USA TODAY 10Best
Best Attraction for Car Lovers: National Corvette Museum wins
Best Attraction for Car Lovers (2020)
If you’re a car geek, the USA is packed with places that celebrate these marvels of engineering. From car museums and factory tours to behind-the-wheel driving experiences and live auctions, these 10 attractions should be on every automobile enthusiast’s bucket list.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Attraction for Car Lovers are as follows:
- Petersen Automotive Museum - Los Angeles
- Antique Automobile Club of America Museum - Hershey, Penn.
- The Revs Institute - Naples, Fla.
- Mullin Automotive Museum - Oxnard, Calif.
- America's Car Museum - Tacoma, Wash.
- Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum - Philadelphia
- Museum of American Speed - Lincoln, Neb.
- Gilmore Car Museum - Hickory Corners, Mich.
- Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum - Birmingham, Ala.
- National Corvette Museum - Bowling Green, Ky.
Photo courtesy of Petersen Automotive Museum
No. 10:
The Petersen Automotive Museum anchors the eastern end of the famed Museum Row on Miracle Mile in Los Angeles. The museum's collection encompasses over 300 vehicles of all types — including a Batmobile. Five galleries house changing exhibitions of the collection (but don't expect to see more than about 150 autos at any one time), while other galleries display automotive memorabilia. There's a whole exhibition devoted to Hot Wheels toys, too, which is a bit like heaven for car-loving kids. While the museum is temporarily closed, the staff is streaming free content daily, including hour-long virtual tours of The Vault, archival footage and exclusive interviews.
No. 9:
The AACA Museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institute, celebrates the automobile through a series of vintage cars on display and interactive exhibits covering cars, motorcycles and other automobiles from the 1890s to the 1980s. The collection currently includes some 150 vehicles, with 85 to 100 on display at any given time. While the museum is temporarily closed, supporters can visit virtually through the website, read items from the Museum Best Reads virtual bookshelf or try out some at-home STEAM activities geared toward kids.
Photo courtesy of The Revs Institute
No. 8:
The automobiles showcased at the Revs Institute in Naples are among the most important and rarest built, almost all meticulously restored to peak operational condition. Visitors can see more than 100 vehicles from 1896 to 1995, including a 1939 Mercedes W154 Grand Prix, Panhard et Lavassor Wagonette and the first Porsche 550-01. The Revs Institute is temporarily closed.
Photo courtesy of Mullin Automotive Museum
No. 7:
This privately owned automobile in Oxnard, California showcases the personal collection of philanthropist Peter W. Mullin, with a focus on French coachbuilders. While the 46,000-square-foot museum is temporarily closed, it is typically open to the public for a few days each month. While the museum is closed, fans can follow the museum on Instagram for virtual docent-led tours of the collection.
Photo courtesy of America's Car Museum
No. 6:
America’s Car Museum celebrates the automobile with a collection of some 250 vehicles spanning more than a century of automotive history, as well as another 100 automobiles on loan from private collections. The museum is currently closed, but the ACM team has put together several at-home, automotive-inspired activities. Fans can support the museum while it’s closed by becoming a member or making a donation.
Photo courtesy of R. Kennedy for Visit Philadelphia
No. 5:
The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia celebrates “The Spirit of Competition” with a collection of more than 65 historically significant cars, ranging from Ferrari and Bugatti to Corvette and Ford, collected by Frederick A. Simeone over the course of five decades. While the collection is temporarily closed, the museum is offering free S.T.E.A.M.-IN with The Simeone educational activities and lessons each Tuesday and Thursday via Zoom.
Photo courtesy of Museum of American Speed
No. 4:
The Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed showcases history-making cars, from Indy 500 racers to one of the world’s largest collection of exotics. Museum exhibits cover topics beyond cars, including engines, toys, pedal cars and driving safety. The museum is temporarily closed.
Photo courtesy of Gilmore Car Museum
No. 3:
The Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners features more than 400 cars and motorcycles from many different eras of automotive history. While the museum is temporarily closed, the staff have hosted virtual car shows that have featured more than 2,000 vehicles form around the world. Some community comeback events are in the works for when it’s safe to reopen.
Photo courtesy of Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum
No. 2:
More than a quarter million people pass through the doors of the Barber Motorsports Museum each year to enjoy the collection of some 1,600 vintage motorcycles, of which around 890 are on display at any given time. The collection includes 113 Harley-Davidsons and 55 vintage Lotus cars. The museum is currently open and following public safety guidelines.
Photo courtesy of National Corvette Museum
No. 1:
The Corvette, America's legendary sports car, is manufactured only in Bowling Green, and the city also plays host to the National Corvette Museum. Here automobile enthusiasts will find a collection of more than 80 Corvettes in period settings alongside numerous interactive exhibits. Visitors can even snap a selfie behind the wheel of a 2015 Stingray. The museum just reopened to the public. Visitors who can’t make it in person can watch an online video series on the museum or attend live virtual events and seminars.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to pick the initial nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote.
Congratulations to all these winning attractions!
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
James Raia
A journalist since 1976, James Raia writes a... Read More
A journalist since 1976, James Raia writes a syndicated weekly columnist in Sacramento, Calif., for Bay Area News Group. He also produces a weekly automotive podcast and newsletter, both free and available via signups on TheWeeklyDriver.com. The independent website has been online since 2004. Contact him via email: james@jamesraia.com.
James Raia
A journalist since 1976, James Raia writes a syndicated weekly columnist in Sacramento, Calif., for Bay Area News Group. He also produces a weekly automotive podcast and newsletter, both free and available via signups on TheWeeklyDriver.com. The independent website has been online since 2004. Contact him via email: james@jamesraia.com.
Travis Okulski
Travis Okulski was named editor-in-chief of Road &... Read More
Travis Okulski was named editor-in-chief of Road & Track in February 2019. He is responsible for overseeing the brand’s print and digital operations. Previously, he was Road & Track’s digital director since 2015. Before joining Road & Track, Okulski was deputy editor and then editor-in-chief of Jalopnik. Earlier in his career, he was a reporter at Business Insider.
Travis Okulski
Travis Okulski was named editor-in-chief of Road & Track in February 2019. He is responsible for overseeing the brand’s print and digital operations. Previously, he was Road & Track’s digital director since 2015. Before joining Road & Track, Okulski was deputy editor and then editor-in-chief of Jalopnik. Earlier in his career, he was a reporter at Business Insider.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original,... Read More
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
