America's greatest automobile museums

Editor's note:Contributor Ken Gross knows museums. He is the former executive director of the Petersen Automobile Museum and was guest curator for "Allure of the Automobile" at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. He's developing the opening exhibit for LeMay--America's Car Museum in Tacoma, Wash., and he's creating an exhibit called "Speed: The Art of the Performance Car" at the Utah Museum of Art in Salt Lake City. Both exhibits open in June. We asked Gross to choose the country's five best automobile museums open to the public (not private collections). Here are his picks.

THE 5 BEST

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum, Indianapolis

www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com

If you're into race cars, the Indy museum is simply the best, filled with trophies, memorabilia and 500-winning cars, plus a subterranean storage area.

Mullin Automobile Museum, Oxnard, Calif.

www.mullinautomotivemuseum.com

Peter Mullin's brilliant new museum is decorated like a 1930s Paris salon and is brimming with Bugattis and other delectable French pastries. It has limited hours, so check before you go.

National Automobile Museum, Reno, Nev.

www.automuseum.org

Featuring the cream of the old Bill Harrah hoard, this museum, with rarities such as the only pancake-engine Julian, is worth the out-of-the-way trip.

Nethercutt Collection at San Sylmar, Sylmar, Calif.

www.nethercuttcollection.org

The late J. B. Nethercutt amassed a fabulous classic-car collection. The museum is family-operated, and its comprehensive restoration shop (which has had many Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Best of Show winners) is second to none.

Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles

www.petersen.org

Occupying an entire block on Los Angeles's Museum Row, the Petersen museum's ever-changing exhibits are thoughtful and timely. Its amazing dioramas bring cars to life.

RUNNERS-UP

Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, Auburn, Ind.

www.acdmuseum.org

Housed in the old Auburn Cord Duesenberg administration building, it's an art deco feast with rare prototypes and more.

Blackhawk Museum, Danville, Calif.

www.blackhawkauto.org

Rare classics and sports cars are gathered in a breathtaking setting. The three Alfa B.A.T. cars are like sparkling jewelry on black velvet.

Don Garlits Museum, Ocala, Fla.

www.garlits.com

Nearly all of "Big Daddy's" Swamp Rat dragsters are here, plus a lot of the cars he beat and a few that smoked him.

Museum of American Speed, Lincoln, Neb.

www.museumofamericanspeed.com

"Speedy" Bill Smith's lifetime collection of race cars, speed equipment and rare bits, from hopped-up Model Ts to Millers, are on display.

Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, Philadelphia

http://simeonefoundation.org

You'll see Le Mans and Mille Miglia winners, early American racers, the long-lost Bonneville Cobra Daytona and weekend "start 'em up" demos.

The Henry Ford, Dearborn, Mich.

www.hfmgv.org

This destination was recently renovated with clever new electronic displays and favorites such as "Old 16" from the Vanderbilt Cup--and they're not all Fords.

Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, Pomona, Calif.

www.museum.nhra.com

Hot-rod heaven with lots of special events, the NHRA museum packs in every dragster you ever loved, along with trophies, memorabilia and more.

Walter P. Chrysler Museum, Auburn Hills, Mich.

www.wpchryslermuseum.org

Serious Mopar spoken here. See the '40s-era Newport and Thunderbolt concept cars, all of the 300s, plus former relatives such as Nash and Hudson.

BY INVITATION ONLY

Collier Collection, Naples, Fla.

www.revsinstitute.org

The museum houses nearly all of Briggs Cunningham's Cunninghams, significant Porsche racers and important Brass Era competition cars.

GM Heritage Collection, Warren, Mich.

www.gmheritagecenter.com

This is the General's attic. Many Firebirds and Motorama cars are here, nicely displayed, along with a great cross-section of other General Motors cars.

Jay Leno's Garage, Burbank, Calif.

www.jaylenosgarage.com

Go to the Web site for a peek, then bid at Pebble Beach for a private tour. Proceeds go to charity.

Car Museums of North America

Antique Automobile Club of America Museum

Hershey, Pa.

www.aacamuseum.org

Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum

Auburn, Ind.

www.automobilemuseum.org

Automotive Hall of Fame

Dearborn, Mich.

www.automotivehalloffame.org

Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum

Birmingham, Ala.

www.barbermuseum.org

Buffalo Transportation Pierce Arrow Museum

Buffalo, N.Y.

www.pierce-arrow.com

California Route 66 Museum

Victorville, Calif.

www.califrt66museum.org

Canadian Automotive Museum

Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

www.oshawa.ca/tourism/can_mus.asp

Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing

Ocala, Fla.

www.garlits.com

Eastern Museum of Motor Racing

York Springs, Pa.

www.emmr.org

Gilmore Car Museum

Hickory Corners, Mich.

