The BIG 200!
I created the Automotive Museum Guide six years ago, and today marks the 200th email I sent sharing automotive museums.
It’s amazing how much time can just become a blur. I started Miles Through Time Automotive Museum eight years ago. I created the Automotive Museum Guide six years ago, and today marks the 200th email I sent sharing automotive museums.
This means I have shared over 600 automotive museums in just under four years. Some people have been following along from the very beginning, while over 100 new people join every single month.
Someone new to the Automotive Museum Guide may not realize the guide exists because it started as my research to figure out how to create my own car museum.
Once someone realizes I founded a museum myself called Miles Through Time Automotive Museum. The assumptions about me can run wild. Some of them I wish were true, but usually they are way off base.
I am an open book. It is the only way I found I could create a web of automotive museums and get people to be a part of my museum. If you’re on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or X, you can follow me directly.
I’m not independently or generationally wealthy. I’m just a car guy who inherited his grandpa’s 1959 Cadillac and felt so honored to have it, that I wanted to share it with as many other people as I could and provide a platform for others like me to do the same.
Luckily, my vision of what an automotive museum could be has morphed over the years and has had success. It is amazing when I get emails out of the blue that someone wants to donate a vehicle. Or I check the mail or get an email notification that someone has sent a check or donated online.
There are a lot of passionate automotive enthusiasts in the world, and the fact that you get this email means you’re one of them. The museum I started is just one of many automotive museums you can visit, and I hope you are able to visit as many as possible.
The more I am immersed in the automotive museum world and automotive culture, the stronger my feelings get about how important it is for us to not only preserve and share automotive history, but to learn from it as well.
Automotive museums are just like snowflakes. No two are alike, but they are all beautiful in their own way. You may visit an automotive museum and find it isn’t your favorite for one reason or another, but at least you did your part by visiting, and hopefully you saw something interesting and learned something new.
There is one museum I regret not being able to stop at, especially since I literally drove past the entrance when I was driving a donated car back from California. I was still on east coast time and eager to drive back, so when I drove past Woodland Auto Display it was 4 am.
I will be back at some point though, because I want to see the museum Dick Woodland founded and explore Estrella Warbird Museum at the same time.
Another museum you can visit that blurs the line between auto and air is the Old Rhinebeck Aerodome. I’m a fan of seeing vintage planes and cars together, which is exactly what you will see at this museum.
The last museum I want to share with you this week is an example of a basic automotive museum. The Roy Peter Bach Museum is operated by the Santa Fe Trail Auto Club. There is very little information available about this museum, but it is open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sometimes you just have to start somewhere.
There are so many automotive museums to discover, the best resource to use when traveling the country is the MAP. If you’re a world traveler, there is even more to discover HERE.
If you know anyone who would enjoy learning about automotive museums to visit, forward this email over to them and encourage them to sign up.
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.
Founded by vintner and car aficionado Richard “Dick” Woodland, the collection also includes numerous well-known vintage and classic automobiles, along with preserved historical motorcycles.
Roy Peter Bach Auto Museum is a new auto museum with vintage and antique automobiles and other auto collectibles.
The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome all begins in the Pioneer Building with the crude biplane hang gliders that inspired the Wright Brothers.
I created the Automotive Museum Guide six years ago, and today marks the 200th email I sent sharing automotive museums.
Last week I shared my vision for the future of Miles Through Time Automotive Museum, which then broke automotivemuseumguide.com. A lot of people reached out to me saying they were not able to access the website.
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.
The Weekly 3When 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...
Last week was amazing, getting to spend time with peers and friends at The Petersen. Having the opportunity to view some private collections
I'm heading to the National Association of Motor Museums' Annual Conference on Tuesday.
It is pretty awesome when people visit Miles Through Time Automotive Museum from all over the country
It still amazes me that the Automotive Museum Guide has grown into a huge resource for automotive museums, and visitors who want to visit them.
I'll start this week by letting you know about a brand-new museum that just opened this month. The St. Charles Motorcycle Museum is now open.
