California Automobile Museum
| California Automobile Museum (2008-Present) | |
|---|---|
 | |
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| Former names | Towe Ford Museum (1987-1997), Towe Auto Museum (1997-2008)[1] |
| General information | |
| Status | Operational |
| Type | Museum |
| Architectural style | Warehouse |
| Location | Old Sacramento |
| Address | 2200 Front Street |
| Town or city | Sacramento, CA 95818-1106 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Coordinates | 38.5703872, -121.5117473 |
| Current tenants | California Automobile Museum |
| Groundbreaking | June 1986 [1] |
| Completed | September 27, 1986 [1] |
| Opened | May 1, 1987 [1] |
| Owner | City of Sacramento[2] |
| Landlord | City of Sacramento[3] |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 1 |
| Floor area | 72,000 square feet (6,700 m2) |
| Other information | |
| Parking | Free |
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.[4] The museum has been described as a "hidden treasure".[5]
The California Automobile Museum was the first automobile museum in the west to be established in perpetuity.[6] 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.[7] Delta Pick Mello is the executive director of the museum.[8]
The first auto 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.[9] 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
Most of the 150 vehicles currently on display are on loan from private exhibitors. The cars on display represents a large spectrum of cars driven in California over the last 120 years.[10] Only approximately 25% of the vehicles are owned by the California Vehicle Foundation. Some of the cars are on loan for a month and some for five years, so the display is a constantly changing exhibit of rolling stock to better tell the story of the development of the automobile and its effect on our lives. The museum offers tours daily.[11] The museum regularly hosts special exhibitions, including one on pickup trucks in 2016.[12]
External links
References
- ^ a b c d "California Automobile Museum - History". California Automobile Museum. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ "Building History". HTML Document. California Automobile Museum. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ "Building History". HTML Document. California Automobile Museum. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ "About Us". HTML Document. California Automobile Museum.
- ^ Gallaudet, Bruce (September 21, 2012). "California Automobile Museum puts pedal to the metal". Davis Enterprise. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
- ^ "How the Museum Got Started". HTML Document. California Automobile Museum. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ "Edward Towe attends Founders' Day at California Automobile Museum". Valley Community News. October 11, 2012. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
- ^ "California Automobile Museum names new executive director". Sacramento Bee. December 31, 2015. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
- ^ "First Donated Vehicle". HTML Document. California Automobile Museum. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ "Permanent Collections: California Automobile Museum". California Automobile Museum. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ "Tours: California Automobile Museum". HTML Document. California Automobile Museum. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ Glover, Mark (August 25, 2016). "California Automobile Museum celebrates pickup exhibit with tailgate party". Sacramento Bee. Retrieved September 11, 2016.