done yet.

There are a lot of reasons Miles Through Time Automotive Museum has had so much success over the years. When it comes to me specifically, there are a few key attributes that I believe have helped the progress of the museum.

The first is, I do not have an ego. From day one, I have really tried to remain humble and grateful. This came naturally to me, since I literally had nothing at the beginning except my Pop’s car.

Even eight years later, I personally don’t have much more than I had when I started, but my appreciation and gratefulness for all those who have helped and gotten involved has grown.

The other thing is being flexible. The vision I had in my head in 2016 for a car museum was not exactly how it started. The vision has changed over the years and even the reality of the museum has changed many times.

Miles Through Time’s development has been very much like a pinball machine. Half the reason why is that I’ve just been trying to figure it out as I go. The other half is because circumstances can change for whatever reason which makes it, so I have to pivot.

My next pivot will be to take on investors/partners to move the museum and Vintage Garage Antiques which I created to support the museum, to a 10-acre plot of land right off the main highway.

The concept will be to use the museum and antique shop as an anchor for the new Miles through Time campus, which will include an automotive-themed restaurant. I also invision some sort of lodging, either tiny homes or a themed motel.

There will also be RV hookups, EV chargers, an outdoor pavilion, a nature trail and possibly additional storage facilities for those who would like to keep their vehicles somewhere close to being able to drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains and head towards the Trail of the Dragon.

Here’s a rendering of what my vision is.

Every automotive museum is different and the one I created is pivoting towards being a place where history is not only preserved and shared, but also a place where you can shop, eat, stay, store, enjoy events and hang out all day long. It’s just a matter of time before I can get funding to break ground.

The Newport Car Museum was also created in 2017. However, this museum was the more typical way a car museum is started, which was with a 90-vehicle private collection. 

The Route 66 Car Museum was created one year before Miles Through Time Automotive Museum in 2016. Guy Mace started collecting cars in 1990 and now he has more than 75.

No automotive museums were created in 2018, but in 2019 the Midwest Dream Car Collection opened. This museum will always be special for me because I had been figuring out my own museum for about 3 years and I learned about the museum from their conception.

I’ve been able to watch this museum grow from the very beginning. I’ve been able to meet the people that run the museum, and I’ve even been able to visit it in-person. They have some beautiful cars, including a Tucker, which I was allowed to sit in so many others I’d love to own and drive or at least display in my museum. 

For a while it felt like I had to keep announcing museum closures. Now, I am seeing growth. Museums are expanding and getting new buildings. I hope Miles Through Time Automotive Museum will be able to officially announce our new location soon.

Until then, I really enjoy seeing not only these museums, but my friends and people in general succeed. So many things in this world are contagious, including success and happiness. Go out there and spread 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

 Follow me @   

P.S. Make sure you follow AMG on Facebook and join the FB Group to see what’s going on at all the museums.

When I was in school, history class was one of my least favorite classes. I don’t believe it was because I didn’t have any interest in history, considering how involved my life is with history these days.

The main memory that sticks out for me about history class is that it was always the class that came with a big textbook. The textbooks were full of chapters of history, followed by some sort of quiz or test at the end.

Aside from a random class project, (which was way more interesting), history class for me was nothing more than the teacher telling me to read the chapter and answer the questions at the end.

For some, this kind of learning may be perfect, but for me, I find it monotonous and boring. I was able to find the answers and pass the tests, but most of what I answered was stored in short-term memory.

Today, I find history absolutely fascinating. I listen to audiobooks of prominent individuals from history. I watch historical documentaries and I go to museums.

There are a lot of different historical timelines you learn about. A lot of historical timelines measure wars, dynasties, evolution, geographical change, etc. The one thing they all have in common is that they span long periods of time and can end up seeming vague.

History is fascinating, and I’m a fan, but there is so much. I have always been a car guy, for as long as I can remember. Being thrown into the automotive museum world, I’ve discovered my favorite history subject.

The automotive history timeline may arguably be the most complete and intricate historical timeline ever. The timeline begins in 1885 and, for 140 years and counting, we can see the evolution of the automobile industry.

We know all the different manufacturers that have come and gone. We can see how the design of the car has changed over the years. Innovations that revolutionized the world. We can even see what the automobile did to society because of how easily it allowed people to travel.

I don’t think there is anything else in our history that has been so well documented, with annual visual representations (new models each year) and we can continue to watch history be made.

No one wants to admit it, but these brand-new 2025 vehicles will become classics. Sixteen year olds today, wishing they could own a 2025 Supra, Mustang or whatever, will inevitably want them again when they turn 36.

Automotive museums, car shows, cruises, and driving events are really important to bring all the different generations of automotive enthusiasts together. This is how we can keep automotive history alive.

The Classic Car Club of America shares their bit of history as one of the museums represented on the Gilmore campus. I’m still waiting for the right opportunity to be able to visit Gilmore and have enough time to spend visiting all the museums.

Motorcycles are a niche part of the automotive timeline I also find fascinating. I enjoy riding motorcycles and seeing all the different kinds, just like cars. I wish I could have them all. 😉

Seaba Station Motorcycle Museum is a museum where you can see all kinds of vintage bikes. The museum is located inside the old Seaba Station, which was built in 1921, so the building itself is a piece of history.

You can go down so many different paths of automotive history. You may find some aspects of automotive history much more fascinating than someone else’s and vice versa.

Automotive museums are no different. I created the Automotive Museum Guide because I realized how much variety there is and if you were interested in visiting one museum, chances are you’d be interested in visiting another.

The Ultimate Driving Museum is a niche museum made possible by the BMW Car Club of America Foundation. Every year the museum completely changes with a new theme. Two years ago it was BMW motorcycles, last year it was Mini’s, and this year it is all about Alpina.

You do not have to be a BMW fan to enjoy this museum. You will learn and experience just a snipit of a specific segment of automotive history. The catch is, you only have one season to experience it, before it’s gone.

Do you want to read the textbook or do you want to go on a field trip? Everyone in school would prefer the field trip over reading the textbook. I would argue, the memories made on that field trip have stuck around a lot longer than some random chapter in a textbook.

Visit the museums, learn the history and make those memories.

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

 Follow me @   

P.S. Make sure you follow AMG on Facebook and join the FB Group to see what’s going on at all the museums.