gilmore car museum

The Gilmore Car Museum is more than a collection of cars, it is a large campus of automotive history. Last year on our south east road trip we stopped at the Tupelo (Miss) Automobile Museum. The Tupelo Automobile Museum is a very impressive collection of antique autos, but they are on display in a very large garage, nothing fancy, just cars parked in rows. On our recent mid west road trip we stopped at the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, IN, and the Gilmore Car Museum in Michigan. Both of these museums have very nice displays built around the autos and in many cases give you a feel for the era of the auto you are viewing.The Gilmore Car Museum has a restored 1930s Shell Gas Station and a recreation of a 1929 Ford Dealership that do more that just show you the cars, but give you a real feel for the history of the auto in America. There is also an authentic 1940s diner on the ground that serves sandwiches and snacks, but sadly the place is very small and was always full, so we did not get to go inside.When originally planning our mid west road trip I did not know of the Gilmore Car Museum, and never heard of Hickory Corners, Michigan. I am sure glad I found it! Anyone who enjoys antique autos or learning a bit about American history will absolutely love the Gilmore Car Museum.

This was a great car museum! Lots of cars, the people working there were very knowledgeable, and the place was so clean! We will be back in the summer when we can see everything!

The facility itself and the quality of the car collections by far exceeded my expectations. We went January and some of the exhibits were closed until the weather warms up. It took us all day to browse through the open exhibits, so to see everything in one day , you would have to race through. We definitely will return in warm weather. Anyone who love cars will love this museum. Anyone who loves art and design will love this place because so many of the vintage cars are really works of art.

Went to see the antique motorcycle show and got way more! Awesome museums, beautiful scenery and friendly people. This is a must see stop.

Truly awe struck! Every time I visit I find something new. Easy to spend several hours here and weather is usually not an issue. Good eats at the Diner also. Do not miss out on this gem.

Great museum! Only 2 of the outer buildings are open in the winter but there is still a lot to see. We especially liked the Lincoln area because they not only have old cars but they have the newest model as well. Learning about the history was very interesting. The lunch counter had great food and everyone was very pleasant. The gift shop had a good variety of gifts for any age or gender. We will be bringing the older grand-kids here this summer.

I'm surprised that I had not heard about this museum before my visit with family in nearby Hastings, MI. While the girls were shopping (Black Friday), the boys went car looking. This place is amazingly well designed, executed and maintained. There were cars there I have never seen before. There were Lincoln, Cadillac, Ford and Franklin collections. There is a 40s vintage Shell Gas station and a functioning Diner! This place is a must see for anyone that is even close to being a gear head.

Families may find the ticket prices a bit of a roadblock, but the experience of seeing such a great collection of classic vehicles in a beautiful setting definitely makes Gilmore a trip worth the drive to Hickory Grove.

We had an extended family get-together with a couple nights in a motel over Thanksgiving weekend. Chose to do this museum as a group activity. It was very enjoyable but not being a huge car lover, or me it was over-saturation. But it was a class act and very well done. There is a main building (which I understand is the only one open during the winter months) and then many others spread out over several acres, It was a nice venue for walking and talking with relatives of all ages as we went from place to place. (And we did have good weather). For me I most enjoyed the diner, seeing the old service station, the story of the dust bowl, and pictures and clothing of people of the different eras, These were only a tiny fraction however, and it was mostly vintage cars of every make and model all in pristine restored condition. I would have enjoyed the house of miniatures, but it was closed for the season.

I try to come here a few times a year however I only "discovered" it only a few years ago and am just floored by the collection. It is the most impressive collection of automobiles I have ever seen in one place. If you have any interest in industrial design, automotive history or nostalgia you will love this place. During the summer they have special weekend events that are always worth checking out. The Blue Moon Diner is cute but it has a very limited menu but you don't come here for the food.

I am not a person who typically gets enjoyment from looking at cars. I did not grow up in the motor city, so again the automobile was not an ingrained part of my life. Having said that, the Gilmore Automobile museum is one of the most enjoyable experiences I have had being around automobiles. The experience there exposed me to both the art and ingenuity of the automobile industry in the early years. Actually up through the 60's, not much of a fan of the 70's era cars though. Did you know the corvette was designed, in part, by six women - the damsels of design? Gilmore exposed me to so many more makes of cars than I ever knew existed, the Pierce-Arrow being one of my favorites followed by the Franklins. However, all the cars there were wonderful to look at. The beauty of their paints jobs, the splendor of the wood accents, the gleam of the chrome accessories was almost too tempting to over come. The one thing that I wish is that they would have had some mock ups of a few of the interiors to sit in and experience as well. The cars were so glorious you just wanted to be able to sit in them to take the experience even further. I must say thought that you are able to get very close to these cars, but please don't touch. If you live in Western Michigan, then you should have visited here at least twice, I know I will be going back for some of their summer auto shows. If you are making a cross country drive to see America or driving in the area, then a stop at this place is well worth the added time. I am not sure how far away this is from some of the bigger colleges, but a Friday here before a game would be well worth it. Everyone there is very friendly and glad to talk with you about the cars, @ Cindy, thanks!

I saw so many luxury cars from 1910's - 1930's. Good representation of 40 - 60's. They had other interesting collections too: seems like 1000 hood ornaments, peddle cars, motorcycles, a diner, minitures... I enjoyed it and recommend it.

We visited the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners in September and it was so wonderful! We even got to watch other visitors learn to drive old model T's! It was a very fun, relaxing day walking through the different buildings enjoying the beautiful sunshine on a warm autumn day. It is in the middle of corn fields and a bit out of the way but totally worth it!

There are so many reasons to go to the Gilmore. Just going for the architecture would be enough. As I like really old cars this place was a dream come true for me. Building after building of some of the best cars you have never heard of was exciting. The Model A Museum part was great too. If you like old cars you will love this place! If there is a better one I would love to know about it!

The museum is in a rural area about 30-40 mins. north of Kalamazoo and we went during the Fall as the trees were very colorful. If your looking for a day trip from the Chicago area during Fall foliage, it can't be beat. Bring a picnic lunch!