Tag Archives: Gilmore Car Museum

Posing with Princesses, training with Superheroes coming to Gilmore Saturday, April 2

Entertainment, Kids Activities, Local Entertainment, Local History, Recreation, Upcoming Events, ,
“Cars & Characters: A Celebration of Princesses and Superheroes”, a family-focused event scheduled for this weekend at the Gilmore Car Museum. (Supplied)

By WKTV Staff

“Cars & Characters: A Celebration of Princesses and Superheroes”, a family-focused event scheduled for this weekend at the Gilmore Car Museum promises to “combine a magical interaction for kids with storybook princesses and comic book superheroes,” according to an announcement form the museum.

And for for the adults, there will be indoor collection of more than 400 classic vehicles.

The event will be Saturday, April 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For tickets and more information visit GilmoreCarMuseum.org.

Aurora and Frog Princess will be among the Princesses and Superheroes this weekend at the Gilmore Car Museum. (Supplied)

“Our princess and superhero events at the Gilmore have become a unique opportunity to engage and delight children, yet also educate and introduce them to automotive history,” Josh Russell, executive director of the Gilmore Car Museum, said in supplied material.

“Cars & Characters” will provide “aspiring young princesses and superheroes,” and their parents or grandparents, the opportunity for memorable photographs with more than 20 storybook princesses and comic book superheroes alongside carriages, royal coaches, limousines, and fairy tale backdrops.

Fairytale princesses will be cruising in cool cars at the Gilmore Car Museum next week. (Gilmore Car Museum)

Photos with the featured princesses and superheroes will be taken in front of special luxury vehicles from the Gilmore collections, including a 1936 Packard, the America’s Sweetheart Ford Model A, and the 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Sedanca De-Ville from the 1967 Walt Disney film “The Gnome-Mobile”.

Several new “experiences” for children have been added to this year’s event, according to the announcement, including Storytime with Belle (a reading of a magical tale), “Certified Superhero Training Sessions” with Spiderman, and Pixie Dust Wishing Ceremony with Tinker Bell. There will also be a special new VIP Coronation Ceremony with the Frozen Sisters, available by separate VIP tickets.

Each activity happens every thirty minutes, is first come, first served, and is available to fifty guests at one time.

Advance Cars & Characters admission tickets are available online.

“Cars & Characters – A Celebration of Princesses and Superheroes” at the Gilmore Car Museum is produced in collaboration with Michigan-based Olivia Grace & Company, and its highly-regarded cast of unforgettable character performers.

For more information visit GilmoreCarMuseum.org, call 269-671-5089 or email info@gilmorecarmuseum.org.

Gonzo’s Top Five: Happy Lunar New Year! Plus loads of car fun

Entertainment, Gonzo's Top 5, Local Entertainment, Recreation, , , , ,

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

I love February. It’s Black History Month. The Chinese New Year begins. And the Olympics are back.

All are in this weekend’s Gonzo’s Top 5, exclusively on WKTV Journal.

Here we go.

Gonzo’s Top 5

5. Forest Hills Eastern presents Seussical the Musical

West Michigan is blessed with many great high school theater programs. This weekend you can check one out as “Seussical, The Musical” is being presented at the Forest Hills Fine Arts Center in Grand Rapids. The story takes you on a very familiar journey with The Cat in the Hat, who tells the story of Horton, an elephant who discovers a speck of dust that contains the Whos. Performances are at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 3 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students. More info at fhfac.com.

4. She Runs GR Training Run and Warm Up

Is one of your New Year’s Resolutions is to compete in She Runs Grand Rapids (formally Gazelle Girl)? Even though the race is not until May 1, you can start training now as part of World of Winter in downtown Grand Rapids. A training run is planned Saturday (Feb. 5) with a 30-minute warm-up and distances of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 miles. Hot chocolate, coffee and water will be available afterward. Meet at 9 a.m. at 555 Monroe. More info on the World of Winter website at worldofwintergr.com/events.

Other World of Winter events: Outdoor Olympic Watch Party at Studio Park at 7:30 p.m. Friday; Black History Month Walking Tour at 2 p.m. Saturday; Movies on the Piazza with live action “Mulan” at 1 p.m. Sunday and “Cruella” at 4 p.m. Sunday.

3. Lunar New Year Storytelling

Celebrate the Lunar New Year with the Grand Rapids Asian-Pacific Foundation with a free event featuring outdoor storytelling, storybook reading and dragon/lion dancer performances from. 2-4 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 5) at the Studio Park piazza. Studio Park which is located in downtown Grand Rapids at 123 Ionia Ave. SW. More info at facebook.com/grasianfoundation.

2. Winter Motoring Meet

Looking for a fun outdoor event? The second annual Winter Motoring Meet features more than 400 classic vehicles on Saturday (Feb. 5) at the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners. The event includes scenic rides in several of the museum’s antique cars and trucks, as well as a special exhibit of vintage snowmobiles, a professional ice carving exhibition and outdoor games. Guests can enjoy an outdoor fire with food and beverages, too. Also, feel free to bring your own snowshoes or cross-country skis for a trek across the 90-acre campus. For more info including admission, go to gilmorecarmuseum.org/events/winter-motoring-meet.

READ MORE: Winter fun — Gilmore’s Winter Motoring Meet, vintage snowmobile show set for Feb. 5

1.Michigan International Auto Show

Car lovers, it’s back! The 24th Annual Michigan International Auto Show presented by Gentex takes place this weekend at DeVos Place. The show features 20 manufacturers of trucks, SUVs, crossovers, electrics, hybrids and performance vehicles. Plus, those classic cars in the Million Dollar Motorway of vintage and high-priced cars of the Gilmore Car Museum. Hours are 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults and $5 for children ages 6-14. Learn more at GRAutoShow.com.

