Bill's Old Bike Barn facts for kids
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Main room, 2011
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| Established | 1999 |
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| Location | 7145 Columbia Blvd, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, US |
| Owner | William Morris |
| Nearest car park | On site (no charge) |
Bill's Old Bike Barn and Museum is a super cool place in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. It's a museum filled with old motorcycles and lots of interesting items from American history. William Morris started it in 1998. He wanted a home for his collection of almost 200 old motorcycles and other cool stuff. The museum grew from his bike repair shop, Bill's Custom Cycles. Now, it has all sorts of unique old things!
History of the Museum
William Morris loved motorcycles. He worked for a Harley-Davidson dealer first. Then, in 1970, he opened his own shop called Bill's Custom Cycles. It was near Interstate 80 in Bloomsburg. His shop sold parts for people who wanted to build their own special Harley-Davidson bikes.
When some Harley-Davidson shops closed down, Morris bought all their leftover parts and bikes. He even started selling parts by mail order. This helped him save many old, valuable bikes and parts. His very first collectible bike was a 1928 Harley. He bought it for only about $20! It had just one cylinder, which is part of the engine.
At first, Morris kept his growing collection at his bike shop. But soon, he had too many Harley-Davidson signs! There wasn't enough space, and some rules about the signs made him think about a separate museum. So, in 1998, the museum opened with one room.
Morris, along with Judi Laubach and friends, bought four old barns. These barns were from the 1800s and were in the Bloomsburg area. They carefully took them apart and then put them back together inside a big metal building. This new building was on a hill behind his shop.
A friend named Baltzer J. Pisak helped a lot. He restored many of the old bikes. He also helped set up the first displays. Morris also found cool items from Europe through his business friends. The museum grew even bigger with a special area called "Billville." This is like an indoor street with fake storefronts. The whole museum now covers over 50,000 square feet!
What You Can See at the Museum
The museum has almost 200 antique motorcycles. Some are very old, like a 1909 Peugeot and a 1913 Harley-Davidson Silent Grey Fellow. You can also see unusual vehicles. There's a Kettenkrad from World War II. This was a half-track, half-motorcycle vehicle! There's also a 1961 Moto Guzzi motorcycle dump truck and even a Harley-Davidson snowmobile. The displays also include lots of motorcycle and military items.
But Bill's Old Bike Barn is more than just bikes! It's like a trip through American history. People say it's a huge display of bikes, collectibles, and other cool stuff that just caught their eye.
In "Billville," you can explore a complete barbershop and a shoe shop. These were bought from real businesses! There's also a fake bar, a fire station, and a tobacco shop. Other collections include items from the 1939 World's Fair. You can also see Elvis Presley items, old toys, cameras, and telephones. It's a fun place to see all sorts of unique things from the past!
