History Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum - Auburn , IN

Here are some pics I took.. worth the $8 and the drive. Museum is in the original factory showroom and technical offices.
I attached 3 photos, the rest are in my HAMB album:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/album.php?albumid=4482

 

I went there a few years back while doing Americruise....the place is a must see!!!

 

Fabulous place. I had a great time there. Would love to go back!

 

Only been there once, but it immediately became one of my favorite places!

Is the cabin speedster still close to the entrance?

 

http://acdmuseum.org/index.html

How long would it take to see the whole display ?

 

2 hours or so I guess.

 

One of the best laid out museums ever. Highly knowledgeable staff, just enough explanation at each magnificent car. Two hours honestly wouldn't touch it-4 might. You can get a AAA discount and the National Automotive and Truck Museum is also on the grounds. Nowhere near the same museum quality,but lots of interesting stuff. Took us an entire day-and that is one tolerant wife. She's not a car nut but she really liked the museum,too.

 

I love that place...I highly suggest that if you can make the time that you take in the ACD Festival in late August....it's one thing to see these beautiful cars in the museum, but it's a whole 'nother experience to see, hear and smell these lovely examples of rolling sculpture go by you in the parade. My wife and I usually set up near the church that serves a very nice chicken boxed lunch...Marching bands, beautiful cars and a good old fashioned All-American parade make for a very enjoyable low-key event.

http://www.acdfestival.org/

Conversely, I do not suggest you try to take in the ACD Museum during the Festival as it's mobbed during that week...but if you can swing by there pretty much any other time of the year, you will rarely have more than 10 other people in there with you...I particularily love the frozen-in-time feel of the little Design Office and big Showrooms....It's just a real nice slice of Americana filled with great cars.

Here's a few pix from the 2003 ACD Festival. Enjoy !!

 

I love that Ab Jenkins Duesenberg Speedster! The Mormon Meteor!

I think 2 hours is enough to see each car, but you wont be able to read any of the displays or examine stuff in the design office. I always go up there when i have a little time at the relatives house during the holidays.

The yellow/green speedster is upstairs now, its wooden body forming buck is right next to it.

Im not sure if there are any other museums worth checking out in indiana? speedway museum? studebaker museum in South Bend?

 

Uh yea, there the transportation museum right beside the ACD. It's where the GM Futurliner is. Another good one in Kokomo, In. too. Kokomo is the home of the Hayes - Apperson, concidered to be the FIRST American automobile. And of course, you can't go to In. without seeing the museum at Indy. I've been there at least 6 times, always differant and excellant. Last summer there was a race car from 1903 with a 927 C.I. four cylinder, hemispherical head, over head cam.

 

I was there a few years back, great place. here's a few pictures

 

It's one of my favorites as well.
Maybe this winter we can plan a HAMB Meet & Greet/Day out there. We could meet, hang out the whole afternoon then head somewhere for burgers and beer afterwards.

 

Wow, I have been by there so many times going to Michigan to see family, and have never stoped by. I have only gone to the auction. I will have to make a trip up there some Saturday. Thanks for the pics.

 

When at that museum you get to see the famous Auburn boat tail speedsters up close. You'll never see a sleeker, more sporty factory production car. I'm talking about pre-war cars here....

 

ybloc, thanks for the link that included the photos you took while at the museum. I LOVED the little cut down Duesy with the Woodlites! I have never seen that before. Just beautiful stuff - thanks again.

 

I've been there a couple of times, most recently this past August. The history that is there is just awesome. Went through the NATMUS too, which was fun, but definitely DIFFERENT!

And thanks for the tip on the festival, Weaverville Studios.

 

Denice, is the WWII museum in Auburn worth seeing? We stopped at the ACD last summer coming home from Kokomo. The bar right up the street from the ACD had good food.

 

oldandkrusty,

If you mean this one, it's the Auburn Cabin Speedster- was lost in a fire and reconstructed from pics:

 

where have I seen those headlights..... didn't some jordans use lights like that? awesome pics, I gotta get out there one of these days...

 

I even got to see a Tucker when I was there 4 years ago. Seen them before a few times but always a treat.

 

Great place.. i get buy there prolly 20 times a year . My stepkid lives in ft wayne and her dad lives right down the road from the auction park... I did the museum a couple years ago and its great... I have a special back route from Jackson or should I say 127 south and US 12 that if your gonna go and want to take a very nice calm 2 lane (once you get off us12 its kinda busy) ride i can give you directions.. You can also go to ohio and then back west to indiana and then south again... Its really a nice ride on the Harley... Its a must do as well as hitting the auction park on labor day weekend... I always ride the harley down because i can park right up front at the auction park! Across the hiway from the auction park is the war museum and a corvette dealy of some kind and they have added a racing museum that i havent hit yet.. Its on my list...
One thing is the ACD and the Truck museum out back are not cheap but its nothing your gonna do every year so go have fun and enjoy the cars..
Dave

 

It's $10 for the ACD Museum,$6 for students and I am pretty sure it's $8 for seniors and AAA members. That's not much more than a movie and a whole lot better. Less than an NSRA car show, too.

 

hmm.. why isnt there a HAMB thing for the ACD festival and auction.. thats pretty weird. Theres even some good beer, sort of, brewed in fort wayne....

 

Well Payed for 4 adults and 1 kid that day so it wasnt cheap and i always forget to ask about any AAA discount ...
Dave

 

the place is well worth the trip as said, if im not mistaken the truck museum behind it is the original assembly line building for the cord . there are some fantastic displays there.

 

Yeah,no cheap, but a good show, and you probably paid almost that much for lunch at MickeyD's and only have indigestion to show for it. .

The NATMUS museum is about $6 with your AAA and occupies the old service and parts building as well as the L-29 Cord building. The Futureliner wasn't there when we were, but the world's fastest diesel truck at the time was 232mph.

The NATMUS museum is nowhere in the same class as the ACD, but they've got some cool stuff well worth the visit.

 

I agree 5window, there was water running across the concrete floor in the one bay. But when I go back to the ACD I will definately see the NATMUS again too.

 

Seems everyone is at a show somewhere that weekend... I always seem to hit the auction that weekend and like i said i ride the bike down and since i wont have a car this year anyway i guess thats figured out already... As far as a get together bring it up near labor day weekend.. I always try to hit the auction on saturday. Last year (ya its a new year isnt it) it was down on cars and attendance from my view but still fun.. If the weather looks bad then i try to figure out what day is gonna be good for a bike run but so far we havent got rained on yet.. I usually run into Deb (the one with the custom lincoln) and her hubby there but they had different things going last year> I think it was a bike weekend ... Anyway again bring it up about labor day. They do have a spring auction and they also have a big bike show and i thin thats maybe memorial weekend.. Ill be looking at that..
Dave

 

Are you volunteering?

That is a long drive from CO!! I was layed off the last month, I wish I would have thought about it and gone.

Check out my old posts I started, there is one about Automotive museums.