That’s it for now.

As always, I welcome your input and recommendations for events to include in my Top 5 list. If you have something for me to consider, just send me an email at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Have a great, safe weekend.

John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Three West Michigan organizations add some ‘light’ to the holiday season

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Holidays, Recreation, , ,

By Anna Johns
WKTV Contributing Writer

Light shows have been a holiday tradition for many families during the season. From holiday train rides to Christmas carolers, West Michigan has much to offer.

The Gilmore Car Museum will be light up for the holidays. (Supplied)

Winter Wonderland at the Gilmore Car Museum

This holiday season the Gilmore Car Museum has teamed up with Bluewater technologies to present the first-ever “Winter Wonderland” at the Gilmore Car Museum.

“Winter Wonderland” is a drive-thru holiday tour that takes place on the museum’s campus. The drive is 1.5 miles long and guests can drive along the path as they view lighted historical barns, decorated vintage-era dealerships, and 25 individual light displays. Guests can also view artwork exhibits from automotive illustrators including Art Fitzpatrick, Van Kaufman, and Jeff Norwell.

“Dashing Through the Snow” is an additional opportunity for families to ride in vintage cars from the museum’s collection. Families can choose from Ford Model Ts, a Checkered Taxi Cab, a ’63 Cadillac convertible, and several other vintage cars. Tickets are limited for this opportunity and can be purchased for an additional $20 on-site.

Each ticket includes access to the museum on the same evening. Inside the museum, guests may view “Gilmore’s Festival of Trees” alongside classic cars and observe exhibits showing Christmas through the decades. There will be holiday food and beverages available for purchase along with opportunities for holiday gift shopping. Children can visit Santa or play reindeer games. On Friday and Saturday nights, there will be live music.

“Winter Wonderland” will run throughout the holiday season, from Nov. 24 to Jan. 9, on Wednesdays and Thursdays, the museum will be open from 5 – 9 p.m., and on Fridays to Sundays and special holidays, the museum is open from 5 – 10 p.m. Gates close one hour before the end of each night.

The Gilmore Car Museum is located at 6865 W Hickory Rd, Hickory Corners, just outside Kalamazoo. Tickets are sold per person. For adults 18+ tickets purchased at the door cost $20 or $17.50 when purchased online in advance. For those ages, 5-17 tickets cost $12 at the door or $9.50 when purchased online in advance. Children 4 and under are free. Tickets are now available for purchase at GilmoreCarMuseum.org.

Scenes from Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s Christmas and Holiday Traditions Around the World exhibition and events. (Supplied/Dean VanDis)

University of Michigan Health-West Christmas & Holiday Traditions

The annual University of Michigan Health-West Christmas & Holiday Traditions exhibition is back at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.

 

This is the 27th year of their annual horticulture exhibition. Every year during the holiday season the Gardens transform into a winter wonderland. The exhibition features 46 international trees and displays showcasing different cultures and continents. This year the gardens will be illuminated by 300,000 lights. Inside guests can view the companion Railway Garden exhibition. This is a unique horticultural display that incorporates moving trains and trolleys alongside handcrafted replicas of Grand Rapids landmarks.

 

On specific dates, the Dickens Carolers will be roaming the Bissell and Gunberg corridors singing holiday favorites. They will be at the Gardens on Nov. 23, Nov. 30, Dec. 7, Dec. 14, and Dec. 21 from 6 – 8 p.m.

Outside guests can bundle up and enjoy an outdoor discovery walk. This year the walk themes are Birds and Their Senses, and Holiday Carols and Symbols. On Saturdays, until Dec. 18, the Rooftop Landing Reindeer Farm will be hosting reindeer visits from 1 – 4 p.m.

The gardens are open on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m, and on Mondays – Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For the holidays season, they have extended their late hours to 9 p.m on Dec. 20-23 and 27-30. They will be closed on Nov. 25, Dec. 25, and Jan. 1.

To enter the gardens tickets for adults are $14.50, students (with student ID) $11, children ages 5 to 13 are $7, children 3 to 4 are $4, and children 2 and under are free. The exhibition will run from Nov. 23 to Jan. 2..  For more information about the holiday exhibition, visit www.meijergardens.org

The Christmas Lite Show returns to the Whitecaps home, LMCU Ballpark in Comstock Park. (courtesy Christmas Lite Show)

Christmas Lite Show

The Christmas Lite Show has become a holiday tradition for many families in West Michigan and this year the attraction is back to spread holiday cheer.

The attraction typically takes half an hour to drive through. This year organizers have added several new animated displays along with new lights and tunnels. Another option is to take a ride on the Memory Lane Train to experience the show. To ride the train tickets are $30 per bench seat. Benches fit two adults comfortably and small children are allowed to sit on laps for free. The train has 10 benches and can fit 20 adults comfortably. Train tickets must be purchased online and are not available for purchase at the station.

Tickets for the drive-thru are available online or at the ticket window. Tickets start at $28 and vary depending on the size of the vehicle. Once purchased tickets are good for one-time use anytime from Nov. 24 to Jan. 1. The attraction is open on Sundays to Thursdays from 5:30 to 9 p.m. and on Fridays and Saturdays, it will be open from 5:30 to 10 p.m.

The attraction is located at LMCU Ballpark in Comstock Park. Tickets and more information can be found at www.christmasliteshow.com.

