Besides when I was sixteen years old and trying to impress the ladies, I never really cared much about cars. If someone were to tell me about their new car and all of its exciting features, it would go in one ear and out the other. I’d smile and nod politely, secretly waiting for them to shut up. My idea of an exciting car has always been one that doesn’t break down and gets me to where I’m trying to go. It’s not that I wouldn’t enjoy riding in a sporty, expensive car, it’s just that I would have never cared enough to put the time and energy into finding one. However, I took a little trip the other day that started to change my mind a little bit. With hundreds of pristine cars available from all different decades, not only on display but for sale as well, it was enough to impress even the most stubborn of us.
When I first arrived at the Volo Auto Museum in Volo, Illinois, I found myself in a 50’s-style diner with all types of retro decorations plastered all over the walls. Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, and Betty Boop were just a few of the vintage faces displayed on t-shirts, posters, and other goodies. Muscle cars were also pictured on several t-shirts, mugs, Frisbees, and plenty of other souvenir items, all of which were available for purchase. Food was available at the diner as well, but there was no time to eat, as I was about to begin the grand tour.
The first room showcased several different cars that had appeared in popular movies over the years. Some notables included the prehistoric-looking vehicle from the Flintstones movie, Cinderella’s coach, and a gigantic metallic-looking contraption from The Cat in the Hat. This room had a very clever setup, each car having a television behind it looping a clip from the movie in which that car appeared. Surprisingly, even the biggest, most awkward-looking cars were all drivable and in working condition, although you probably couldn’t have taken them down the interstate.
We then entered a gigantic car garage with countless vintage vehicles lined up for sale. This included several muscle cars from the 50’s through 70’s, each unique in color scheme, design, and features. I was surprised to see that so many of these cars had barely been driven, showing only a few thousand miles on the odometer. What impressed me most, however, is that all of these cars were in absolutely beautiful condition – and when I say beautiful, I mean perfect. The Auto Museum is clearly very selective about which cars they allow to be showcased, because you could scan just about every inch of any one of those vehicles and not find even the slightest blemish. Despite being in perfect condition and having very few miles on them, all of the cars were also very reasonably priced. While I’ve made it clear that I’m not much of a gear head, you really don’t have to be to see how affordable many of these cars were. Each car looked so unique that I kept thinking about how cool it would be to drive around town in the type of car that you hardly ever see anymore. It would be like owning a piece of history that is in perfect, drivable condition, watching countless heads turn as you cruise it down the street. But I had to stop daydreaming and continue the tour, because there were a lot more cars left to see.
As if the cars could not get any more “vintage”, I came across a separate garage showcasing some of the oldest cars I had ever seen. These included some of the earliest of all different makes and models, once again in pristine, drivable condition, and for sale at a reasonable price. After skewering through all the rows, I started to find myself daydreaming again, so I had to get out of there quick before I started impulse buying. Besides, the tour wasn’t over yet.
As if the hundreds of beautiful cars I had already seen weren’t enough, Volo Auto Museum also maintains a world-class war museum. Several tanks, weapons, and other war vehicles from all different types of wars were on display. Some of the stuff even dated back as far as the civil war, including an unopened backpack previously carried by a United States soldier. From World War II, the cockpit of a German fighter jet was also on display in a separate room, with a video in the background explaining its historical significance. Each war involving the United States was documented, even as recent as the war in Iraq, with the end date yet to be filled in on the glass display case. They clearly took a lot of pride in maintaining the museum and keeping it current.
On the way out the door, just when I thought I had seen everything, some gentlemen pulled up a trailer holding a car shaped like a pink high-heel shoe…which was drivable. At that point, I really thought I had seen it all – But the interesting thing about this place is that I really hadn’t. That’s because the museum hosts a very dynamic environment – cars are constantly being sold and new ones are brought in to take their place, so the displays are always changing. You could make two separate trips to the museum and see two completely different sets of cars. That’s enough to impress even the most unimpressable of people (myself), so if I can have a great time at a place like this, surely anyone can.
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When I first arrived at the Volo Auto Museum in Volo, Illinois, I found myself in a 50’s-style diner with all types of retro decorations plastered all over the walls. Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, and Betty Boop were just a few of the vintage faces displayed on t-shirts, posters, and other goodies. Muscle cars were also pictured on several t-shirts, mugs, Frisbees, and plenty of other souvenir items, all of which were available for purchase. Food was available at the diner as well, but there was no time to eat, as I was about to begin the grand tour.
The first room showcased several different cars that had appeared in popular movies over the years. Some notables included the prehistoric-looking vehicle from the Flintstones movie, Cinderella’s coach, and a gigantic metallic-looking contraption from The Cat in the Hat. This room had a very clever setup, each car having a television behind it looping a clip from the movie in which that car appeared. Surprisingly, even the biggest, most awkward-looking cars were all drivable and in working condition, although you probably couldn’t have taken them down the interstate.
We then entered a gigantic car garage with countless vintage vehicles lined up for sale. This included several muscle cars from the 50’s through 70’s, each unique in color scheme, design, and features. I was surprised to see that so many of these cars had barely been driven, showing only a few thousand miles on the odometer. What impressed me most, however, is that all of these cars were in absolutely beautiful condition – and when I say beautiful, I mean perfect. The Auto Museum is clearly very selective about which cars they allow to be showcased, because you could scan just about every inch of any one of those vehicles and not find even the slightest blemish. Despite being in perfect condition and having very few miles on them, all of the cars were also very reasonably priced. While I’ve made it clear that I’m not much of a gear head, you really don’t have to be to see how affordable many of these cars were. Each car looked so unique that I kept thinking about how cool it would be to drive around town in the type of car that you hardly ever see anymore. It would be like owning a piece of history that is in perfect, drivable condition, watching countless heads turn as you cruise it down the street. But I had to stop daydreaming and continue the tour, because there were a lot more cars left to see.
As if the cars could not get any more “vintage”, I came across a separate garage showcasing some of the oldest cars I had ever seen. These included some of the earliest of all different makes and models, once again in pristine, drivable condition, and for sale at a reasonable price. After skewering through all the rows, I started to find myself daydreaming again, so I had to get out of there quick before I started impulse buying. Besides, the tour wasn’t over yet.
As if the hundreds of beautiful cars I had already seen weren’t enough, Volo Auto Museum also maintains a world-class war museum. Several tanks, weapons, and other war vehicles from all different types of wars were on display. Some of the stuff even dated back as far as the civil war, including an unopened backpack previously carried by a United States soldier. From World War II, the cockpit of a German fighter jet was also on display in a separate room, with a video in the background explaining its historical significance. Each war involving the United States was documented, even as recent as the war in Iraq, with the end date yet to be filled in on the glass display case. They clearly took a lot of pride in maintaining the museum and keeping it current.
On the way out the door, just when I thought I had seen everything, some gentlemen pulled up a trailer holding a car shaped like a pink high-heel shoe…which was drivable. At that point, I really thought I had seen it all – But the interesting thing about this place is that I really hadn’t. That’s because the museum hosts a very dynamic environment – cars are constantly being sold and new ones are brought in to take their place, so the displays are always changing. You could make two separate trips to the museum and see two completely different sets of cars. That’s enough to impress even the most unimpressable of people (myself), so if I can have a great time at a place like this, surely anyone can.
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