MTFCA Forum

While traveling through Wyoming on I-90, I happened on the Frontier Auto Museum in Gillette. Incredible Museum, family-owned, open only 4 years, the owner was working on the floor, very friendly and willing stop to talk. Amazing collection. A must stop if you are in the area. Check out their website.
https://www.frontierautomuseum.com

It amazes me how many museums there are scattered around that we never hear of. That looks like a fun one. Often on tours we are treated to great places we would miss otherwise.
Thanks for mentioning this one.
I'm not that far away.
Rich

One of my favorite places to visit when I was a kid, was “Bellm’s Cars and Music of Yesterday” in Sarasota, Florida. When my Dad and I visited for the first time in 1967, it was in its’ heyday with lots of restored antique cars and a staff of restorers and experts to keep them polished and running and in top condition. There was also a collection of hundreds of antique phonographs, music boxes and Nickelodeon entertainment machines with tours and demonstrations several times a day. This is when my interest in collecting antique cars, phonographs and music boxes started. We visited several times in the sixties. In the 80’s it was apparent that the museum was in decline, as popular antique cars began to be sold off to keep the museum going. I remember when my favorite car, a 1934 Duesenberg Model SJ Torpedo Phaeton, disappeared. It was sad when the place finally closed and everything was sold. Toward the end they hosted several annual Music Box Society gatherings there, which I last attended in 1983.

There was a prominent display on a revolving stand as you walked into the car portion of the museum, showing the right half of an old car restored and the left half unrestored. I have included two photos of this display. I spent a lot of time examining this car. Do any of you remember ever visiting Bellm’s in the 60’s during its’ height of popularity? Jim Patrick

Isn’t the Sarasota Classic Car Museum the former Bellm’s? I stopped there years ago and saw the split restoration as well as the Hannibal 8 car from the Great Race movie. A volunteer walked me though much of museum telling me his stories about the cars.

Love those small museums! I enjoyed walking through the Auto World Museum in Fulton, Missouri, founded by William E. Backer, deceased founder of the Backer potato chip company.

https://www.autoworldmuseum.com/

We were treated to this on the Glacier tour several years ago. I had known Gil from swap meets but never dreamed of what he had put together. If you are ever near Poulson ,MT check it out.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_ ... ntana.html

Thomas, The last time I visited Bellm’s was in 1983 and it was very run down, dirty and sad to see what it had become compared to what it was. I just looked it up online and found an update and I was happy to learn that it was sold to a new owner in 1997 and is still open under a new name and is referred to as America’s longest running Auto museum, so I need to drive over for another visit and check it out. Maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised. Thank you for the heads up. Jim Patrick

We were in Buffalo, Wy, last summer. Wish I had known about it. Would have made the drive over to see it. Will have to see if my Brother-in-law knows about it. They go to Gillete from time to time.