Museum of Automobiles facts for kids
| Established | 1964 |
|---|---|
| Location | Morrilton, Arkansas, USA |
| Type | Automobile museum |
The Museum of Automobiles is a cool place in Morrilton, Arkansas. It's right next to Petit Jean State Park. This museum is all about cars! You can see many old and fancy cars, motorcycles, and even old guns.
They also have old license plates, arcade games, and other car stuff. One special car is a rare 1923 Climber touring car. It was made right there in Arkansas! The museum also hosts fun events like car shows and swap meets. A swap meet is where people trade car parts or other items.
Discovering the Museum's Past
The Museum of Automobiles first opened its doors in 1964. It was started by Winthrop Rockefeller. He later became the Governor of Arkansas, which is like the state's leader. The museum showed off Rockefeller's own amazing collection of old and classic cars.
After he passed away, his car collection was sold in 1975. A collector named Bill Harrah bought 68 cars and three horse-drawn vehicles. He paid almost a million dollars for them! The museum building and its large grounds were then given to the state of Arkansas.
In 1976, a new group was formed. This group, called a non-profit corporation, reopened the museum. They borrowed cars from other collectors to fill the museum again. This way, visitors could still enjoy a wide variety of vehicles.
What You Can See Inside
Today, the museum has over 30 automobiles. These cars were given to the museum by different people. You can still see some of Winthrop Rockefeller's personal vehicles.
One is the 1951 Cadillac he drove when he first moved to Arkansas. Another is his 1967 Cadillac limousine. This special car has a Santa Gertrudis bull sterling silver hood ornament. You can also see his 1914 Cretors popcorn wagon. It's a fun piece of history!
