What’s a local treasure? Depends on your point of view, of course. And what you value. To me, downtown Kalamazoo’s Emporium, an antique haven I’ve frequented for the last 35 years, is pure gold.
From others we might get a “eh, not so much” reaction. That’s okay. In fact, that’s great because variety (and personal perspective) really are the spice of life.
For some of our local attractions personal taste and interest may hold sway. But other area gems are more mainstream. There is usually little disagreement about these favored few. I submit the Gilmore Car Museum (GCM) as a case in point.
Within the barns on 90 manicured acres near Richland, Michigan, the Gilmore Car Museum houses nearly 200 vehicles which reflect more than a century of automobile history and mystique. The collection includes an 1899 Locomobile, a stunning Duesenberg and a rare Tucker ’48.
It all started in 1963 when Donald S. Gilmore’s wife Genevieve gave him a 1920 Pierce-Arrow “project car” for his birthday. That initial project became a collection of more than 30 antique autos.
To house his collection, Mr. Gilmore bought 90 acres of farm land and had an assortment of classic barns dismantled and moved to the site where they were reassembled. Donald and Genevieve established a non-profit foundation and opened the museum to the public on Sunday, July 31, 1966.
Actually the GCM grounds shares its space with several museums: The Classic Car Club of America Museum, The Pierce-Arrow Foundation Museum and the Tucker Historical Collection and Library as well as the continually expanding collections of the GCM itself.
In 2007, the GCM also welcomed a new National Miniatures Museums (scale architecture miniatures) to its Richland-area enclave.
Stop in at the gas station – straight out of the 1930s. The porcelain signs are from a real Hickory Corners Shell station located just three miles from the present museum. Inside you’ll find a huge display of Shell memorabilia. The station does double duty as the museum’s Interpretive Center and a staging area for tours.
Not far away is a 1941 Silk City diner that began life as the Blue Moon Diner in Meridian, CT. For more than half a century the Blue Moon was a landmark in Connecticut.
Since 2004, it has been one of the focal points of the GCM – almost 800 miles to the west of its original home. Stop in for a Chicago Dog. It’s open for eats daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Wednesday evenings from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The GCM is open daily May through October from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Weekends until 6 p.m.). It’s also open Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day.
The admission charge for adults 16 and over is $9.00. Students ages 7-15 pay $7.00, and children age 6 and under are free. Check their website for additional information and group pricing. The museum address is 6865 Hickory Road, Hickory Corners, MI 49060 (Google map).
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