To acquire, maintain, and display to the public, various modes of antique transportation and related items, and to educate the public with respect to the history of transportation.

Arts & Culture , History Museums , Museums , Science & Technology Museums

The program service of the aaca museum consists of operating an automotive/transportation museum, open to the public 362 days per year. It is dedicated to the preservation, education, and display of motor vehicle history, and it hosted 68,000 visitors this year. The displays in the museum are educational in nature, and there are specific educational programs conducted as well. In recognition of the quality of its display, the aaca museum has been designated by the smithsonian institution as an affiliate museum. The aaca museum has also been recognized by periodicals as one of the top automotive museums in the world. The displays include some semi-permanent exhibits and temporary exhibits in additional to the permanent exhibits. Changes are made periodically so that the display remains interesting to the public. Many of the antique motor vehicles displayed in the upper level of the museum are arranged in galleries, with each representing a different era, and a different geographical area of the country. Each display includes a highly detailed diorama that presents the vintage vehicles in a context that brings the history of the automobile to life. The displays place each automobile in the context of american culture at the time it was produced. For example, the earliest antique cars (pre-1910 era) are displayed next to a tiny machine shop in a scene that represents turn-of-the-century new york. The machine shop reflects the manner in which cars were typically serviced and repaired in that era. The 1920s cars are displayed in front of an artistic mural showing several panoramic views of downtown hershey, pennsylvania in the 1920s. The 1930s cars are shown in a scene that represents an art-deco hotel in miami beach, florida, in that era. The 1940s cars are shown in front of a "service station" of that era, authentically replicated to include a supply of automotive lubricants and other products that would be available at that time. The service station even has a "bell hose" that rings to let the attendant know that a customer has arrived. Next to the station is a restored 1930s fuel tanker truck, ready to pump the station's tanks full of 20-cent-per-gallon gasoline. The 1950s cars are shown at a drive-in theater that was popular in the era. Other displays depict 1960s cars in a scene representing the rocky mountains, and 1970s and 80s cars in a scene reflecting the golden gate bridge in california. The cammack gallery on the main floor was re-purposed in october of 2014 to house the world's largest collection of tucker automobiles and related artifacts. Key collection elements include 3 tucker '48 automobiles including the first production tucker 1001, the only surviving tucker with automatic transmission, several experimental engines and the factory test chassis to name a few. The exhibit educates the audience regarding the life and career of preston tucker, whose innovative designs and efforts to compete with the major auto manufacturers made him a significant historical figure. The exhibits trace mr. Tucker's life and career, including his early days with an interest in racing, his years of labor to develop a revolutionary new automotive design, the triumphant introduction of his "car of tomorrow", and the legal travails that followed. Mr. Tucker's life story was the subject of a popular movie released in 1988, and remains of great interest to our visitors. This permanent exhibit continues to grow with new exhibit cases, wheel interactives and other educational pieces. Special featured exhibits occur each year and are incorporated throughout a variety of gallery spaces. For example, these exhibits have focused on "brass-era" automobiles (pre-1920), wooden-bodied automobiles, trucks, and the so-called "muscle cars" of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Exhibits have also included cars from notable private collections, all of which are loaned to the museum without charge for the benefit of the public. The lower level of the m

Adults Children and Youth (infants - 19 years.) General Public/Unspecified