California Automobile Museum

California Automobile Museum (1987–present)
Map
Former namesTowe Ford Museum (1987–1997), Towe Auto Museum (1997–2008)[1]
General information
StatusOperational
TypeMuseum
Architectural styleWarehouse
Address2200 Front Street
Town or citySacramento, CA 95818-1106
CountryUnited States of America
Coordinates38°34′13″N 121°30′42″W / 38.5703872°N 121.5117473°W / 38.5703872; -121.5117473
Current tenantsCalifornia Automobile Museum
GroundbreakingJune 1986[1]
CompletedSeptember 27, 1986[1]
OpenedMay 1, 1987; 37 years ago (1987-05-01)[1]
OwnerCalifornia Vehicle Foundation
Technical details
Floor count1
Floor area72,000 square feet (6,700 m2)
Other information
ParkingFree
Website
http://www.calautomuseum.org/
Lowriders at the California Automobile Museum
A Thunderbird Club Gathering Outside the Museum

California Automobile Museum is an automobile museum located in Sacramento, California. It has a collection of over 150 classic cars, race cars, muscle cars and early models displayed throughout 72,000 square feet (6,700 m2) of museum space. The mission of the California Automobile Museum is to preserve, exhibit, and teach the story of the automobile and its influence on our lives.[2]

History

[edit]

The California Automobile Museum was the first automobile museum in the west to be established in perpetuity.[3] Founded in 1983 as the California Vehicle Foundation, the museum opened to the public in 1987 as the Towe Ford Museum, displaying the largest collection of Fords in the world, courtesy of Edward Towe, a Montana banker.[4] Karen McClaflin is the executive director of the museum.[5]

The first car to be donated to the California Automobile Museum was a restored 1938 Buick sedan, a gift from John Joyce, president of the Golden One Credit Union, which is still on display at the museum.[6] In 1997, the museum was renamed the Towe Auto Museum, as they began displaying vehicles of all makes and models. In 2009, the Board of Directors officially changed the name of the museum to the California Automobile Museum, reflecting the expanded mission it has grown into over the last 25 years.

Exhibits and attractions

[edit]

Approximately 40% of the 150 vehicles are owned by the California Vehicle Foundation, while the remainder are on loan from private exhibitors. The cars on display represent a cross-section of cars driven in California over the last 120 years and are arranged in chronological order.[7] In addition to the static displays, the museum also has "rolling exhibits" which change frequently and display specific types of automobiles like Japanese or micro cars. While the museum can be experienced alone, docents are available to offer personalized tours free of charge.

The museum also offers "Sunday Drives", an opportunity to receive a ride in a museum car free with admission every third Sunday of the month along with five cars to sit in on everyday basis.

Some of the notable cars on display include:

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "California Automobile Museum - History". California Automobile Museum. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  2. ^ "About Us". HTML Document. California Automobile Museum.
  3. ^ "How the Museum Got Started". HTML Document. California Automobile Museum. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  4. ^ "Edward Towe attends Founders' Day at California Automobile Museum". Valley Community News. October 11, 2012. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  5. ^ "California Automobile Museum". Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  6. ^ "First Donated Vehicle". HTML Document. California Automobile Museum. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  7. ^ "Permanent Collections: California Automobile Museum". California Automobile Museum. Archived from the original on 6 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=California_Automobile_Museum&oldid=1236404773"