W P Chrysler Museum Closing to Public!

We were there a couple years ago, it's an interesting place with friendly staff and a nice collection on display.

I was hoping to get back there again.

Another museum that is closing soon is the Micro Car Museum in Madison, GA. Auction is mid February.

 

It's very sad. It was a very nice set up. Sorry more people didn't go.

While they have a few good history folks, they really don't care as a whole. Any company that would sell off historically significant cars kind of gets what they deserve.

Chrysler has a history of cashing out on cars it shouldn't sell. They will buy back the cars (which they already owned before) and it will be what it was back in 2009. Hidden away and picked at by budget cuts and under the table deals.

They dont care about history... And apparently not enough people in the surrounding area do either.

 

I don't know why peoplae are bagging Chysler so bad..... They're a corporation, in the business of making money. It just doesn't make sense for them to pay XX number of people to sit at a museum nobody goes to. It sounds like they will be open for special events, etc...

How many other car museums out there operate the EXACT SAME way. The info will always say, 'call for reservation' or 'by appointment only'. Because it doesn't pay to have someone sit around for 40+ hours a week, hoping someone stops in.

I am bummed, since I have never been to it. Hopefully will be able to sneak in with a group or special event when I make it to Detroit...

 

Denise i might drive up if you meet there on the 29th.I donated 5 boxes of stuff 9 nine years ago.Lucky i was just there 3 weeks ago but i would go back.

 

DAMN! This is close to where I live! I went there one time and it's REALLY well-done and very cool....

 

Darn, that was on my "to do" list this winter.

Brian

 

As a museum director and car guy I have to say this sucks--you never want to see a museum fail, however it really looks like this was contrived at the "field of dreams" model and ultimately they didn't come.

My read of this article (and I know nothiing about this museum beyond this article and the fact it looks like it was an EXPENSIVE proposition) is that corporate built the museum then spun it off to try and make it self-sufficient based probably in large part on tax advantages for them of giving to non-profit. When it didn't fly as a non-profit they lost the ability to write off contribuitons and so they've closed the doors as a stand-along none profit but will continue to exist as a corporate funded museum. It's not an uncommon model for a company of that size. At least the collections are being taken care of and will be available, if only on a very limited basis, for viewing.

As an asside, my museum has a staff of 5 and operates on an annual budget of about $260,000. The defecits they're running tell me there are other issues at play here in terms of budget management, especially if they are paying no rent and not security. Plus starting and trying to build a new institution in this economy is an uphill battle.

 

It's sad when closing a car museum, but it happens when Chrysler gets a pizza pan. Fiat has problem with selling their pizza pans here in Europe, so they try to safe money also in the USA.

 

The walls may soon be hollowed, when they eventually sell everything. For now they are hallowed.

 

a very special place for me as i am a hard hard core mopar guy. i went there during last years detroit autorama. i also went two years before that also. i drove around the whole area. the mopar highest offices are there. i took in all that was mopar. we took a pic of our 1997 dodge mini van in front of the big pentastar as a joke and put it on mopars social media. we let them know our van with over 250,000 happy miles had made it home and had now lived a full life. it was only now ready to be retired. the other time i took my 40 dodge vc pick up. my son and i were planning a trip for next summer to go there me in the blown hemi 1931 chrysler coupe. my son 21 years old now in his 1969 440 six pack super bee that he restored when he was 14. yes 14. we both hope to still get there with our cars. they had a car show every summer or maybe we can do it if they open it during the dream cruise. its a sad day for all. my son and i are fortunate to have been able to go twice. we enjoyed it very much both times. the dyno room that ran the race motors gave me the chills when i saw it in person. there is some serious history there.

 

Sad news. I've been several times and always enjoyed it, even though I'm a GM guy. My wife is a 4th generation Chrysler employee, so we have a deep appreciation for the company's history. Hope they can at least keep it going similar to the GM Heritage Center. Maybe I'll have the opportunity to see some of those "special exhibits" in the future. Would love to join the group on 12/29.

