California Automobile Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids California Automobile Museum (1987–present) |
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| Former names | Towe Ford Museum (1987–1997), Towe Auto Museum (1997–2008) |
| General information | |
| Status | Operational |
| Type | Museum |
| Architectural style | Warehouse |
| Address | 2200 Front Street |
| Town or city | Sacramento, CA 95818-1106 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Coordinates | 38°34′13″N 121°30′42″W / 38.5703872°N 121.5117473°W |
| Current tenants | California Automobile Museum |
| Groundbreaking | June 1986 |
| Completed | September 27, 1986 |
| Opened | May 1, 1987 |
| Owner | California Vehicle Foundation |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 1 |
| Floor area | 72,000 square feet (6,700 m2) |
| Other information | |
| Parking | Free |
The California Automobile Museum is a super cool place in Sacramento, California, where you can see lots of amazing cars! It has more than 150 different vehicles, including classic cars, speedy race cars, powerful muscle cars, and even some of the very first cars ever made. The museum covers a huge area, about 72,000 square feet, filled with these awesome machines. Its main goal is to save, show, and teach people all about cars and how they have changed our lives.
Contents
How the Museum Started
The California Automobile Museum was the very first car museum in the western United States that was set up to last forever. It began in 1983 as the California Vehicle Foundation. The museum first opened its doors to the public in 1987.
Early Names and Collections
When it first opened, the museum was called the Towe Ford Museum. It showed the world's largest collection of Ford cars. These cars were from Edward Towe, a banker from Montana. The first car ever given to the museum was a beautifully fixed-up 1938 Buick sedan. This car was a gift from John Joyce and you can still see it there today!
In 1997, the museum changed its name to the Towe Auto Museum. This new name showed that they were starting to display all kinds of cars, not just Fords. Then, in 2009, the museum's leaders officially changed the name again. It became the California Automobile Museum. This name truly shows how much the museum has grown and what it aims to do.
What You Can See and Do
The museum has about 150 vehicles on display. About 40% of these cars belong to the museum's own collection. The rest are borrowed from people who own them privately. The cars you see at the museum show a wide variety of vehicles. They are arranged in order, from the oldest to the newest, covering the last 120 years of cars in California.
Special Car Shows
Besides the cars that are always there, the museum also has "rolling exhibits." These are special displays that change often. They might feature a certain type of car, like Japanese cars or tiny "micro cars." You can explore the museum on your own, or friendly guides called "docents" are available. They can give you a free, personalized tour and tell you all about the cars.
Fun Activities
The museum also offers "Sunday Drives." This is a super cool chance to ride in one of the museum's cars! It's free with your admission ticket and happens every third Sunday of the month. Plus, every day, there are five cars that you can actually sit inside and pretend to drive!
Famous Cars on Display
Some of the amazing cars you might see include:
- One of only 40 left of the 1997 General Motors EV1 electric car.
- A 1982 Porsche 911 SC Targa that used to belong to singer Linda Ronstadt.
- A 1978 Kawasaki Kz1000 motorcycle used by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) in the TV show "CHiPs".
- A 1974 Plymouth Satellite that was once owned by Governor Jerry Brown.
- A 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 that belonged to a famous car magazine editor.
- The 1963 Shelby Cobra Replica used in the movie "Ford v Ferrari".
- A 1956 Cadillac Eldorado that belonged to actress Rita Hayworth.
- A 1951 Nash Rambler Convertible used by Marilyn Monroe to promote her movie "Monkey Business".
- A 1940 Lincoln Town Car that was owned by Henry Ford's wife, Clara Ford.
- A 1933 Lincoln KB that belonged to Bank of America founder A.P. Giannini.
- An 1896 Ford Quadricycle Replica, showing one of Ford's very first vehicles.
- An 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen Replica, a copy of what many consider the first true automobile.
- A 1909 Model T touring car, a very early and important car.
