The Weekly 3

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

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