I still remember it like yesterday. It was the end of 2016, and I was forced to decide whether to start the museum
Last week I shared my vision for the future of Miles Through Time Automotive Museum, which then broke automotivemuseumguide.com. A lot of people reached out to me saying they were not able to access the website.
I spent almost all of Monday fixing the issue and today, no one should experience any problems accessing automotivemuseumguide.com. That’s the goal for today at least. 😉
Last week I also shared automotive museums that were created right around the time I created Miles Through Time. Over the years of creating and running my own museum and trying to keep the Automotive Museum Guide up-to-date, I have noticed the revolving door of automotive museums.
COVID definitely didn’t help with museum closures, but even without that added burden, automotive museums still close pretty regularly. The unique variety of ways car museums can be created is the leading factor why so many car museums close.
It is sad when museums close, but I call it the circle of life for car museums. There are many museums all over the world you can visit and should as soon as you have the opportunity, because for some of them, you may not have another chance.
The easiest part of an automotive museum is the creation. I am proof of that, since I was able to create Miles Through Time Automotive Museum with one car I inherited and no collections or funding of any kind.
That last paragraph can be misleading. It is absolutely accurate, but to say I created a car museum worthy of visitation from day one would be a stretch. I was able to very quickly acquire borrowed vehicles, but it took me a long time to go beyond just some old cars parked in a building.
Parking old cars in a building and calling it a museum is questionable. There is a lot more to an automotive museum than just parked cars. There is a lot of effort that goes into preserving and displaying the vehicles.
Being accessible to the public with regular visiting hours is mandatory and ensuring visitors leave inspired by learning something new is always the goal.
If the automotive museum does not do these things, then it may just be a really nice collection of cars and memorabilia. There are way more amazing private collections than there are museums, and that is okay.
This week I want to share with you three automotive museums that are trying to become real automotive museums and each one has a different angle of what a car museum is.
First up is the Idle Ridge Car Museum. The late James Feneis had a very impressive private collection, worthy of a car museum. James put in motion to create the Feneis Charitable Foundation after his passing, which would turn his collection into a museum, open to the public. The museum is slated to open this summer.
I’ve been keeping an eye on the New York Auto Museum as soon as I heard about it. This museum is supposed to be a 200,000-square-foot facility in Manahattan. I don’t know how progress is going on this museum, but it sounds amazing, and I wish them the best of luck. We will have to keep an eye on this museum to see how everything develops.
The last future museum I want to share is the Legends Racing Museum. The museum is just one aspect of this automotive-themed complex. I really like the vision of this place, which is similar to the vision I have for Miles Through Time, but even bigger.
Motor City USA will be home to the Legends Racing Museum, a theater, pavilion, multiple restaurants, go-kart racing, hotels and more. I really want to see this place come to fruition as well, so I can visit.
It is fascinating all the different angles that can be taken when it comes to creating an automotive museum. There is no right or wrong way and I enjoy visiting all the different types.
Like any business, the challenge is being able to stay open. Anyone can help by visiting museums, donating, volunteering or just helping spread the word.
I tell people it is easy for the older generation to come into the museum and enjoy reminiscing. It is much more challenging to capture the interest of someone who doesn’t have any direct connections to anything on display.
Museums serve an important role in bridging the gap between those who remember and those who need to learn. This is still one of the biggest reasons why I’ve been trying to get a supercar for Miles Through Time Automotive Museum.
If I can capture the interest of the younger generation with something they wish they could have, the museum can broaden their interests and show them more varieties of vehicles. You don’t know what you don’t know.
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.
Legends Racing Museum will be a part of Motor City USA, a massive automotive-themed complex in North Texas.
New York Auto Museum is a proposed 200,000+ square-foot Manhattan location with a massive rooftop patio and partial glassed floors.
The Idle Ridge Car Museum is the collection of the late James Feneis. Before Jim passed away, he set up the James Feneis Charitable Foundation to turn his collection into a museum.
I created the Automotive Museum Guide six years ago, and today marks the 200th email I sent sharing automotive museums.
