LeMay Family Collection

And Then There Were Two…

Construction of the new museum began with a groundbreaking ceremony in 2010, with a Grand Opening gala celebrated in June, 2012. More than a thousand guests partied while savoring the humor and automotive stories from noted car collector Jay Leno. Nearly ten thousand people toured the museum that first weekend, and more than 100,000 had passed through the gates by summer’s end.

LeMay Family Collection

But, you may ask, “Why two facilities?” The wise-crack answer would be because three was too many and one wasn’t enough. But the fact of the matter is, the two facilities, just a couple miles apart, complement each other enough to make you want to saddle up and “Go West Young Man — and Woman…”

LeMay Family Collection

The Museum, officially known as America’s Car Museum is a four-story structure encompassing some 165,000 square feet of exhibit space, and housing more than 300 cars, trucks, and motorcycles spanning the 20th century. There are 15 display areas — 3 main galleries 6 ramps that can accommodate a dozen cars each, and three end galleries. The museum displays, of course, the cars from the LeMay collection, as well as rotating exhibits of individuals’ collections, or vehicles with a common theme. Some recent themed exhibits include British Invasion, Custom Coachworks, Legends of Motorsports — The NASCAR Story, vintage station wagons, and a separate display dedicated to the F-series pickup trucks that grew up with America.

LeMay Family Collection

In addition, the facility houses a theater, banquet hall, meeting rooms, car storage, café, and administrative offices, along with a 3.5 acre show field that regularly accommodates more than 300 vehicles. The Museum also offers a massive educational program, including scholarships and grants for students, as well as a dedicated education center that offers curricula for K through 12-graders. More than 100,000 children attend the museum and its education center each year.

LeMay Family Collection

The Museum hosts groups such as car clubs, special events such as marque-specific car shows, banquets, parties, and other celebrations. Recent events include their Wheels & Heels gala in honor of the Kentucky Derby, Cars & Cigars for those who enjoy a stogie and a cognac with their classic cars, a vintage motorcycle festival, and their annual and highly-regarded Pacific Northwest Concours d’Elegance which draws more than 150 of the finest original and restored vehicles you can imagine. Other special events include tributes to American muscle cars, vintage station wagons, and even drive-in movies on its 3.5 acre show field.

LeMay Family Collection

But What About the Rest of the Collection?

Not to worry. In keeping with LeMay’s wishes and his wife’s efforts, the remainder of the collection remains essentially intact, with some 500 vehicles on continuous display at the above-mentioned estate and another thousand vehicles in storage and available for rotation within the permanent display. Roughly 600 of the cars in the collection had been donated to the Museum.

LeMay Family Collection

It is officially known as The LeMay Family Collection at Marymount, showcases vehicles that are still owned by the LeMay family, and represents more than just cars – it represents all the other related collections that have been accumulated by the LeMay family over many decades, including Americana, signage, gas pumps, dolls and toys, library materials, etc. The web site for the Family Collection, www.lemaymarymount.org, even includes a clever search tool with which you can search for any make, model, or year of vehicle in the collection.

LeMay Family Collection

In addition to the vehicles and memorabilia on display, the facility features indoor and outdoor event space for small or large car shows, private events, corporate events, or weddings. There are three exhibit buildings on the grounds. One is presented for self-guided tours, the other two are conducted by tour guides who are intimately familiar with the collection and can answer most questions folks can think of.

The collection includes examples from nearly every vehicle manufacturer imaginable, from Rolls-Royce and Auburn to Acme trucks. The collection is roughly 85 percent domestic and 15 percent foreign vehicles, and also includes buses, motorcycles, and tractors and other farm implements. In addition, it offers an extraordinary collection of all types of items from early twentieth century America, including gas pumps, dolls and toys, signage and other objects too numerous to mention.

The two facilities, America’s Car Museum and The LeMay Family Collection Foundation, are geographically close, mutually supportive, and automotively complementary, so it’s possible to visit both in a single day if you choose. Both are wheelchair-accessible, and both charge a modest admission fee. Parking on the grounds of both is free, and visitors are encouraged to take photos. Café food service is available and there are souvenirs sure to please every age and taste.

About the only thing you can’t do there is buy one of their cars…

More information:
www.americascarmuseum.org
www.lemaymarymount.org