This week I have three free automotive museums to share with you. The free part wasn’t planned, but when I was going through museums I hadn’t mentioned since 2024, I noticed how different each one was.

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.

What is interesting about learning the origin story of many of the museums listed in the Automotive Museum Guide is that it makes me very humbled to know Miles Through Time Automotive Museum will be celebrating 10 years next year.

Knowing what I know now, and how so many other museums were created, I may have been a bit optimistic, overzealous, and a little crazy. I didn’t know what I didn’t know when I created Miles Through Time.

I wasn’t a wealthy man. I didn’t have a successful career, and I didn’t have a community to help me. Miles Through Time came very close to being open for three years and then gone for good. 

I had been by myself for 3 years, aside from one guy I met named Truitt Phillips who helped with a few projects from time to time. I could have very easily walked away at the end of 2019. All I had was my grandpa’s ’59 Cadillac. What little money was made quickly disappeared to pay the utilities and other operating expenses.

Instead, I chose to pivot. The museum was moved and rebuilt from scratch. Miles Through Time Automotive Museum became a 501c3 nonprofit, and I made Truitt an official part of the museum.

Today, the only car I own in the museum is still just my Pop’s ’59 Cadillac, but over 60 vehicles have been donated to the museum in just 6 years. Most of them are sentimental, and came from other museums. In total, the museum averages around 130 full-size vehicles on display at any given time.

Trying to imagine how to get Miles Through Time Automotive Museum to where it is today back in 2017 would have been impossible. Imagining the future of Miles Through Time Automotive Museum is now plausible. I just can’t do it by myself.

The group that got together and created the Vintage Automobile Museum of New Jersey was pretty smart. I’m an example of what one passionate person with little resources can do. 

The Vintage Automobile Museum of New Jersey has numerous resources, from cars and memorabilia to people. They just needed a building, and now they can share their passion with visitors from all over the world, and they change the museum every two months.

Wood Brother’s Racing Museum is a great example of a logical reason to create a museum. Wood’s Brother Racing holds the Guinness World Record for the longest active NASCAR racing team. 

You can imagine how much racing and automotive memorabilia they could accumulate over 70 plus years. The best thing Wood Brother’s could do was put everything in a museum and allow visitors to experience their history.

The Iowa 80 Trucking Museum was created by husband and wife Bill and Carolyn Moon. Bill had a very successful career in the trucking industry and a passion to match.

Unfortunately, Bill never got to see his museum open since he passed away in 1992, but Carolyn was able to officially open the museum in 2008. Carolyn stayed at the helm until she passed away in 2017, but the family continues their legacy.

There are so many interesting aspects of automotive museums you can discover when you visit. From the items and artifacts on display to the build or grounds and the origin story behind why it even exists.

Share the Automotive Museum Guide with as many people as you can so they can also discover all the amazing automotive museums they can actually visit, all over the world.

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If you want to see more, visit the Weekly 3.

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.

I always only had one car, the car I drove on a daily basis, until I turned 30 years old. I have almost always had a motorcycle as well, but not always a rideable bike.

It wasn’t until I inherited my grandpa’s 1959 Cadillac that all of a sudden I had two cars at once. Within two years of owning two cars at once, I thought it would be a great idea to open a car museum.

To say I had no idea what I was getting myself into would be an understatement. I guess, in my mind, my pop’s car was so special, it felt like I had a huge collection that I wanted to share with the world.

For being a car guy my entire life, I was actually quite sheltered. I grew up in Idaho and if I went to any local car shows, I don’t remember them. My interests grew from whatever my dad was into at the time, (hence a 28-year search for the right ’56 F100) and car magazines.

My grandpa is the only person I can recall going into their shop and seeing a cool old car, his ’59 Cadillac. In fact, the very first time I got to see anything amazing with respect to a car collection was during a short stint as a pest service guy in North Carolina.

I believe it was in Davidson, NC, and I showed up to what looked like an abandoned building right off the main road behind a gas station. The parking lot had a chain link fence around it and I had to call the owner to open the gate.

When the owner arrived, and I went inside the building, there was an entryway with an indoor water fountain, an office to the right which had a huge desk at the end of a long narrow room lined with racing pictures, awards and memorabilia.

Just outside his office to the right was a commercial-style automatic sliding door which housed his collection of classics, exotics and motorcycles. I had never seen anything like that in person, in my life. 

I believe this was right before I inherited my Cadillac, and before smartphone cameras were as popular as they are today. I have no idea whose collection I walked into; maybe it sounds familiar to someone, but I believe it made a lasting impression on me in two significant ways. 