‘Ultimate Truck Show’, honoring first responders, coming to Gilmore Sept. 10-11

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Recreation, Upcoming Events, WKTV Projects, ,
The Gilmore’s Ultimate Truck Show will include pickup trucks, 4x4s, Jeeps, big rigs, tow trucks, emergency response vehicles, and military vehicles. (Gilmore Car Museum)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

The Gilmore Car Museum and Tow Community are joining forces to present the Ultimate Truck Show, a celebration of “the trucks we all love and rely on,” on the Gilmore Car Museum campus this weekend.

The event will run Friday, Sept. 10, from noon to 8 p.m.; and Saturday, Sept. 11, from 9 a/m. to 4 p.m. The Gilmore is located on M-43, just north of Gull Lake, between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo.

Tow Community is an online member community of thousands of towing services professionals and emergency responders, promoting roadway safety and the “Slow Down, Move Over” national industry campaign. For more information visit facebook.com/thetowingcommunity

The Ultimate Truck Show, according to a announcement from the Gilmore, will include activities like Touch-A-Truck, a Kids Zone with games, swap meet, bake sale, silent auction, Light Up The Night with the lights from First Responder vehicles, a school bus extrication demonstration, helicopter landing, and more.

Present for viewing will be a wide range of pickup trucks, 4x4s, Jeeps, big rigs, tow trucks, emergency response vehicles, and military vehicles in the show fields, alongside the historic barns and classic dealership buildings containing the Gilmore Car Museum’s indoor car collection.

There will also be live concert performances on both Friday and Saturday, included in the admission price, with Schlitz Creek Bluegrass Band on Friday, starting at 5 p.m.; and  Barefoot Blonde Country Rock Band on Saturday, starting at 2:30 p.m.

There will also be an onsite fundraising efforts at the show which will directly benefit the Great Lakes Burn Camp for Burn Injured Children. (glbcforkids.org)

For general information about the Gilmore Car Museum visit GilmoreCarMuseum.org, call 269-671-5089 or email info@gilmorecarmuseum.org.

Perfect for little royals — parade and fairytale brunch kids day coming to Gilmore Car Museum

Entertainment, Kids Activities, Local Entertainment, Recreation, Upcoming Events, West Michigan,
Fairytale princesses will be cruising in cool cars at the Gilmore Car Museum next week. (Gilmore Car Museum)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

The Gilmore Car Museum, and a bunch of little princesses and princes, had so much fun early this year that the museum will hold its second Princesses on Parade & Fairytale Brunch outdoor event on Friday, July 23.

“Children will enjoy unforgettable interactions with their favorite storybook princesses and special cars from the museum’s world-class collection,” according to an announcement from the museum, located between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo at Hickory Corners. Activities will run 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and different levels of tickets are on sale now.

With purchase of a Fairytale Brunch ticket, children can enjoy a delicious morning brunch with Rapunzel, Ariel, and Belle, as they mingle with guests under the outdoor tent, lead a special welcome dance, and conduct a wishing ceremony.

Pretty in Pink: Princesses and cars at the Gilmore Car Museum. (Gilmore Car Museum)

Or, with purchase of a standalone Meet & Greet ticket, children can capture memorable outdoor photo ops with up to 12 storybook princesses and vintage vehicles as they tour the Gilmore lawns, according to the announcement. Also, purchase of a special Princesses on Parade ride ticket allows for parent and child to enjoy a ride around campus alongside a Princess, waving to onlookers, in a classic convertible.

“Princess Days at the Gilmore Car Museum engage and delight children, yet also educate and introduce them to automotive history,” Josh Russell, executive director of the Gilmore Car Museum, said in supplied material.

Outdoor photos with the featured princesses will be taken in front of landmark buildings and special vehicles from the museum collections, including a 1921 Roamer Speedster, America’s Sweetheart Model A Ford, and a 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Sedanca DeVille.

Capacity for the Fairytale Brunch is limited to 150 guests, and capacity for Princesses on Parade convertible rides are limited to 80 guests.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit here.

Princess Day at the Gilmore Car Museum is produced in collaboration with Michigan-based Olivia Grace & Company, and its cast of unforgettable character performers. For additional information on Olivia Grace & Company, please visit oliviagraceandcompany.com.

For more information, visit GilmoreCarMuseum.org, call 269-671-5089 or email info@gilmorecarmuseum.org.

Gilmore Car Museum’s season starting line is memorial Mustang and Ford show on May 1

3-bottom, Dream Wheels, Local Entertainment, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , ,
David J. Beeke was a Kalamazoo-area Foxbody Mustang restoration expert who died of cancer a few years ago. A memorial event at the Gilmore Car Museum will benefit a local cancer center. (Supplied/Gilmore)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.com

The Gilmore Car Museum’s car show season will begin a little earlier than expected this year as the museum has added the David J. Beeke Mustang & Ford Show  to its 2021 event season.
 

The early season car show, according to a statement from the museum, “will feature Ford Mustangs, with special emphasis on 80s/90s Foxbody Mustangs and other Ford vehicles, but is open to all classic car makes and models.”

The memorial car show will celebrate classic cars while it also honors the life of passionate car enthusiast David J. Beeke, a Kalamazoo-area Foxbody Mustang restoration expert died of cancer a few years ago.

Beeke’s family and friends started the annual event as a tribute to him, and this year will bring the event — and Beeke’s Mustangs — to the Gilmore. A portion of event proceeds will be donated to the West Michigan Cancer Center (wmcc.org), a 501c3 nonprofit based in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

“Bringing a Mustang & Ford Show to the Gilmore Car Museum for our community is exactly the kind of thing that David would have wanted to be a part of,” Matt Sturdy, close friend of Beeke and co-coordinator of the show. “It will be special to have David’s Mustangs there on the grounds, and to have him there with us in spirit.”

Beeke family members and friends will assist with car judging and selection for awards, including presentation of the “Beeke Best In Show” award.

