The invention of the automobile has spawned a love affair that transcends age, race, gender and nationality. Talking about cars and admiring their design is always a safe topic; and debating which year, make and model was the "best of the best" are safer dinnertime topics than politics or religion.
That love of the automobile is on display year-round at the Gilmore Car Museum, which draws an estimated 125,000 visitors annually. Encompassing 90 acres, the museum is dubbed the largest car museum in North America.
The appeal of this destination is not just for car enthusiasts and motor heads. It has attractions to interest everyone in the family, according to Gilmore’s Marketing Director Jay Follis. Vintage buildings include a 1930s gas station, an authentic and fully functioning diner from 1941 and a vintage auto dealership row of created showrooms, all arranged in a park-like setting.
“The Museum is also one of the only places on earth to allow guests to learn to drive in a Model T Ford,” Follis said. “This is the car that changed that world and revolutionized the auto industry. [It is] driven with three pedals, and not one of them is gas!”
Driver’s Training old school, as Follis calls it, takes place on 12 days during the summer and class passes sell out fast, he said.
And it all started with one man, Donald S. Gilmore who, in 1962, had just retired as the Chairman of the Board of pharmaceutical giant The Upjohn Company of Kalamazoo, Michigan. His wife, Genevieve, suggested he “needed to find a hobby,” according to the history written by Follis.
Gilmore and his wife already owned two old cars - a 1935 London taxi that Genevieve drove at their home in California and a 1927 Ford Model T he had converted to electric drive during WWII. Although he reminisced about his family’s first car, a 1909 Cadillac, he was not immediately receptive to getting into car collecting. That changed when he attended the Pebble Beach Concours where only the rarest and most elegant automobiles are invited to appear. The event is often referred to as the world's premier celebration of the motor car or the Super Bowl of antique car shows. Yet, The New York Times says those descriptions sell (it) short … it's more like the “Olympics of the automobile,” according to Follis’ history.
1930s Shell gas station at the Gilmore Car Museum. [Photo/Gilmore Car Museum]
A few months later Gilmore located and purchased the winner of Pebble Beach’s coveted Best of Show award – a stunningly restored 1913 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost Tourer. That was followed by a birthday present from Genevieve, a 1920 Pierce-Arrow “project car.” With the help of friends, the auto was soon placed under a surplus military tent in the yard of their Gull Lake, Michigan home and a full restoration was begun.
Approximately one year later – by 1963 – Gilmore’s fascination with antique cars had turned into a hobby. By his wife’s order, his collection was limited to 9 cars at the Michigan home. But, the collecting would continue, on several acres of Michigan farmland across from the family’s home.
Two barns and a house on the property were restored, a machine shop was built, and paved roadways plotted. He soon began to build a barn-styled Carriage House that would fit in with the rural surroundings, hold his collection and offer room to grow to possibly 15 to 18 cars.
When a friend informed Donald that 12 antique cars would be offered for sale at an auction, he emphatically responded he had, “no interest in growing my collection,” as Follis wrote in the museum’s history. Yet, Donald purchases all 12 cars, effectively filling the soon to be completed Carriage House.
With a need for even more storage and display space, Gilmore began buying and preserving old barns, moving these structures to the property to become new display areas.
The Gilmore’s often dressed in period attire and entertained guests with rides in the cars. In late 1964, good friend and Palm Springs, California neighbor Walt Disney visited the collection and later gave him a 1930 Rolls Royce and movie set from the 1965 Disney film, The Gnome-Mobile. By 1966, 27 additional autos as well as a steam tractor, steamboat and steam train had joined his museum collection.
The collection became a public museum opening to the public on July 31, 1966.
Today, the museum also offers exhibits, such as the muscle cars of the 1960s to the early 1970s, which Follis said is one of the exhibits that draws the most response. Among the 250 cars and motorcycles from all eras are the cars of the 1890s to the classic Duesenberg and the elusive 1948 Tucker.
A new exhibit opening in July will focus on women’s contribution to automobiles. “Women How Motor highlights the impact women have had on the automobile, from pioneering road trips, design innovations (the windshield wiper is just one) and racing, to name just a few,” Follis said.
When planning a visit to the Gilmore Car Museum, RVers can make use of the onsite campground. The campground can accommodate a variety of camping styles, from primitive tents to a fully contained Class A motorhome. Twelve sites offer electrical hookups but there are no water or sewer hookups. Sites are booked on a first-come, first serve basis. Camping is $25 per night and visitors must register upon their arrival at the Museum Store. Admission is not included in the camping fees.
Gilmore Car Museum hosts several events throughout the year, including car shows and swap meets, guest speakers and special exhibits. It is also partnering with schools in Kalamazoo, Michigan to motorize a horse carriage into a horseless carriage, thanks to a recently received grant.
Follis has one tip for those who will be experiencing the Gilmore Car Museum for the first time. “It is far larger than people imagine so expect to spend four hours plus here,” he said.
Hickory Corners is located between Detroit and Chicago in south central Michigan. It has a population of about 300 people and the Gilmore Car Museum is the draw to the area.