Last week I shared my vision for the future of Miles Through Time Automotive Museum, which then broke automotivemuseumguide.com. A lot of people reached out to me saying they were not able to access the website.
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.
The Weekly 3When 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...
Last week was amazing, getting to spend time with peers and friends at The Petersen. Having the opportunity to view some private collections
I'm heading to the National Association of Motor Museums' Annual Conference on Tuesday.
It is pretty awesome when people visit Miles Through Time Automotive Museum from all over the country
It still amazes me that the Automotive Museum Guide has grown into a huge resource for automotive museums, and visitors who want to visit them.
I'll start this week by letting you know about a brand-new museum that just opened this month. The St. Charles Motorcycle Museum is now open.
I still remember it like yesterday. It was the end of 2016, and I was forced to decide whether to start the museum
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
P.S. Make sure you follow AMG on Facebook and join the FB Group to see what’s going on at all the museums.
The private collection of more than 90 automobiles at the Newport Car Museum focuses on eight decades of modern industrial automotive design and celebrates cars as works of art.
Route 66 Car Museum is a privately owned car collection that is located along the famed and historic Route 66. Guy Mace started collecting in 1990 when he bought his first Jaguar.
Midwest Dream Car Collection began as the private collection of Ward and Brenda Morgan. Through their vision, passion, and generosity, the museum opened to the public in the spring of 2019.
I created the Automotive Museum Guide six years ago, and today marks the 200th email I sent sharing automotive museums.
Last week I shared my vision for the future of Miles Through Time Automotive Museum, which then broke automotivemuseumguide.com. A lot of people reached out to me saying they were not able to access the website.
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.
The Weekly 3When 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...
Last week was amazing, getting to spend time with peers and friends at The Petersen. Having the opportunity to view some private collections
I'm heading to the National Association of Motor Museums' Annual Conference on Tuesday.
It is pretty awesome when people visit Miles Through Time Automotive Museum from all over the country
It still amazes me that the Automotive Museum Guide has grown into a huge resource for automotive museums, and visitors who want to visit them.
I'll start this week by letting you know about a brand-new museum that just opened this month. The St. Charles Motorcycle Museum is now open.
I still remember it like yesterday. It was the end of 2016, and I was forced to decide whether to start the museum
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
P.S. Make sure you follow AMG on Facebook and join the FB Group to see what’s going on at all the museums.
The Classic Car Club of America Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan is a part of the Gilmore Car Museum. The campus contains eight barns that are filled with some 240 wonderful automobiles.
The Seaba Station was built in 1921 and is on the national historical list. Now the Seaba Station Motorcycle Museum has more than just motorcycles on display.
The Ultimate Driving Museum, formally known as the BMW Car Club of America Foundation Museum is the philanthropic expression of the 70,000+ members of the BMW Car Club of America, corporate sponsors, and generous donors.
I created the Automotive Museum Guide six years ago, and today marks the 200th email I sent sharing automotive museums.
Last week I shared my vision for the future of Miles Through Time Automotive Museum, which then broke automotivemuseumguide.com. A lot of people reached out to me saying they were not able to access the website.
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.
The Weekly 3When 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...
Last week was amazing, getting to spend time with peers and friends at The Petersen. Having the opportunity to view some private collections
I'm heading to the National Association of Motor Museums' Annual Conference on Tuesday.
It is pretty awesome when people visit Miles Through Time Automotive Museum from all over the country
It still amazes me that the Automotive Museum Guide has grown into a huge resource for automotive museums, and visitors who want to visit them.
I'll start this week by letting you know about a brand-new museum that just opened this month. The St. Charles Motorcycle Museum is now open.
I still remember it like yesterday. It was the end of 2016, and I was forced to decide whether to start the museum
Last week was amazing, getting to spend time with peers and friends at The Petersen. Having the opportunity to view some private collections, like the Singleton Collection, a portion of Philip Serafin’s (big fan), and Jay Leno’s.
In 2016, I was 32 years old and had two automotive museums under my belt. I lived in Mooresville, NC, the capital of NASCAR so naturally I made my way over to the NASCAR Museum and Memory Lane Museum because it was there next to where I was buying a trailer to move away.
