Located in Hickory Corners, Michigan, the 90-acre grounds of the Gilmore Car Museum has seen an explosion of activity within the last two years. It’s a long list, beginning with the recently completed Franklin Automobile Collection and the addition of a new Restoration and Education Center. Also on this list – with groundbreakings scheduled to occur within the next 18 months – are the Ford Model A Museum, the Cadillac-La Salle Foundation and the Lincoln Motor Car Foundation. And we must not forget the other attractions, including the Pierce-Arrow Museum, Midwest Miniatures Museum, the Tucker Historical Collection and Library and the Classic Car Club of America Museum.
The latest news from Gilmore is that construction has already commenced on a new 40,000-square-foot building that will serve as the home of the museum’s Automotive Heritage Center. This building is designed to appear as an early turn-of-the-(last)-century brick factory building that will feature a large exhibit gallery (where more of the museum’s collection can be displayed), a state-of-the-art multimedia theater and an expansive research library and archives. Also included will be space allocated for educational and interactive displays, store, offices and artifact storage.
The completion of the new facility in the fall of 2011 will mean that the 45-year-old campus will be able to begin year-round public hours for the first time.
The campus already boasted nearly 300 vehicles, a dozen historic structures, a 1930s filling station and a functioning diner from the 1940s; when construction is finally completed, Gilmore will undoubtedly be a hot spot for vintage vehicle enthusiasts for years to come.