The first was that I wanted to be able to have something similar. The second was, how much of a bummer such a cool place was hidden. Now, don’t get me wrong, I completely understand privacy and safety concerns. 

Perhaps, if I was in a position to acquire a similar collection, my perspective would lean towards staying private. I’ve never purchased anything to impress someone else. I buy things because I like them and want them.

But, because of the sequence of events that occurred to me from inheriting my pop’s car, it has shaped my current perspective of wanting to share my grandpa’s story, my story and to create a platform for others to share their stories. 

This ultimately led to the creation of Miles Through Time Automotive Museum. I’m still always impressed with the numerous private collections I have since been able to visit. 

I’d still love to have my own little private space at home some day, but nothing compares to the joy of being responsible for creating something that has enabled so many people the opportunity to enjoy the experience.

My vision for the future of Miles Through Time Automotive Museum is to create a world-class automotive destination that will continue to preserve, share and inspire future generations well after I’m gone. The museum isn’t my collection. The only car I personally own is still my pop’s ’59 Cadillac.

The majority of the “car museums” you can visit are private collections. This is the main reason there are so many car museums to visit, but it is also one of the reasons car museums are constantly closing.

I have a special appreciation for privately owned car museums that are open to the public. These are people who typically do not need to open their collections to the public, but choose to. I am also not talking about the private collections that claim to be a “museum” and invite their friends over once a year for tax purposes.

Kudos to the collectors who found a potential loophole, but those are not who I am referring to in this case. To make it in the Automotive Museum Guide, private or not, the museum must be available for public visitation.

The Halderman Museum Barn is the private collection of the late Gale Halderman, who was one of the head designers of the Mustang. Naturally, you’ll see a lot of Mustang history on display and Gale’s family helps keep his legacy alive by keeping the museum open, even if it is by appointment only.

The late Larry Hale retired from General Motors and created the Hale Auto Museum from what started as just a passion project. Today, you’ll see a collection of over 40 classic vehicles on display and, thanks to Larry’s son Jeff, the museum remains open to the public.

It is super common to have a museum named after its founder, and it is completely appropriate. Or the museum could be named after the city it calls home. I only know of one museum that is named after both.

Don Laughlin’s Car Museum is named after its founder, Don Laughlin, but the city of Laughlin is also named after Don Laughlin. Talk about an impact on the community. Don passed away in 2023, but his collection lives on inside of his hotel and casino.

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. 

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If you want to see more, visit the Weekly 3.

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.

Last week I mentioned the cost of admission for automotive museums and that created a huge response. Of course, the data is completely skewed. If you’re reading this, you are an automotive enthusiast at some level. Which means you would inevitably find more value in visiting any car museum, over a typical tourist just looking for something to do.

The good news for people like us, is that there are no shortage of cool places to visit all over the world. I’ve said it before, but when I started Miles Through Time Automotive Museum, I had no clue what I was doing.

I knew I wanted to share my grandpa’s ’59 Cadillac with the world. I knew typical vehicle storage facilities were a wasted opportunity, and I knew I loved all things automotive. Everything else I didn’t know, could be learned.

I quickly learned no one really needed vehicle storage in a rural area. I didn’t have enough space, the location wasn’t good enough, I couldn’t stand consignment, it was expensive just to keep the doors open, and it was hard.

Now there is an array of car storage solutions, including museum storage. There are also a bunch of museums that sell cars and dealerships presenting themselves as museums. What I assumed was unique in 2016, when my idea really started to percolate, was really just me, not knowing what I didn’t know.

Eventually, I learned. My research became the Automotive Museum Guide, and I pivoted. I could have very easily closed the doors to Miles Through Time in 2019, but I was given another opportunity to adjust what I was doing, and learned some very hard lessons over the next 7 years.

Today, the only real variable that is outside my control to ensure the success of the museum teeters on what the building’s lease is set to. I survived one 20% rate increase, but if that happens again, there just isn’t enough revenue opportunity to cover the increase.

The next pivot will ensure this concern not only goes away forever, but payroll will drastically increase because we will have the funds to hire good people and not just operate with wonderful volunteers.

The key to being able to do all this, is by getting creative. If you want to see how I plan to take Miles Through Time from a museum, I started with one car I inherited to campus that can generate millions annually, check this out HERE. (spoiler, this will require an investor/partner, but it is the future)

Automotive Museums that can think outside the box of what a traditional museum can be, have a higher potential for success over a museum that is just a collection of cars in a building. 