www.gilmorecarmuseum.org

Harley-Davidson Museum

Milwaukee, Wis.

www.h-dmuseum.com

LeMay--America's Car Museum

Tacoma, Wash.

www.lemaymuseum.org

Hastings Museum

Hastings, Neb.

www.hastingsmuseum.org

Henry Ford Museum

Dearborn, Mich.

www.hfmgv.org

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum

Indianapolis, Ind.

www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/about/35204-Museum

International Motorsports Hall of Fame

Talladega, Ala.

www.motorsportshalloffame.com

Larz Anderson Auto Museum

Brookline, Mass.

www.larzanderson.org

Mack Trucks Historical Museum

Allentown, Pa.

http://macktrucks.com/default.aspx?pageid=40

Mercedes-Benz Visitor Center

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

www.mbusi.com/pages/vc_home.asp

National Automobile Museum

South Reno, Nev.

www.automuseum.org

National Automotive and Truck Museum of the United States

Auburn, Ind.

www.natmus.org

National Corvette Museum

Bowling Green, Ky.

www.corvettemuseum.org

National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum

Knoxville, Iowa

www.sprintcarhof.com

Penske Racing Museum

Phoenix, Ariz.

www.penskeracingmuseum.com

Petersen Automotive Museum

Los Angeles, Calif.

www.petersen.org

Rolls-Royce Foundation Library and Museum

Mechanicsburg, Pa.

www.rollsroycefoundation.com

San Diego Automotive Museum

San Diego, Calif.

www.sdautomuseum.org

Saratoga Automobile Museum

Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

www.saratogaautomuseum.org

Shelby American Collection

Boulder, Colo.

www.shelbyamericancollection.com

Studebaker National Museum

South Bend, Ind.

www.studebakermuseum.org

Toyota USA Automobile Museum

Torrance, Calif.

www.toyota50th.com

Tupelo Automobile Museum

Tupelo, Miss.

www.tupeloautomuseum.com

Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum

Pomona, Calif.

www.museum.nhra.com

Walter P. Chrysler Museum

Auburn Hills, Mich.

www.wpchryslermuseum.org

Europe

August Horch Museum

Zwickau, Germany

www.horch-museum.de

BMW Museum

Munich, Germany

www.bmw-welt.com

Brooklands Museum

Weybridge, United Kingdom

www.brooklandsmuseum.com

Donington Grand Prix Exhibition

Leicestershire, England

www.donington-park.co.uk/about-donington/the-donington-grand-prix-collection

Haynes International Motor Museum

Somerset, England

www.haynesmotormuseum.com

Jaguar Heritage Museum

Coventry, United Kingdom

www.jaguar.com/gl/en/experience/visits/jaguar_heritage_museum

Lamborghini Museum

Bologna, Italy

www.visit-lamborghini.com

Manoir de l'automobile

Loheac, France

www.manoir-automobile.fr

Mercedes-Benz Museum

Stuttgart, Germany

www.mercedes-benz-classic.com

Mercedes-Benz World

Surrey, United Kingdom

www.mercedes-benzworld.co.uk

Mille Miglia Museum

Brescia, Italy

www.museomillemiglia.it

Musée Automobile Reims Champagne

Reims, France

www.musee-automobile-reims-champagne.com

Musée de l'Aventure Peugeot

Sochaux, France

www.musee-peugeot.com

Museo dell'automobile

Turin, Italy

www.museoauto.it

Museo Ferrari

Modena, Italy

www.galleria.ferrari.com

Museum of Transportation and Technology

Western Springs, New Zealand

www.motat.org.nz

National Motor Museum

Beaulieu, United Kingdom

www.beaulieu.co.uk

Porsche Museum

Stuttgart, Germany

www.porsche.com/usa/aboutporsche/porschemuseum

Rolls-Royce Museum

Dornbirn, Austria

www.rolls-royce-museum.at

Volkswagen Autostadt

Wolfsburg, Germany

www.autostadt.de/en/start/

Volvo Museum

Göteburg, Sweden

www.volvomuseum.com

Africa

Franschhoek Motor Museum

Franschhoek, South Africa

www.fmm.co.za

Asia/Middle East

Emirates National Auto Museum

Mezaira'a, United Arab Emirates

www.enam.ae

Prince and Skyline Museum

Okaya, Nagano, Japan

www.prince-skyline.com

Toyota Automobile Museum

Nagakute, Japan

www.toyota.co.jp/museum

Toyota Mega Web

Tokyo, Japan

www.megaweb.gr.jp

Australia

National Automobile Museum of Tasmania

Launceston City, Australia

www.namt.com.au

South America

Museo Juan Manuel Fangio

Buenos Aires, Argentina

www.museofangio.com

The museum at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is on our list of the five best.
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