| Date: 06/20/2004 |
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| Historic Auto Attractions - Worth the Drive |
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| by Gary Hill |
| gary@beetcafe.com |
| www.musicstreetjournal.com |
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Sometimes the most interesting places are hidden where you would least expect to find them. Nestled amongst a row of industrial buildings on Metric Drive in Roscoe, Illinois is just one such surprise. It is there you will find a non-descript building labeled "Historic Auto Attractions." I can't honestly think of a more apt name for this museum, although certainly it would be worthy of a more elaborate façade. I had never really thought of vehicles (better word to use here, as they have more than just cars) as being very historical. This place definitely changed my opinion on that. Whether your interest is modern history, racing, television, movies or celebrities there is something here for everyone.
As you enter the museum it's a step-back in time to the turn of the century, the turn of the 20th century that is, with stage coaches and other vehicles beautifully restored and displayed with figures in period costume, and other memorabilia to complete the scene. As you leave that area you enter Gangsterland where you will find vehicles owned by John Dillinger, Al Capone, Bonnie and Clyde and others, all displayed with informative text. Following through you hit a section that puts you in touch with a different type of fame - the glamour of stardom. Here you will find cars and clothing owned by such celebrities as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and James Dean.
The next section of the museum focuses on vehicles belonging to world leaders. Here you will find such historical autos as those used by The Royal Family of England, Japan's Emperor Hirohito, Hitler and Benito Mussolini. There is a whole section devoted to presidential vehicles that include the limousines of President's Truman, Nixon and Roosevelt. The next portion of the attraction is a tribute to President Kennedy including the secret service limousine, a life-size set of Oswald's shooting, the ambulance which carried him and even a section of the fence from the infamous "grassy knoll."
Those who thrill to the exploits of superpowered heroes will especially love the next room of the museum. It includes three Bat-Vehicles, the original Batmobile from the old TV series to the one from the movies and the Bat-Rocket. Add to that the Ghostbusters' car, the DeLorean from Back To the Future and the actual costume worn by Christopher Reeves in the Superman movies, and you will see that this room is just "super."
The people who created this museum saw fit to include an area for other notable entertainment vehicles directly after the superhero section. These include The Charlie's Angels Van, Barney Fife's squad car, The Flintstones car, the car from 2 Fast and 2 Furious and even Sanford and Son's vehicle. All of these are displayed with the utmost of care to create an entertaining diorama. For those into racecars there is a section chock full of them, including lots of record-breaking vehicles.
The museum itself is a 36,000 square foot building that is the creation of Wayne Lensing. He spent six years developing the attraction, and is very proud of the results. It includes a gift shop, and even a banquet room. This is a hidden treasure that is certainly worth hours of exploration. It is located at 13825 Metric Drive in Roscoe. That's just off of Rockton Road, between I-90 and 251. The museum is open in the summer Tuesday through Saturday from 10AM-5PM and Sundays 11AM-4PM. During the winter they are only open on Weekends. They have group and tour rates available, but the basic admission is $8.00. You can find more information about this attraction on the web at www.historicautoattractions.com. |
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| Contact Information |
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| Wayne Lensing |
| Historic Auto Attractions |
| 13825 Metric Drive |
| Roscoe, IL 61073
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| 815-389-7917 |
| www.historicautoattractions.com |
Hours
Summer:
Tuesday - Saturday: 10am-5pm
Sundays: 11am-4pm
Winter
Weekends only |
Cost
$8.00
Group rates availalbe
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