Automobiles not only document a history of technology, engineering, science, and design, but they also document overall national and global history. Perhaps one of the largest collections of automotive museums in the nation is in the Southeast. These museums provide immersive, educational, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences for groups to enjoy.
If the history of motorsports and NASCAR strikes the interest of the group, visit the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega, Alabama, or the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina. “Where racing legends live forever,” the International Motorsports Hall of Fame houses more than 100 vehicles and regards 144 of the most historically significant racers. Special rates are available for groups of 10 or more, and tours are self-guided. The variety of activities and experiences for groups makes the NASCAR Hall of Fame a perfect place to visit. Private guides are available to take groups through time, viewing racing simulators, NASCAR legends, memorabilia, cars, and artifacts. Groups of more than 15 qualify for discounted rates.
For groups interested in a variety of attractions related to automotive history, visit the Keystone Antique Truck & Tractor Museum in Colonial Heights, Virginia, or The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana. Featuring a century-worth of agricultural history, Keystone Antique Truck & Tractor Museum encompasses a space of 3 acres and includes a restaurant. Illuminating the American experience during World War II, The National WWII Museum offers guided tours, lectures, musical performances, movie theaters, restaurants, and six pavilions of historical exhibits and features WWII-era planes and automobiles.
International automotive enthusiasts will be in awe of Miles Through Time Automotive Museum in Clarkesville, Georgia, and the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. With an extensive variety on display, each group member will discover something of interest at the Miles Through Time Automotive Museum. This museum is a “living” cooperative collection, and displays are rotated on a regular basis, covering over 100 years of history. Lane Motor Museum displays about 150 vehicles—primarily European—and offers discounted prices for groups of more than 15 guests.
American automotive enthusiasts will be in awe of the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and the Savoy Auto Museum in Cartersville, Georgia. History buffs can explore the last seven decades of Corvette with guided tours or a new group program, offering a private guided tour, four-course meal, souvenirs, and live entertainment. The Savoy Auto Museum not only houses an extensive collection of classic American-made vehicles but also is an architecturally stunning building and offers special “highlight” tours to groups with dining options.
Movie buffs need not look any further than The Museum of Automobiles in Morrilton, Arkansas, and the Orlando Auto Museum at Dezerland Park in Orlando, Florida. Most notably, The Museum of Automobiles houses personal vehicles of John F. Kennedy and Elvis and Priscilla Presley, along with a DeLorean. The Orlando Auto Museum at Dezerland Park houses one of the largest auto collections in the world, including collections of iconic cars from Hollywood, international vehicles, hotrods, Vespas, microcars, and military vehicles.
By Maya Mackinnon
Main Image: NASCAR Hall of Fame, Charlotte, North Carolina; Credit: NASCAR Hall of Fame