One (little) part of the Gilmore Car Museum. (Supplied)

Food and beverage will be available onsite, as the Gilmore Bar and vintage 1941 George & Sally’s Blue Moon Diner will both be open for business. The show will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

 

Showcar/Participant pre-registration is $20, can be handled in advance online at GilmoreCarMuseum.org, and includes admission for two people (driver + guest).  Or, registration can be handled onsite on the morning of the event, once the show car gate opens at 8 a.m.

Registration also includes access to all museum indoor buildings and galleries.

More early season events at the Gilmore 

Several more early season events are scheduled for the weeks following the David J. Beeke Mustang & Ford Show, including: Boats at The Barns, May 8, for classic wooden, fiberglass, and aluminum boats; Vintage Travel Trailer Rally, May 15, for vintage campers and RVs; Corks & Crafts Wine and Beer Festival , also on May 15, for beer and wine enthusiasts; and Vintage Motorcycle Weekend, June 12-13, for pre-1996 motorcycles and scooters.

By order of Michigan’s governor, all museum visitors age 5 and over are required to wear a face mask in all indoor spaces, and in outside venues at any posted “mask required” areas or any time social distancing of 6’ cannot be maintained at any area of the museum.

The Gilmore Car Museum is located 20 minutes north of Kalamazoo and 45 minutes south of Grand Rapids. For questions or more information, visit www.GilmoreCarMuseum.org.

Gilmore Car Museum to host new Winter Motoring Meet on Feb. 20

Entertainment, Kids Activities, Recreation, Travel, Upcoming Events, ,

By Emily Holmes, WKTV Intern

ken@wktv.org

The Gilmore Car Museum is offering families a day full of outdoor winter fun — with attractions ranging from vintage snowmobiles to ice carving — at its all-new Winter Motoring Meet, set for Saturday, Feb. 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

With the standard daily admission, guests will have full access to both outdoor activities and to the indoor car collection of over 400 vehicles. The Winter Motoring Meet will include “open-aired” scenic “sleigh” rides around the campus using several of the museum’s antique cars — including comfy seats in the bed of a Classic Ford Model AA pickup truck.

The event is “a fun way for us to get outside and enjoy the winter season, in an outdoor environment with plenty of room for everyone to remain socially distanced,” Josh Russell, executive director of the Gilmore Car Museum, said in supplied material.
 

Rides will be one guest/family/group per ride. Masks will be required and vehicle seating will be sanitized between each ride. All museum visitors ages 5 and over are required to wear face masks. All COVID-19 health procedures apply.

The Gilmore Car Museum is located at 6865 W Hickory Rd, Hickory Corners (north of Kalamazoo). For more information, visit GilmoreCarMuseum.org. Standard admission at the Gilmore Car Museum is $16 for adults and seniors, $11 for age 11-14, free for Children 10 and under — and free for active military.

Gilmore museum to offer active military, veterans free admission through Nov. 15

Dream Wheels, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Recreation, Upcoming Events, Veterans, ,
1941 Bantam BRC-40 Reconnaissance Car. (Supplied/Gilmore Car Museum)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

In recognition of Veterans Day this week and in honor of all veterans, the Gilmore Car Museum is offering free admission to the museum this week through Sunday, Nov. 15.
 

The Gilmore, located at Hickory Corners just outside of Kalamazoo, will allow all active, inactive and veteran U.S. military personnel to take advantage of their free admission to the the museum, its car collection, and its 90-acre historic campus.

The Gilmore Car Museum is North America’s largest auto museum with more than 400 vehicles on display, according to supplied material. Its mission is to tell the history of America through the automobile.

“At the Gilmore Car Museum, we take great pride in honoring our country’s servicemen and women, who for generations have sacrificed to protect our freedoms, and protect the American way of life,” Josh Russell, executive director of the Gilmore Car Museum, said in supplied material. “Welcoming these veterans and active duty service people into our museum is just a small way to thank them for their service and dedication to our great country.”
 

The Gilmore points out that attending veterans and military personnel should be sure to take special notice of the 1941 Bantam BRC-40 Reconnaissance Car, which is currently on feature display in the museum’s Campania barn.

According to supplied material, prior to Ford and Willys production of “General Purpose” vehicles that would become known worldwide as the “Jeep,” these early BRC-40s were prototypes produced for the U.S. Army by American Bantam Car Company, in Butler, PA. Two additional prototypes were produced through a partnership between Bantam and Checker Car Company in Kalamazoo.
 

During Veterans Week at the museum, veterans and service-people are also entitled to a 10 percent discount on purchases from the Gilmore Car Museum store.

There will also be special hours for Veterans Week, 10 a.m., to 5 p.m., Thursday to Sunday, Nov. 12-15.

Upon arrival, service-people and veterans can present their Military ID, VA cards, veteran organization membership cards, or discharge papers at the entrance for free admission. For other attending family members or friends, tickets can be purchased either upon entry at the museum, or in advance at GilmoreCarMuseum.org.

For more information, visit GilmoreCarMuseum.org or call 269-671-5089.

Gilmore Car Museum hosts exhibit focusing headlights onto era of ‘whites only’ road travel amenities

Area Education, Books, Education, Entertainment, Kids Activities, Local Entertainment, Recreation, Upcoming Events, WKTV Projects, ,
Bus Waiting Room for “Colored”, circa 1940. Unknown location. (Library of Congress)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

West Michigan’s Gilmore Car Museum, in promotional material for its exhibit “The Negro Motorist Green Book”, retells an often-told story about travel for African-Americans in the United State’s deep south in the middle years of the 1900s.

