I’m pretty sure I am the only person to have ever started a museum with only one car. No collection of any kind, no funding, and zero experience. But I did have a vision and passion.

When I came up with the concept of the museum, I was content with it remaining a concept, stored away in my head for decades. I never expected to create the museum when I did. Almost ten years later, and I still wouldn’t be in a position to create a museum.

Nevertheless, the opportunity to create a museum presented itself and I went all in. It’s interesting to say I started a museum with only one car, but the reality is, I could have started the museum with no cars.

I’ve learned a lot since 2017 when I opened the doors to Miles Through Time Automotive Museum. One thing that became quickly apparent was that there is no shortage of “stuff.” Cool stuff, historical stuff, unique stuff, rare stuff, but ultimately, there is a lot of stuff stored away all over the country just waiting for an opportunity to be shared with the rest of the world.

Today, Miles Through Time Automotive Museum leases just shy of 50,000 square feet inside a 275,000-square foot textile mill. We need a lot more space for museum exhibits, storage, event space, library and the antique store that helps support the museum.

The goal is to build something even more substantial to ensure the museum will be able to continue to preserve and share history for future generations. Staying where the museum is currently is not a long-term option, but the reality is, I could very quickly fill the entire 275k square foot mill with “stuff.”

It doesn’t take long before the things you like grow into a substantial collection. This is one of the reasons why there are so many private collection museums and oddball museums for things. They all started from one and grew over time. Sometimes it doesn’t take long to grow a lot.

The real challenge with creating and running a museum comes from all the intricacies of operating a brick and mortar business that is open to the public. Again, I had no experience with any of that, and had to learn along the way.

What I did have was my wife Torie, who had owned her own marketing company since 2007. Not only did Torie push me to actually go forward with the entire concept, but she is the one that created the museum’s brand.

We were able to create Miles Through Time Automotive Museum digitally, immediately and started marketing the museum before it ever officially opened. I’m not a huge fan of social media for many reasons, but I can tell you, if it wasn’t for social media, there would be no Miles Through Time.

The resources I had because of my wife is really what enabled me to create a museum out of the blue. We’ve even been able to help other museums, like Kernersville Auto Museum and, of course, the Automotive Museum Guide.

The first challenge we had before we could do anything was to come up with a name. You’ll notice most museums are named after the area they are in, the founder, or a car manufacturer brand.

I knew one day we’d move from the original location and didn’t want the name to not make any sense. Naming the museum after a brand like Cadillac because of my Pop’s 59 Cadillac didn’t really make any sense. 

Naming the museum after me didn’t feel right since everything in the museum is there because of someone else. Although Mathis Motor Museum did have a nice ring to it. 😉 Plus, we had to find a name that wasn’t already taken.

Eventually, we settled on Miles Through Time, which is very close to Dale’s Wheel Through Time and I do have to tell some visitors that we are not the same museum. Sometimes it’s not even the name of the museum that causes confusion. 

I get phone calls and emails from people thinking they have contacted Savoy Automobile Museum in Cartersville when they actually contacted Miles Through Time Automotive Museum in Clarkesville. The name is not similar at all, but apparently the city names are similar enough to cause confusion.

There is also Wheels O’ Time Museum, which officially opened to the public in 1983. This museum has grown to over 30,000 square feet with all kinds of vintage stuff organized in 5 different buildings.

The newest “Time” museum on the block is Rolling Thru Time Auto Museum. This museum may be the youngest, but it is also the biggest with all kinds of automotive history and more on display in a 77,000 square foot facility.

Who knows what other name variations will be created in the future. The name is only the identifier, the real treasures are what’s inside the building, on the property and sometimes the building itself.

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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