New people sign up to receive this email every day, which means, for some, this is the first weekly email they are receiving. My goal is to introduce you to some amazing automotive museums you can actually visit.

The term “car museum” is often used in the same way the name Kleenex is used for tissues, or Coke is used for all carbonated beverages.

There are way more private car collections than there are car museums. Some private collections are definitely worthy of being a car museum, but they are not car museums.

Being open to the public is the one common denominator for all the museums listed in the Automotive Museum Guide. Some museums are more museumy (not a word) than others. 

Some of the museums listed you wouldn’t think of being car museums. Sometimes, even private collections are listed in the guide, but they’ve taken the extra step of being open to the public, even if the hours are limited. 

Sometimes, even dealerships are listed, although they are separated under the dealership tag. These obviously aren’t museums either, but if you want to see cool cars, these places have them.

Alternatively, it’s also very possible that when you hear the term car museum, you only think of large Smithsonian institutions, and this isn’t correct either. You’d be missing out on so many cool places if you thought there were only a handful of car museums in the world.

The reality is, there are hundreds of very unique “car museums” you can visit all over the world. My advice is to visit as many as you can with an open mind. You can’t compare a small museum in Tennessee with something like the Petersen in California. They are nothing alike, but they both serve the purpose of preserving and sharing automotive history.  

This week, I want to share with you a few private collections that could be considered car museums, because they’ve made the extra effort to be open to the public, albeit with limited hours.

Collection 21 is a collection of over 200 cars from 1900 to 1980. You can visit Fridays and Saturdays only, and $15 admission goes to Housing Opportunities of Northern Kentucky.

The Shed is actually a 24,000 square foot building with about 99 vehicles on display, 80 of which are considered to be unique. To visit, all you have to do is call Bob, and you’ll get a personal tour and learn all the stories behind the cars.

Cliff’s Museum of Automobile Memorabilia isn’t a huge collection of cars, but as you might be able to tell from the name, there is a lot of automobile memorabilia to see. You might catch Cliff at the museum, and you’ll be able to visit, but it’s best to make an appointment to guarantee you’ll be able to go inside. Fun fact: this is the only “car museum” in West Virginia.

Museums like the one I created, Miles Through Time Automotive Museum, depend on visitors. Without the funds raised by admission and donations, museums like mine couldn’t afford to be open to the public or even be able to keep automotive history safe in a climate-controlled environment.

The fact that there are places like the three I showcased this week, that have made the decision to be available to the public, not because they have to, but because they want you, speaks volumes about the people who are responsible for them. 

I encourage you to reach out to these museums and any other museum you find in the Automotive Museum Guide. Visit if you can, and if you can’t visit in person, you can still follow them on social media, sign up for their newsletters, and see what they are doing to ensure our automotive history continues to be preserved for future generations.

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.