In the spring of 1946, Jack Roosevelt Robinson, former multi-sport standout at UCLA and a U.S. Army veteran, and his bride of two weeks were flying from Los Angeles to Florida for baseball’s spring training season — twice along the route they were bumped from flights so their seats could be occupied by passengers with white skin.

Historic photo identifying restaurant as for “White Trade Only”. Location and date unknown. (Library of Congress)

During a stopover in New Orleans, they were not allowed to eat in the “whites only” airport restaurant. After arriving in Florida, the driver ordered them to sit in the back of the bus.

But the Robinsons, Jackie — soon to wear the Brooklyn Dodgers’ No. 42 on his back — and Rachel, were not alone. African-Americans faced discrimination in many aspects of life, including lodging, dining, when trying to find a drinking fountain or a restroom or even when trying to buy gasoline for their cars.

And that era is the backdrop of the Gilmore’s exhibit “The Negro Motorist Green Book” comes into the picture — an exhibit focused on the book series “The Negro Travelers’ Green Book”.

History of the Green Book

According to supplied information, Victor Hugo Green published “The Negro Travelers’ Green Book” with a listing of places — some commercial, some private homes — where dark-skinned people could stay and eat, where they could buy gas and even which towns to avoid for their own safety.

The 1954 Green Book. (Gilmore)

Green, an African-American mail carrier in New York City started the series in the mid-1930s and his company kept it going until passage of civil rights legislation in the 1960s.

Green and his wife were from Virginia and as they traveled to visit family, they encountered Jim Crow Era restrictions. He got the idea to start the series when a Jewish friend showed Green a guidebook used to avoid “gentile-only” establishments and Green started his Green Book. He enlisted mail carriers across the country to help him compile and update the listings.

Decades after the Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment ended slavery, African Americans continued to suffer unequal treatment, especially in the Deep South. Jim Crow Laws discriminated against blacks in nearly every aspect of public life, including travel.

The Gilmore exhibit

While many people saw the Academy Award winning movie “Green Book”,  visitors to the Gilmore Car Museum can now learn more about the book and its role in black travel in an exhibit which opened in 2014 and has since gained much praise.

The Gilmore Car Museum’s Green Book Diorama. (Gilmore)

David Lyon, automotive historian and author, recently pointed out that Gilmore’s display is likely “the only Green Book exhibit at an automobile museum in this country, and perhaps the world,” according to the Gilmore.

The exhibit includes the life-like museum figures of a mother and daughter and — the Gilmore being a car museum after all — a classic and restored two-tone 1948 Buick sedan parked at an Esso filing station. Information panels provide details, a large video plays interviews with African-Americans who experienced discrimination while traveling and a copy of the Spring 1956 edition of a Green Book is there for museum visitors to examine.

“It’s a story that had been pretty much forgotten,” Jay Follis, Gilmore museum curator, said in supplied material. “We’ve had a tremendous number of people seeing it and saying, ‘I’ve never heard of this.’”

There’s a reason the gas station in the Gilmore museum diorama has an Esso pump. Esso was a brand of John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company.

The 1942 Green Book. (Gilmore)

Follis explained that Esso had a program to help African-Americans buy and operate its service stations. Esso also provided offices and support for the staff that helped Green produce and publish his guides.

The Green Book diorama is one of two cultural exhibits that are a permanent part of the Gilmore museum’s display. The other — “The American Exodus” — focuses on the hardships of the Depression-era migration from the Midwestern “Dust Bowl” to the promised-land on the West Coast.

In addition to the Gilmore’s nearly 400 vehicles, many of them housed in historic buildings and re-created automobile dealerships, its 90-acre campus includes a vintage gasoline station and authentic 1941 Blue Moon Diner that serves lunch daily.

The Gilmore Car Museum is located at Hickory Corners, between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, for more information visit gilmorecarmusuem.org or call 269-671-5089.

Thousands of cars will be on display at Red Barns Spectacular, Aug. 5

Citizen Journalism, Upcoming Events, , , ,

 

By Jay A. Follis

 

Brought to you by the Kalamazoo Antique Auto Restorers Club, the RED BARNS SPECTACULAR is the most anticipated show of the season. Hailed as West Michigan’s “Grand Daddy” of all antique, classic and special interest car shows, it is one BIG day with two HUGE shows.

 

The area’s oldest and largest antique, classic, and special interest car show and swap meet featuring vehicles of all eras from 1992 and earlier takes place at the Gilmore Car Museum on Saturday, August 5th.

 

Both the Judged Car Show field and Driver’s Choice Show field are open to all vehicles 25 years or older, including cars, trucks, commercial vehicles, vintage campers, military vehicles, fire trucks and boats.

 

Thousands of cars will be on display, along with special areas for antique campers and the Tin Can Tourists, cars for sale, antique boats, and vintage bicycles. Plus, check out over 300 onsite vendors and shop for those hard to find car parts, tools, literature, antiques, arts, crafts and more in the season’s largest swap meet. For more information, check out the Red Barns Spectacular’s Facebook page.

 

Celebrating its 37th year, the RED BARNS SPECTACULAR has been sponsored by the Kalamazoo Antique Auto Restorers Club (KAARC) and the Gilmore Car Museum since 1980.

 

“This is the event that folks wait all summer for,” said KAARC show chairperson Jim Holland. “The name says it all, it really is spectacular!”

 

At last year’s event, over 1,500 collector cars and more than 300 swap meet vendors, descended on the Gilmore Car Museum for what has been dubbed the “Granddaddy” of all area car shows.

 

Multiple generations now take part in the RED BARNS SPECTACULAR, either as participants vying for one of the nearly 100 trophies to be awarded in either the Judged Show or in the Driver’s Choice Show or as spectators reliving and making memories.

