Champlain Valley Transportation Museum facts for kids
| Established | 2000 |
|---|---|
| Location | 8 Museum Way, Plattsburgh, New York, USA |
The Champlain Valley Transportation Museum is a cool place in Plattsburgh, New York, United States. It's a museum all about how people and things have moved around in the Champlain Valley region. You can explore the history of cars, boats, and other ways of getting from one place to another.
Contents
Discovering Transportation History
This museum started in 2000 with a special focus on Lozier Motors, a car company from the past. Over time, it grew to include all kinds of transportation from the area. It has many interesting items and displays. These show how people traveled on land and water, especially on Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence Seaway.
How the Museum Started
The idea for the museum came from Anthony Vaccaro, a doctor in Plattsburgh. He owned and fixed up a really old 1915 Lozier car. He thought a museum about Lozier Motors would be a great way to share Plattsburgh's rich history. Even though the museum now covers more types of transportation, the Lozier cars are still a very important part of it. In fact, the museum has a special Type 82 Lozier car, which is the only one of its kind known to exist!
Opening Its Doors
The museum officially opened in 2004. It's located at the old Plattsburgh Air Force Base. Many helpful volunteers worked hard to make the museum a reality.
Amazing Vehicles and Exhibits
The Champlain Valley Transportation Museum has a fantastic collection of vehicles. It includes two original Lozier Automobiles. But there's much more to see!
Unique Cars and Trucks
You can find some truly special vehicles here. For example, there's the Bill Gates Diner, which is actually a cafe inside an old trolley car! You can also see a 1924 REO Speed Wagon. This truck was used by Walter Church, who started Plattsburgh Motor Services. Other cool vehicles include a 1929 Model A Ford and a stylish 1967 Jaguar.
A Glimpse at the Collection
The museum's collection features many different cars and trucks from various years. Here are just a few examples of the types of vehicles you might see:
- 1910 National Speedster
- 1911 Kissell Kar Speedster
- 1914 Lozier 5 Passenger Touring
- 1915 Lozier 7 Passenger Touring
- 1915 Ford Model T Roadster
- 1917 Ford Model T Race Car
- 1924 REO Truck
- 1927 Pierce Arrow Sedan
- 1929 Ford Model A Touring (Right Hand Drive)
- 1934 Dodge Fire Truck
- 1942 Willys Jeep
- 1947 Crosley Coupe
- 1949 Riley LeMans Roadster (from the UK)
- 1957 Ford Skyliner
- 1960 BMW Isetta
- 1965 Ford Mustang Convertible
- 1967 Jaguar XK-E Roadster (from the UK)
- 1969 Pontiac Trans-Am
Supporting the Museum's Growth
To help the museum grow and improve, it has received important support. In 2006, a grant helped the museum get started. Then, in 2007, the museum received a large grant of $1 million from the New York State Department of Transportation. This money was meant to help upgrade the museum's buildings and facilities. To get this grant, the museum needed to raise $200,000 on its own. They started a special fundraising effort in January 2008 to reach this goal.
