The Weekly 3
I hope you had a great Father’s Day weekend. I got to see a lot of multi-generational families visit Miles Through Time Automotive Museum. The record is four generations, and they were very proud, rightfully so.
It’s always great to see everyone having a good time in the museum, but there is something a little extra special when I see a parent or grandparent connect with their kid of any age. Those moments are special and will be cherished, but for me, it also shows some level of automotive passion being handed down in real time.
Just about every museum’s mission is some version of preserving and sharing automotive history, which is true and necessary. However, the much-overlooked role of automotive museums is that they are incubators for automotive interest.
There are a lot of different types of automotive museums, and a wide array of automotive-themed exhibits on display. This is because the automotive spectrum is vast, and anyone could find any part of it interesting.
Historic Auto Attractions is a museum you’ll really enjoy if you like movie memorabilia. This museum has some famous cars on display you may recognize.
You’ve probably heard the name Coker. Coker Tires has been a big player in specialty tires for classic and vintage vehicles. Corky Corker, who is a genuinely good guy, founded the Coker Museum at Honest Charley.
I’ve been to this museum twice; the cars are beautiful, the building is beautiful, and I did borrow the pallet rack idea to display vintage motorcycles. Admittedly, Coker’s pallet rack display of vintage bikes is way better than I was able to do, but he did inspire me.
Crawford Auto Aviation Museum is a part of the Western Reserve Historical Association. This museum has a lot of cool cars, and because it is a part of the WRHA, there is a lot more than just auto and aviation things to see when you visit.
If you missed it last week, Mike Yager’s, MY Garage Museum was completely destroyed by a tornado. Perhaps Mother Nature has a vendetta against Corvettes, but just like the National Corvette Museum and their sinkhole, Mike Yager already has a plan.
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
ILLINOIS
Historic Auto Attractions
Historic Auto Attractions is not only home to famous cars, but also a wide array of movie memorabilia. Some of those pieces include Marilyn Monroe’s nightgown, a sweater worn by Hollywood legend James Dean, and an outfit worn by Elvis Presley.
Explore Automotive Museums in
TENNESSEE
The Coker Museum at Honest Charley
The Coker Museum is located inside World Famous Honest Charley Speedshop. Inside, you will find vintage cars, hot rods, motorcycles, trucks, buses, airplanes, rare engines, and memorabilia.
Explore Automotive Museums in
OHIO
Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum
The Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum of the Western Reserve Historical Society depicts the automobile at various stages of development, both on a national and regional level.
Check out Past Newsletters
Museums that help keep brands alive
Some of the very niche automotive museums you can visit may have it a little more difficult to capture a broader interest. Or perhaps because they are so niche, they have the ability to be hyper-focused on what they specialize in.
History Museum, Art Museum or Car Museum
I would argue that sometimes a car museum is just a car museum, but the best are all 3.
How many wheels do you prefer?
If you need an excuse to ride or drive somewhere, just open up the MAP and find a museum to visit.
This guy bought the entire museum
Visit as many museums as you can. Volunteer if possible. Become an advocate. If you have a collection or even just one car or priceless knowledge, share it.
There is a reason to the madness
It’s funny how often I get asked why I do the things I do. Why did I start Miles Through Time Automotive Museum?
It’s TIME this week.
Today, Miles Through Time Automotive Museum leases just shy of 50,000 square feet inside a 275,000-square foot textile mill.
Route 66 Automotive Museums
When it comes to iconic American roadtrips, Route 66 is the highway most people think of.
Public Private Museum Collections
Last week was great. I look forward to the NAAM conference every year. If you are associated with a museum in some way, I highly recommend
A week in Ohio
This week I’m in Dayton, Ohio, for the National Association of Automobile Museums’ (NAAM) annual conference.
Cross-Country Travel To Automotive Museums
There was a time when I came really close to traveling the country in an RV just to visit and film automotive museums.