2008-10-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

APRIL DOWD PHOTO

A CLASSIC BEAUTY AT THE SARATOGA AUTOMBILE MUSEUM

AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM OF ROME AND RESTORATION SHOP
Route 46-49 West Rome New London Road
Rome, NY 13440
(315) 336-7032
Features: (No web site)

BRIDGEWATER AUTO MUSEUM
Route 20
Bridgewater, NY 13313

BUFFALO HARLEY-DAVIDSON MUSEUM
4220 Bailey Avenue
Amherst, NY 14226
(716) 832-7159
Features: All things Harley are on display here, including rare and special-edition bikes from across the years, plus gear and memorabilia.

BUFFALO TRANSPORTATION PIERCE ARROW MUSEUM
263 Michigan Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 853-0084
Features: The latest phase of this project is a replica of a circa 1927 gas station that was designed, but never built, by Frank Lloyd Wright. Next to the gas station will be a re-creation of a 3,500-square-foot greasing station that architecturally fits with the Wright design.

CHAMPLAIN VALLEY TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM
12 Museum Way
Plattsburgh, NY
(518) 566-7575
Features: This onetime autos-only collection of Lozier marque cars made in Pittsburgh now covers numerous modes of land and maritime transportation. Plus, of course, Loziers.

COLLECTORS CARS AUTO MUSEUM
56 West Merrick Road
Freeport, NY 11520
(516) 378-6666
Features: (No Web site.)

COOPER CLASSIC CARS
137 Perry Street (Greenwich Village)
New York, NY 10014
(800) 719-3909 or (212) 929-3909
Features: This is a classic car dealership with a display gallery and a changing lineup of classic, vintage and exotic vehicles.

DIRT MOTORSPORTS NORTHEAST HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM
1 Speedway Drive
Cayuga County Fair Speedway
Weedsport, NY 13166
(315) 834-6606
Features: Wide variety of racing and antique cars as well as racing memorabilia.

FASNY MUSEUM OF FIREFIGHTING
117 Harry Howard Avenue
Hudson, NY 12534
(877) 347-3687
Features:FASNY (Firemen's Association of the State of New York) owns this facility, which houses rare and antique fire trucks and apparatus, equipment, gear and memorabilia, including a large collection of artworks.

HIMES MUSEUM OF MOTOR RACING NOSTALGIA
15 O'Neil Avenue
Bayshore, NY 11706
(516) 666-4912
Features: Owner/curator Marty Himes prides himself on never refusing any donation. Thus, a very unusual and eclectic museum. Himes openly confesses he has "things most museums would have considered junk" but that he's restored for display. The vehicle collection includes a handful of stock cars,, midget racers and TQ (three-quarter) racers, equipment, and memorabilia.

INTERNATIONAL MOTOR RACING RESEARCH CENTER
610 S. Decatur Street
Watkins Glen, NY 14891-1613
(607) 535-9044
Features: The center maintains archives for the personal papers of drivers, journalists and authors; rare books, serial publications, and reference books pertaining to drivers, cars, races and the history of motor racing; the historical records and newsletters of clubs and motor racing teams and corporations; and historical photographs, movie films, videos, oral histories, and memorabilia.

NORTHEAST CLASSIC CAR MUSEUM
24 Rexford Street (NYS Rt. 23)
Norwich, NY 13815
(607) 334-2886
Features: More than 120 cars are displayed in seven exhibits, including what is believed to be the largest collection of Franklin luxury cars in the world. Included are Duesenbergs, Packards, Cords, Auburns and Pierce-Arrows.

OLD RHINEBECK AERODROME COLLECTION
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome
PO Box 229
Rhinebeck, NY 12572
(845) 752-3200
Features: The aerodrome is widely known for its antique airplanes and airshows, but it also has an extensive and eclectic auto, truck and motorcycle collection that contains such highlights as a 1911 Baker Electric (fams of Donald Duck comics will remember this as Grandma Duck's car), a 1922 American La France fire truck, a 1930 Austin Seven, a 1908 Brush Runabout, a 1922 Cleveland Speedster, a 1917 Columbia Ambulance, a 1917 Indian Motorcycle, a 1915 Maxwell armored car, a 1916 Packard Moving Van, a 1918 Renault light tank and a 1916 Willys Overland Opera Coupe.

SARATOGA AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM
110 Avenue of the Pines
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
(518) 587-1935
Features: In addition to exhibiting classic and vintage cars from around the world, this museum emphasizes the role of New York State and the East in general in the development of the passenger, commercial and racing sectors of the automobile industry. The facility, located in the picturesque Saratoga State Park, also is headquarters for the New York State Stock Car Association Hall of Fame.

Dowd's Guide to NY Classic Cars