 

Whether you’re interested in antiques, classics, mid-century muscle cars, or prefer trucks, customs, street rods, or historic military vehicles, vintage boats or campers, this event will certainly not disappoint! Guests to the RED BARNS SPECTACULAR will be given access into the Gilmore Car Museum—North America’s largest auto museum—and its campus and exhibits at no extra charge.

 

Two new special exhibits just opened; “Designed for Delivery—the History of the American Truck” featuring 22 incredible trucks from 1907 to 1963; and “Kalamazoo — The Other Motorcity,” showcasing Kalamazoo built autos such as the iconic Checker Cab, the Duesenberg-powered Roamer and the Cornelian racecar driven by Louis Chevrolet in the 1915 Indy 500.

 

The Gilmore Car Museum’s 90-acre historic campus, located 20 miles northeast of Kalamazoo, will be filled with antique, classic, and special interest autos, as well as customs, street rods and military vehicles.

 

Visitors will have the chance to step back in time, locate those hard-to-find parts for their restoration project, and even purchase a collector vehicle from the large cars for sale “corral” area. You’ll also find several vendors selling vintage auto-related memorabilia, general antiques, as well as arts and crafts. Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy a variety of old-time food concessions and visit the Museum’s authentic 1940s roadside eatery—George & Sally’s Blue Moon Diner.

 

Some highlights for this year’s event includes:

  • See the Car and Meet the Team! The Gilmore Garage Works high school program will display the 1935 Packard that five teens just completed the 2,400-mile 2017 GREAT RACE in.
  • A living history “Tin Can Tourist Camp,” featuring several dozen antique and vintage campers and trailers from throughout the Midwest, will be displayed on the Museum’s historic campus.
  • “Boats at the Barns” is an amazing display area of antique boats and motors and, vintage wooden and classic fiberglass boats of all kinds—from barn-finds to stunningly restored.
  • The noon traffic “jam” is when all show cars announce their presence by sounding their horns!

Gates will open to the public at 8am for this ever-popular family friendly event, which runs until 4pm, while the Museum remains open until 6pm. Discounted general admission for the day is only $12.00 per person, with those under 11 admitted FREE, and includes the car show and all the expanded Museum exhibit buildings.

 

To learn more about the Gilmore Car Museum and the Red Barns Spectacular, visit: www.GilmoreCarMuseum.org or call the Museum at 269.671.5089.

Area high school students to compete in famed ‘Great Race’

Citizen Journalism, , , ,

By Jay Follis

Gilmore Car Museum

 

The esteemed Great Race, the highly competitive cross-country road rally made up of all vintage automobiles, will be traveling through Michigan and make a mid-day public stop at the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan, on June 29.

 

 

More than 120 pre-1972 autos will be traveling more than 2,400 miles from Jacksonville, Florida, to Traverse City, Michigan—much of it along the historic Dixie Highway—in a nine-day vintage car endurance rally competition. Unlike the name implies, it’s not about high speed racing but an endurance rally where following precise instructions and arriving on time each day are key. The 2-17 Great Race takes place June 24 – July 2. The cars are scheduled to stop at the Gilmore Care Museum for a lunch break around 12:15 p.m. June 29 before continuing on to Ypsilanti. The group continues on June 30 to Chesterfield, then Frankenmuth . July 1, they travel to Alpena with an overnight at Sault Ste. Marie arriving on July 2 at Traverse City.

 

The entire competition takes place without the use of any cell phones, GPS or maps.

 

More than 100 teams come from all across the United States and foreign countries to compete for nearly $250,000 in prize money, with about six teams from high school and college programs running in a special class. The X-Cup Division doesn’t compete for cash but for possible student scholarship funds and “an experience of a life time,” according to Fred Colgren, Education Director of the Gilmore Car Museum.

 

Colgren recently announced that a team of high school students from the Museum’s Gilmore Garage Works, an after-school program that provides hands-on involvement with maintaining and restoring vintage cars, will run in the 2017 Great Race. The six qualifying teens making up the only such youth team from the Midwest are from West Michigan Counties: Allegan, Barry, and Kalamazoo.

 

The Museum began Garage Works in 2008 to help fill the void left after several local schools eliminated auto shop classes. The Gilmore utilized its facility and staff members, along with volunteer mentors made up of area hobbyists. On Tuesday andThursday evenings each semester about two dozen area students team up with a nearly equal number of mentors. Together they have completely restored the chassis of a 1931 Willys and 1909 Buick, a handful of vintage motorcycles, and are currently working on a Model A pickup and a 1948 Lincoln V-12 Sedan.

 

This June three of the adult mentors (race rules require drivers be 21 or older) and the six students will make up the Garage Works team for the Great Race and run a 1935 Packard, assembled for the race by museum staff.

 

The students become the navigators, guiding the driver’s way and making all the calculations during the trip. Mechanical repairs are also the sole duty of the team. Following only precise turn-by-turn written instructions that include such directions as how many seconds to sit at stop signs or the exact speed and distance to accelerate to, the navigators must assist the driver without using maps, GPS or calculators, though stop watches and pencils are allowed.

 

Last year’s overall winner concluded the race in just 1 minute and 20.3 seconds off the perfect race time (a designated time they learn of only after the race).

 

The Gilmore car selected to run the Great Race is a 1935 Packard that was donated to Garage Works by Bea Dinger of Zeeland, as it was a restoration project left unfinished by her late husband Bud. While much had been done over the years by various groups of Garage Works students, the sedan still required more work than the program had hours available to complete. To meet the race and training deadlines a group of Museum staff and volunteers took on the project in order to give the students a jump start on finishing it in time for the event.

 

Overall, Colgren believes it is the life lessons that students take away from Garage Works that are most valuable to them.