The St. Louis Car Museum opened its doors when I was ten, and they offer vehicle storage and sales. This is a prime example of I had a great idea, but so did someone else, five years before I could even drive.

St. Louis Car Museum has also had to pivot over the years, and recently they’ve transitioned to only being accessible by appointment. I don’t know the reason for this, but I can imagine since I visited a few years ago.

Clarksville Throttle Museum & Dealership is a recent addition to the guide. This is Clarksville, Tennessee, not Clarkesville, Georgia, but it’s not too far away from me, so I’ll have to check it out sometime soon. Pictures of the museum look pretty cool. Just keep in mind this is a collection located at a motorcycle dealership, and it looks well done.

The last museum I want to share with you looks amazing. The museum itself looks great, but it is how the museum is positioned that has captured my interest. There’s no dealership, but there is a brewery, restaurants, barber shop, and even a tattoo parlor.

Legends Motorcycle Museum is on par with how I invision what automotive museums can be, and with over 120 motorcycles on display, there is plenty to see inside the museum. Plus, you have the added bonus of all the other things to do, so you can easily make a day of visiting. I love it and can’t wait to be able to experience it.

Seeing Legends Motorcycle Museum actually makes me more excited for the future of Miles Through Time Automotive Museum and I can’t wait to share with everyone when we get to start breaking ground. Until then, we’ll keep making the museum better, and I hope you’re able to keep experiencing as many museums as you can.

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If you want to see more, visit the Weekly 3.

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 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.

When I started Miles Through Time Automotive Museum in 2017 with one car, I set the admission rate to $5. Granted, the museum didn’t remain a one-car museum for long, but an argument could be made that admission was not worth $5, at least for a while. 

Five dollar admission was never going to pay the utility bill. In fact, it barely covered the cost of the internet, and yet admission stayed at $5 for three years. The museum kept improving, and the collection changed and grew, despite still topping out at less than 30 vehicles on display.

Since 2017, the museum has moved once (become larger), and expanded twice. MTT averages about 140 full-size vehicles on display at any given time and more than 5,000 scale models. Plus, all the other historical and interesting artifacts.

With this amount of growth in almost ten years, the expense to operate has increased exponentially. I’ve wanted to keep the price of admission as low as possible, but also stay in line with an amount that will help keep the doors open. 

Today, the price of admission is $16 for adults. I’ve seen first-hand people get huffy and refuse to pay. I’ve seen people pay and still remain upset at the price of admission. I’ve also seen people pay without blinking and eye. I’ve seen people hesitant about the price and then change their minds after visiting, and I’ve even had people tell me we could charge more.

I’ve learned over the years that I can’t make everyone happy. All I can do is try to create the best experience possible with the resources I have. I can also tell you with certainty that no museum generates enough operating income from admission alone.

There is a limit to what people will pay and what they expect. If visitor attendance remained the same, but admission was $100, I could actually hire museum staff, but, that is too much. Attendance would drop significantly, and those who did pay would probably leave disappointed, which would lead to the closure of the museum.

There are a handful of automotive museums in the USA you can visit for free. These museums are great for visitors to be able to get out and do something, see some cool stuff and not have it cost them anything.

I love free, but the only issue I have with free museums, isn’t necessarily with the museum, but what it does to the visitor’s perspective. Obviously not all, but some people struggle to understand why they could visit one museum for free and another one may be $20.

I’ve witnessed this logic firsthand, and I’ve also seen it with museums that allow their visitors to touch and get in their vehicles. Once a visitor has experienced it one way, it is sometimes hard to justify something different.

The problem is the average visitor has no clue there are different types of museums or what it takes to even keep the doors open for visitors. Again, I’ve witnessed the assumption firsthand, that visitors assume the museum is just some rich guy’s collection of cars. 

They also assume stuff can be purchased, which typically preloads the unwillingness to pay to visit. These are also usually the same people that tell me they’ve owned everything we have on display over the years, which I always find hilarious, considering we have some one of ones. 

Plus, Jeff Lane from Lane Motor Museum has donated so many of his extra weird cars. I can guarantee most people have no idea what they are.

The price of admission is not set in stone, and it is one of the most common updates I have to make to museums all over the world. If the museum does not have a strong alternative source of revenue, i.e. vehicle sales, storage, memberships, donations, events, endowments or just a wealthy benefactor. It is very important to manage admission as best as possible to prevent the museum’s closure, which happens way too often.

