Sunday, February 6, 2011

If you are looking to visit car museums in the USA, here is a list not to miss

here is a list of the top 10 in the world: http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/top-10/top-10-automobile-museums.html?articleid=122959 which completely agrees with http://smashingusa.com/12-definitely-worth-a-detour-car-museums-of-america/ and they agree that the Henry Ford, the National Corvette, and the Petersen are not to be missed and they suprised me with the Studebaker and the Natl. Auto museum in Reno (formerly the Harrah).

I'll start in one corner of the USA and work towards California,

in New Britain Connecticutt is a dealership, Papa's Dodge, that has Wednesday cruise nights - burnout contests, and a classic car museum http://www.papasdodge.com/dream-cruise.htm

the Gilmore in Michigan (doesn't open til May http://www.gilmorecarmuseum.org/ ) and if you get into Michigan see the Motorsports Hall of Fame http://www.mshf.com/ , and the Detroit Historic Museum's collection

The Wellborn Musclecar museum in Alexander City Alabama http://www.wellbornmusclecarmuseum.com/

Mid America Motorworks, halfway between St Louis and Terre Haute on Hwy 57 http://www.mygaragemuseum.com/visitusmain.htm

the AACA in Hershey Pennsylvania http://www.aacamuseum.org/ ,

and if you got to Penn stop by Allentown and see http://www.americaonwheels.org/

you might try the Swigart in Huntingdon, PA http://www.swigartmuseum.com/index.html

down in Oklahoma is Phil Silva's Muscle Car Legends Museum http://www.pinemeadowcabins.com/muscle_car_museum.html

and the Punta Gorda muscle car in Florida http://www.musclecarcity.net/


The Lane museum is quirky and full of micro cars, it's in Nashville, and the Crawford in Cleveland are both in this top 10 list http://www.journeyetc.com/travel-guide/top-10-best-automobile-museums-to-visit-in-the-us/

While in the neighborhood of Illinois / Ohio, see the Packard in Dayton Ohio http://www.wrsol.com/usatravelguide/2009/12/bestcarmuseums-americaspackardmuseum/ .. .. Before you get too far from Nashville look for Hostetler's Hudson Auto Museum, in Shipshewana Indiana, thought to be the largest and most complete collection of Hudson, Essex, Terraplane, Railton, and Dover cars and trucks.

http://www.hostetlershudsons.com/ In DeSoto Kansas is Grandpa's Garage & Body Shop http://www.classicaldrives.com/50226711/in_a_town_called_desoto_grandpas_garage_features_old_fords.php Ya gotta see Speedy Bill's! It's the museum of American Speed in Lincoln Nebraska http://www.museumofamericanspeed.com/default.dlp


Near Denver Colorado is Terry's private Nash/AMC museum that he welcomes car people to http://www.pnwnash.org/museum


In Pheonix Arizona is the Penske Auto museum: http://www.automotto.org/entry/jaunt-across-the-car-museums-of-america and while in Arizona you ought to stop by the Franklin Auto Museum http://franklinmuseum.org/

Here in So Cal... The Nethercutt http://nethercuttcollection.org/Museum.aspx , Justice Brothers http://justicebrothers.com/pages/racing-museum/r&m_racingmuseum_main.htm , Blackhawk http://www.blackhawkcollection.com/index.cfm?action=sales&tab=sales&control=bhc , and you ought to see Galpin Ford's display New addition to So Cal is the Mercedes Benz Classic Center USA in Irvine http://www.mercedes-benz-classic.com/content/classic/mpc/mpc_classic_website/en/mpc_home/mbc/home/museum/overview_museum.html
Up in Tacoma Washington, finally (I've been waiting 4 years) the LeMay museum is open http://www.lemaymuseum.org/

Here's a list of museums by state: http://www.team.net/www/museums/us.html but it's 5 years old, and might not be 100% accurate anymore Here is a link to a list of lots of US auto museums http://www.digital-librarian.com/car_museums.html