I’ve always been a big car guy, but for whatever reason, automotive museums just weren’t a part of my life. That is, of course, until 2017, when, out of nowhere, I founded Miles Through Time Automotive Museum.
Fast-forward 8 years and I have visited almost 100 automotive museums in North America. I found myself on the board of the National Association for Automobiles and the World Forum For Motor Museums.
I’ve even helped newer automotive museums create their own brands and online presences. I never planned any of this, but this is my life now. I intend to do everything in my power to ensure the longevity and success of the museum I founded and do everything within my power to help all the other museums.
One thing I noticed right away when I started to dive into the automotive museum world, is that there are so many variations. There are so many different ways to present an automotive museum and there is no right or wrong way, because there are so many variables.
This week I want to share with you some examples of completely different types of “automotive” museums. The very first one I was going to share was the Lone Star Motorcycle Museum, but unfortunately they are permanently closed. This is a good example of why I send these emails.
So instead, I’ll share the American Classic Motorcycle Museum. I have visited this museum, and I will admit I almost didn’t go in. If you didn’t already know there was a motorcycle collection upstairs in this country diner, you’d have no clue.
You’ve heard the term hole-in-the-wall restaurant? For me, that usually means its a little place, not fancy, but it’s good. That is what this museum is like.
The Eastern Museum of Motor Racing is another unique example. This museum sits on 40 acres overlooking wooded hills and a racetrack. If you’re like me, that was enough to sell you. The museum is constantly bringing in historic cars to display so you never know what you might see.
The Tucson Military Vehicle Museum is a newbie. If you like seeing military vehicles, this is the place for you. You’re going to see tanks, big trucks, Willy’s and everything else the military has used over the decades.
Honorable mention this week in Tucson as well is the Tucson Auto Museum for officially opening in their new location. I got to visit the old location, but now it looks like I have a few more reasons to visit Tucson.
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.
The Tucson Military Vehicle Museum, this new educational center and driving experience is located on 77 acres immediately east of the Pima Air & Space Museum.
The Eastern Museum of Motor Racing is built on a wooded hillside overlooking the historic Latimore Valley Fairgrounds and Racetrack near York Springs, Pa.
The American Classic Motorcycle Museum is one of the largest private collections of antique Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the country, including 45 bikes dating from 1936 to 1978.
I created the Automotive Museum Guide six years ago, and today marks the 200th email I sent sharing automotive museums.
Last week I shared my vision for the future of Miles Through Time Automotive Museum, which then broke automotivemuseumguide.com. A lot of people reached out to me saying they were not able to access the website.
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.
The Weekly 3When 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...
Last week was amazing, getting to spend time with peers and friends at The Petersen. Having the opportunity to view some private collections
I'm heading to the National Association of Motor Museums' Annual Conference on Tuesday.
It is pretty awesome when people visit Miles Through Time Automotive Museum from all over the country
It still amazes me that the Automotive Museum Guide has grown into a huge resource for automotive museums, and visitors who want to visit them.
I'll start this week by letting you know about a brand-new museum that just opened this month. The St. Charles Motorcycle Museum is now open.
I still remember it like yesterday. It was the end of 2016, and I was forced to decide whether to start the museum
I’m heading to the National Association of Motor Museums’ Annual Conference on Tuesday.
I joined NAAM back when I first started Miles Through Time in 2017. Aside from the big automotive museums, I could find online, NAAM was my only other resource to figure out how to create a museum of my own.
I will admit I didn’t get much out of NAAM for years. To be fair, for the first three years, I truly was a one-man show and didn’t have to do much with NAAM.
It wasn’t until I went to my very first conference in 2020 and the National Corvette Museum, that I discovered the true value of NAAM. I met a bunch of amazing people associated with other automotive museums from all over the country.
The following year, the conference was at the Revs Institute then The Henry Ford, and last year at Savoy. Each year, I’ve been able to make new personal contacts and reunite with others who have become great friends over the years.