Free is great, but there are also museums you can visit that have special VIP tours that can cost upwards of $80. Nostalgia Street Rods is a museum you can visit with a regular admission of $21.95, but you can splurge on the VIP 1 on 1 tour for $81.19.

Wheels of Yesteryear is another automotive museum that has broken the $20 admission threshold. You’ll see over 100 hot rods and muscle cars on display that took over 45 years of collecting to grow to such a massive number.

If $20+ admission is too much to justify, you can visit the National Automotive & Truck Museum of the United States. At only $12 admission, you’ll see over 250 vehicles. I’ve been to this museum, and they’ve got some cool cars to see, plus you can visit the Auburn Cord Duesenburg Automobile Museum right next door.

Every single museum in the world is different. How the museum was created, how it operates, what is on display, and where it’s located is different from every other museum. This is why automotive museums cannot be compared to each other. 

You can rank them based on your preferences, and I recommend you do that. The only way to truly rank them is to visit them. 😉

If you want to see more, visit the Weekly 3.

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.

Last week I drove 2200 miles in 60 hours to pick up a car. I went to Massachusetts, again, now for the third time in just a few months. The further I go from home, the more difficult it is to try to fit in visiting any of the local car museums.

If I was retired or could just dedicate more time to travel, there would be no shortage of cool places to visit. I’ve been to a lot of automotive museums, but there are still a lot of people that have been to way more than me. 

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. Usually, a visit to a museum is made possible in conjunction with doing something else.

At Miles Through Time Automotive Museum, it is very common to have annual visitors. They visit the museum every year, but they don’t come specifically for the museum, they are already coming to the area to visit family or something else and being able to go to the museum is a bonus.

My wife and son took a long weekend trip to go hiking and explore caves in Kentucky this weekend. I would have loved to go, but it wasn’t possible for me this time. However, that didn’t stop them from visiting the National Corvette Museum for the first time and seeing the newest addition. 

Plus, they went to one of my all-time favorite museums, Lane Motor Museum. My son has been to Lane with me before, but it was a first for my wife. Pretty cool, that even without me, my own family was able to use the guide to find cool automotive museums to visit.

A museum I will get to visit next spring during the annual NAAM conference will be the Pierce-Arrow Museum. This museum displays about two dozen significant Pierce-Arrow vehicles, including bicycles, motorcycles, and travel trailers covering the full range of production years from 1903 to 1938. 

The Pierce-Arrow Museum is one of the museums associated with the Gilmore Car Museum, so visiting the Pierce-Arrow Museum is only one slice of the pie.

The Northeast Texas Rural Heritage Museum is made up of two museums, The Depot Museum and The Farmstead Museum. If you are a fan of history museums, you’ll enjoy this one. 

Marathon Village is a bit different than museums. This is where they built the Marathon Automobile and 5 of the original 7 Marathon Motors are currently on display. The museum does not have many cars on display; instead, the entire property is the museum.

I’ve been to this museum, and it is a cool historic area with shops and all kinds of other things to see. The museum itself is free, so you really can’t beat that.

If you want to see more, visit the Weekly 3.

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.

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. I always hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it happens all too often.

I just wish more closed nonprofit museums could help some of the remaining automotive museums either locally or anywhere in the world. This could be in the form of ensuring cars from the collection continue to be shared in other museums or even if, after the museum is dissolved and all the cars and artifacts are sold at auction, some financial support could be given to other museums.

I think this would be a great way to help keep the history of past automotive museums alive. Unfortunately, I see this happen very little, although it does happen sometimes.

The first museum I want to share with you is closed, but only for the season. The Cussler Museum may sound familiar even if you’ve never heard of it, and that is most likely because you know the name Clive Cussler. I almost guarantee you’ve seen one of his automotive books.

The collection is about 100 vehicles ranging from 1906 to 1965 and they are all beautiful. If you’re a fan of vehicles from these eras, you’ll want to put this one on the list.

LeMay’s America’s Car Museum is often ranked as one of the top museums in the USA. Sadly, I have not had an opportunity to visit the museum in person, yet, but my friend Bruce is now at the helm, and I’m excited to see what he does.

To balance things off a little bit, the last museum is a recent addition to the Automotive Museum Guide and a recently opened museum. Jordan’s Family Classic Cars is the private collection of Tim Jordan.

If you’ve never heard of the Jordan Automobile, visit, and you’ll see three of them. I don’t know if they’re related, but it’s always cool to have a car with your name on it.  You can see a 1935 Mathis at Miles Through Time Automotive Museum.

If you want to see more, visit the Weekly 3.

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.