 

“You never know the impact you’re going to have on a student,” he explained. “We are thrilled to give our students the remarkable opportunity to run in the Great Race— the world’s premiere vintage car endurance rally.”

 

The Gilmore Car Museum is a public, 501(c)3 non-profit institution, dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of the American automobile. For more information, visit GilmoreCarMuseum.org.

‘The Golden Age of Sports Cars, 1949-1967’ at Gilmore Car Museum Oct. 1 through April 2017

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, , ,

janis-joplin-porsche-356
Janis Joplin and her psychedelic 1964 Porsche 356

The Golden Age of Sports Cars, 1949-1967 is the title of an all-new special museum exhibition opening at the Gilmore Car Museum on Saturday, October 1st and running until April 2017.

 

This exhibit showcases nearly two dozen of the rarest and most sought-after sports cars in the world including Nicolas Cage’s 1967 Ferrari 275/GTB 4, the race-inspired 1955 Mercedes Benz Gull Wing, and an authentic Shelby Cobra 427.

 

For a very short period — only the first 10 days of the exhibit — guests will be also able to see rock legend Janis Joplin’s psychedelic 1964 Porsche 356 that set a world record price paid for a Porsche 356 when it was sold in 2015 by Sotheby’s Auction for $1.76 million, earning nearly triple its high estimate of $600,000.

 

Joplin purchased the Porsche used in 1968 and had it painted bumper to bumper in a mural which includes psychedelic skull-like faces, mushrooms and floating eyes as well as landscapes, butterflies and birds.

 

The car became Joplin’s daily driver in the San Francisco Bay area and it’s said that fans would often leave notes for her under the windshield wipers.

 

While multiple replicas of Carroll Shelby’s famed Cobra 427 have been built by hobbyists, the Gilmore Car Museum’s exhibit features a very rare authentic example. The unaltered 1967 Cobra is one of only 30 “Street” versions produced and was delivered new by Brondes Ford of Toledo, Ohio (and is the 6th from the last Cobra ever produced). It can reach 0 to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds with a top speed of 163 mph.

 

What caused the great interest in sports cars during this time period? Just after WWII, many returning American servicemen brought back a variety of sports cars they had discovered in Europe. These small cars were ill-suited for a family and were often uncomfortable, but they offered an exciting experience to drive.

 

American car manufacturers quickly recognized the enthusiasm and potential market, and by the early 1950s, they had introduced American cars to compete. The Chevrolet Corvette debuted in 1953, the Kaiser Darrin arrived in 1954, and the Ford Thunderbird was introduced in 1955.

 

The special exhibit is sponsored in part by the Mad Dogs & Englishmen British Car Club and was assembled by guest curators Tom Kayser and John Lacko, both well-known locally and among sports car aficionados.

 

The Gilmore Car Museum—North America’s largest auto museum—is located just 20 minutes northeast of Kalamazoo on M-43 and Hickory Road. To learn more about the Gilmore Car Museum visit: www.GilmoreCarMuseum.org or call the Museum at 269.671.5089.

 

MOPAR enthusiasts… rev your engines July 30

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Education, Entertainment, Local History, Upcoming Events, , , , , , , , ,

 

orange at gilmore car museum

The resounding answer will be “YEAH, it’s got a Hemi!” during the 28th annual MOPARS at the Red Barns Show and Swap Meet that takes place at the Gilmore Car Museum, 6865 W Hickory Rd, Hickory Corners, Mich. on Saturday, July 30 from 9 am to 3 pm.

 

Presented by the West Michigan Mopar Club, this family-friendly car show and swap meet is the region’s largest all-Chrysler products event of its type. More than 350 Mopars—Chrysler Corporation’s name for its product lines that include Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, DeSoto and Imperial—will take over the Gilmore Car Museum historic campus. The show is open to all Chrysler-powered vehicles of all eras, including muscle cars, antiques, street rods and trucks.

 

This year’s event honors the 50th Anniversary of the Dodge Charger and the Chrysler Street Hemi, as well as the 40th Anniversary of the Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volare.

 

The iconic Charger, introduced in 1966 as a two-door, fastback hardtop, dominated NASCAR in 1969. Ten years later, the mopar club logoorange “General Lee” sped onto TV screens in the CBS hit Dukes of Hazzard.

 

When it comes to muscle cars, the 426-HEMI has obtained legendary status. It was 50 years ago that it first became available on civilian production cars and went on to help define an era and set the question, “That thing got a Hemi?” into our memories.

 

In 1976, the all-new models Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volare were designed to be more upscale than their predecessors, Dart and Valiant. Motor Trend magazine named them the “Best Buy of the Day” and followed that up with awarding both as “Car of the Year.”

 

Saturday’s event promises to be the largest Mopar gathering in the Midwest as it fills the show fields at the Gilmore Car Museum. Whether your dream machine is a Dodge Charger, Plymouth Barracuda, or a vintage DeSoto or Imperial, you’re sure to find it—or that hard to find part needed to finish your project car—at MOPARS at the RED BARNS car show and swap meet on Saturday, July 30.

 

Mopars-at-the-Red-Barns-300x200

Participants can show their Mopar powdered vehicles for $20 each, while the general public will be admitted for only $12.00 per person. That includes visiting the entire Gilmore Car Museum campus and all exhibits at no extra charge, and those under 11 are FREE!

 

The Gilmore Car Museum—North America’s Largest Auto Museum—is located just 20 minutes northeast of Kalamazoo on M-43 and Hickory Road.  You can learn more about the Museum and its events at www.GilmoreCarMuseum.org or call 269.671.5089 for more information.

 

The 28th annual MOPARS at the Red Barns Show and Swap Meet will be sure to please as West Michigan’s largest all-Chrysler products car show, featuring over 350 muscle cars, plus antiques and special interest vehicles!