 

i'm in!

george

 

At least there's less twisted panty posts than usual. Buisness is buisness kids. Be glad it's still there. FWIW, a close friend of mine that works in the tech center says that Sergio walks around there all the time, very "in to" what's going on. Fraternizes with the techs once in a while in the garages and bums the occasional cig. That doesn't sound like the average corporate "robber" to me. The more upbeat feedback they get the longer it'll be around. I'd try to make a HAMB day of it. No snow any time soon...

 

Or all the Americans that buy Toytota, Nissan, Kia etc....

 

I don't normally comment on this kind of threads, but this time...
I have been to the museum. I found it interesting, the staff friendly and knowledgeable, and the displays great. I haven't felt the need to go back, but that is no slight on the museum, I don't normally go to the same museum twice.
The reason the museum is closing has nothing to do with Fiat or people buying Toyotas. The blame can be laid at our feet. Look how many posts there are saying I WAS planning on going. If we don't go, they don't get any money. If they don't get any money, they close. The reason they are closing is because we didn't go.
We live in a free market economy. If a business sells a product not enough people want, they don't make enough profit and they go out of business. The product in this case is a great day out for a car guy. Not enough of us supported them. We were going to do it one day.
If Chrysler was stable and profitable, Fiat wouldn't have been able to afford them. The reason Fiat bought them was because Chrysler was not stable and not making enough profit. Free market enterprise.
I realize it much easier to blame someone else, but I think in cases like this, we are to blame.
Sorry, rant over. Please resume normal viewing.
Stewart.

 

"A recent immigrant said to me "Why do you need such a big vehicle, In my country only drug dealers and government officials have vehicles like that"

Slightly OT, but from this mentality we can see why we issues in the US and down here.

Simply put, the attitude is that the US is NOT their home.....note the language (which always gives you away) ..."in my country". Ya' all can work out the rest.

Tell him if he does'nt like it Stateside a/ why is he there in the IS and hot in "his country"developed and b/ to piss off and go home to "his country" as he put it.

The whole world has been bastardised in this way. Rant over....

Being a Mopar lover, the WP Chrysler Museum was on my hit list for my next trip to the US.

Bummer.....how can one arrange to visit once it closes to general public/casual visitors?

 

I'm not sure if I'll be able to go on the 29th, but I will get ahold of you if I can.

I did get a chance to go there last weekend & shot a crapload of pics. Most are loaded on the Singlefinger Forum, but here's a few to get folks in the mood to visit the Museum before it closes.

 

Here's a few more:

 

We are all set with a HAMB group tour of the museum on Saturday Dec 29th at 10am. The cost will be $4.00 per person if we have 15 peeps attending. I have requested Larry AKA Sarfari-Wagon's cousin to give us the tour. The girl that took our reservation said she will try to arrange him for us.

Perhaps after we could all head to a place for lunch. Will need someone that lives in the area to suggest a place as I've got no clue about restaurants near there.

So, who's all planning on going and how many with you??

 

Count me in unless plans at work decide to change plans for me at the last minute.

 

I'm in

 

I'm in. Not sure if the fam will be joining me or not. So...1 for sure, maybe more. I've also invited my neighbor Mike (37 Ford) & BIL Cisco. Waiting to hear back from them.

 

What about Duffy's Pub just down the road at Squirrel & Auburn. We had a SuspectS "meeting" there about this time last year.

 

I guess this is too bad that this is happening, but any auto manufacturer that has went bankrupt three times since WWII deserves whatever happens to it. In my estimation, they only produced junk anyway.

 

Sounds good to me.

Gig is this Saturday, 10am
Weather permitting I'll be in the wagon.

 

Happy Holidays - Looking forward to it

 

Hope no one minds, but I invited some more family. Lookin like 9 of us now.

 

Bummer.....how can one arrange to visit once it closes to general public/casual visitors?[/QUOTE]


When we go I will see if there are plans for that.

Rumour I heard at work was that it could be booked for special occasions and tours and it was only closing to the public on a daily basis.

Martyn

 

Well that shows how little you actually know.

 

The more the merrier.