Attending the annual conference at NAAM is something I look forward to every year now. I find myself in a unique position when I attend the conference because I am not employed by a museum who was sent to the conference, and I’m not the guy with a car collection who decided to start a museum. And yet, somehow, I am also both, minus the car collection. 😉
It doesn’t matter if I’m talking with a museum director, the founder, or a volunteer docent, just being able to chat and mingle with peers in an industry I never imagined being a part of in the capacity I am, is amazing.
Tuesday, I’m heading to the Petersen Automobile Museum. I’m pretty sure everyone has heard of the Petersen. It’s one of the top automotive museums in the world.
This will be my second visit to the Petersen. My first visit was driving a donated e21 BMW back to Georgia and stopped by the Petersen to visit my friend Leslie Kendall. Little did I know I’d end up spending the entire day there. Half because Leslie and I chatted and half because the BMW broke down in the parking lot.
At the end of the day, I drove away in that e21 and eventually made it back to Miles Through Time Automotive Museum. If you want to watch that trip, here’s a video. If you donate a car to Miles Through Time Automotive Museum, I may just come get it myself, and driving it back even from California isn’t off the table. 😉
As amazing as the Petersen is, it got its start on June 11th 1994, when Margie and Robert E. Petersen donated $5 million to the Los Angeles County National History Museum.
Interestingly enough, that is pretty much the same amount Miles Through Time needs to build a new building. Perhaps one day, the little museum I started with my Pop’s car will be as famous as The Petersen.
The other great thing about the NAAM conference is that we travel to other museums. The networking and lectures are great, but the ability to go on field trips makes the NAAM conference better than any other conferences I’ve been to.
I wanted to go to the Lyon Air Museum when I was driving the old BMW back to Georgia, but I didn’t have time since I had the opportunity to visit Jay Leno’s Garage, which seemed like a chance of a lifetime.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to meet Jay, but I saw him there patiently, allowing a very enthusiastic fan to talk his ear off. I hope one day I can meet him and show him what I’ve created.
The Lyon Air Museum has a great mix of vehicles and aircraft on display. I was an A10 and C130 crew chief for 11 years, so I also have an appreciation for things with wings and this museum has both.
Another museum I get to visit is the Marconi Automotive Museum. This was another museum I had hoped to visit on my trip back in the BMW, but at that point I was very well aware that it was possible the BMW was not going to make it another 2,000 miles.
Luckily, I get to see the museum this week. The museum was started by Dick Marconi, his wife Bo, and his son John. Marconi has some amazing exotic supercars on display. I only need one at Miles Through Time. The museum hosts a lot of events and admission is donated to the Marconi Foundation for Kids, which is a great cause.
Aside from these museums, I’m also going to get to see some private collections in the LA area, I can’t tell you about. I will share photos and videos on my Instagram and Facebook if you want to follow along.
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.
Today, the Petersen Automotive Museum stands independently as the nation’s premier automotive museum, serving hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
Lyon Air Museum is collocated with Martin Aviation, an award-winning jet, turbo-prop, and piston-powered aircraft repair facility established in 1923 by famed aviation pioneer Eddie Martin.
The Marconi Automotive Museum is located in the heart of Orange County and houses a 100-plus car collection that is open to the public.
I created the Automotive Museum Guide six years ago, and today marks the 200th email I sent sharing automotive museums.
Last week I shared my vision for the future of Miles Through Time Automotive Museum, which then broke automotivemuseumguide.com. A lot of people reached out to me saying they were not able to access the website.
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.
The Weekly 3When 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...
Last week was amazing, getting to spend time with peers and friends at The Petersen. Having the opportunity to view some private collections
I'm heading to the National Association of Motor Museums' Annual Conference on Tuesday.
It is pretty awesome when people visit Miles Through Time Automotive Museum from all over the country
It still amazes me that the Automotive Museum Guide has grown into a huge resource for automotive museums, and visitors who want to visit them.
I'll start this week by letting you know about a brand-new museum that just opened this month. The St. Charles Motorcycle Museum is now open.
I still remember it like yesterday. It was the end of 2016, and I was forced to decide whether to start the museum