 

chargers

For those on the show field, there will be a chance for 84 trophies in 28 classes, covering virtually ALL MOPARS! Plus, special awards will also be given for Best of Show, Class of 1966 in honor of the Gilmore Car Museum’s 50th Anniversary, Best Club Participation, Longest Distance, Dodge Charger & Street Hemi 50th Anniversary, and Aspen/Volare 40th Anniversary. The car show will also include a large swap meet, food vendors, a beverage tent, and live music! For more information please contact the West Michigan Mopar Club at wmmccommander@aol.com.

 

Exhibitor Admission: $20.00 per vehicle w/two persons

24/7 Information Line: 269.664.5595

Gilmore Car Museum Continues to Grow with Grand Opening of The Cadillac-LaSalle Club Museum on Sunday, September 28th

Local Business, Non-Profits

 The Gilmore Car Museum will once again make history as it celebrates the Grand Opening of the new Cadillac-LaSalle Club Museum and Research Center on Sunday, September 28, 2014.

Located on the grounds of the Gilmore Car Museum, this 10,000 square-foot building is dedicated to maintaining and exhibiting collectible Cadillacs and LaSalles, with the focus of the new museum and research center being to protect, promote and share the exciting history of these premier automobiles as well as their impact in the United States and worldwide over the past 100-plus years.

Throughout history, Cadillac has set the standard for automotive excellence since 1902, when Henry Leland persuaded the owners of a failing Detroit car company to reorganize and build cars using his precision-designed and manufactured engine.

In the beginning, Henry Leland had worked as a precision machinist for Colt firearms in Connecticut before moving to Detroit and starting his own machine shop. His precision and demand for accuracy led Cadillac to become one of the most prestigious American autos and is referred to as “The Standard of the World.”

LaSalle was introduced in 1927 to fill the price gap between Buick and Cadillac, and was produced through 1940. The marque is credited with moving General Motors’ styling away from engineering and creating its own department: the “Art and Colour Design Studio” headed by Harley Earl.

The Cadillac & LaSalle Club was established in 1958 to encourage the preservation of early Cadillacs and LaSalles. Then in 1995, determined to preserve the Cadillac legacy, several members of the Cadillac & LaSalle Club founded the Cadillac-LaSalle Club Museum and Research Center (CLCMRC) and the process of site selection, building designs, and fundraising began.

“After an exhaustive survey of potential museum partners across the Country, we are pleased to be joining the Gilmore Car Museum,” said Paul Ayres, President of the CLCMRC. “The Gilmore is rapidly becoming the nation’s premier auto museum,” he said.

The all-new 10,000 square foot museum structure is modeled after a 1948 dealership design from the pages of General Motors book “Planning Automobile Dealer Properties” of that year.

The grand opening of the Cadillac-LaSalle Museum will contain the excitement and anticipation reminiscent of how the new model year cars were unveiled each September at local dealerships. Prior to the opening, the showroom windows will be completely covered with a banner announcing “See the New Standard of the World – Cadillac for 1948.”

On Sunday September 28th, starting at 2:00pm as part of the Museum’s Dedication Ceremony, the covering will be removed to unveil the new Museum and welcome the public inside for the first time.

Michael Spezia, Executive Director of the Gilmore Car Museum, expressed, “With the addition of the Cadillac-LaSalle Museum to the Gilmore campus we now become one of the more unique historic destinations, not just within the car collecting hobby but with the general public as well.”

Within the new Museum, guests will find nearly two-dozen automobiles within, including a very rare 1903 example from of Cadillac’s first year of production; a 1937 LaSalle Convertible Sedan, 1957 Cadillac Brougham used in the film “Driving Miss Daisy,” as well as a 1992 Indy 500 Pace car and the 2003 Cadillac Sixteen show car.

Prominent in the showroom on opening day and paying homage to the vintage dealership’s facade will be two 1948 Cadillacs – a 60 Special Sedan and a 75 Series Limousine.

Besides the fantastic automobiles displayed within the new museum structure visitors will also find an array of artifacts, memorabilia and educational exhibits that tell the entire story of Cadillac and LaSalle. There will be tributes to Cadillac’s founder Henry Leland, to the firm’s production history, its support of the Arsenal of Democracy during World War II and its history of providing Presidential limousines.

Hundreds of Cadillac & LaSalle automobiles, owners, enthusiasts and Club members are expected to attend the event, which is open to the public. Special guests will include Dave Leone, Cadillac Brand Lead Executive Chief Engineer, Margaret Dunning, who at 104 is a renowned philanthropist and auto enthusiast, as well as many other Cadillac design and engineering retirees. Cadillac & LaSalle owners who are members of the national Cadillac-LaSalle Club can also take part in the weekend-long Cadillac Fall Festival.

The Gilmore Car Museum, located in Hickory Corners, near Kalamazoo in Michigan, is renowned for its collection of over 375 extraordinary vehicles, as well as its 90-acre park-like campus made up of historic buildings. A small town train depot, 1930s gas station, 1941 diner, and a re-created auto dealerships including 1918 Franklin, 1928 Ford Model A, 1930s Lincoln are just a few of the buildings currently on the ever-expanding grounds.

The Gilmore Car Museum also serves as home to the Classic Car Club of America Museum, the Pierce-Arrow Museum, the H.H. Franklin Club Museum, the Model A Ford Foundation Museum and Lincoln Motorcar Foundation Museum, which also opened on the Gilmore campus earlier this year.

To learn more about the Gilmore Car Museum and the Cadillac & LaSalle Club please visit GilmoreCarMuseum.org and cadillaclasalleclub.org.