Part 2 of our odyssey across America reveals many of the most stunning transportation museums yet!

By Bruce Hampson

merica seems to have a love/hate relationship with history. While historical architecture falls all too often beneath the wrecking ball in pursuit of the “next best thing,” we nonetheless try to preserve our past in museums — sometimes successfully, sometimes not.

It’s not for a lack of effort — or for want of subject matter. Simply input “museums” and any state into an online search engine and the wealth of topics can be overwhelming. You can find the National Hobo Museum in Britt, Iowa, the Boot Hill Museum in Dodge City, Kansas, the Mob Museum in Las Vegas, the New Hampshire Telephone Museum…even the Historic Voodoo Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana.

There are two categories, though, that American museums really take to heart: music and transportation. For example, venture into Mississippi — long considered the birthplace of the blues — and you can find information on the Gateway to the Blues Museum, the Rock and Blues Museum, the Highway 61 Blues Museum, the Mississippi Music Museum, the Grammy Museum Mississippi, the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center, the Delta Blues Museum and Elvis Presley’s Birthplace & Museum and the Blues and Legends Hall of Fame. And no, this isn’t all of them.

And then there’s transportation — specifically, planes, trains and automobiles (okay, and motorcycles). While only air travel can be claimed as a U.S. invention, all have impacted — and continue to impact — state populations across the country. From steam locomotives that ran the rails of the first transcontinental railroad across the United States to the sight of a restored Douglas DC-3 — the first “backbone” to homespun air travel — or the lines of a 1933 Duesenberg SJ or a 1963 split-window Corvette, America’s contributions to transportation are legendary.

As we illustrated in Part One of our homage to transportation museums across the country that you can drive to (see the November issue of RV Enthusiast), the evolution of such transportation vehicles is chronicled to an amazing degree in these institutions. They are places where we can view their progression — and, sometimes, yearn for yesteryear. Last issue, we brought you along on a trip of discovery that stretched from Alabama to Missouri. Here, in part two, our travels to highlight America’s top transportation museums begin in Montana and won’t end until we cross the Wyoming state line.

And, again, we had to make hard choices when making our selections. Certain states (are you listening, New Hampshire and New Jersey?) have a dearth of suitable museums, while others like Nevada and New York have a wealth to choose from. Las Vegas, Nevada, for example, offered such interesting venues as the Hollywood Cars Museum and the (Carroll) Shelby Heritage Center. Neither made the list. In New York, we had to forego the Saratoga Automobile Museum, the Himes Museum of Motor Racing Nostalgia, Newburgh’s Motorcyclepedia Museum and others.

Whichever museums from those presented you choose to visit in your travels, be sure to call ahead to ascertain days and hours of operation. Also, the admission prices cited are the highest we found; most locations also offer reduced fees for children and groups, so take the family. Make sure you have a good supply of snacks and drinks on board, and buckle up: it’s going to be another long, fun ride.

What does a prison and automobiles have in common? If you said “license plates,” you’ve never visited the Old Montana Prison and Auto Museum in Deer Lodge. First established as a territorial prison in 1871, the site operated as a state prison until 1979, when the Powell County Museum & Arts Foundation was established to preserve and protect it. Today, the unique location (once listed as one of the Top 10 car museums in the country by USA Today) includes a cache of more than 160 automobiles on display. Exhibits include a replica of an 1889 Benz — said to be the first successful internal combustion engine — to the musclecars of the 1960s and ’70s. The 9-acre site also includes Yesterday’s Playthings (a doll, toy and railroad exhibit) and Frontier Montana (highlighting views of life in the old west). $15.

• Also worth a visit: Miracle of America Museum, Polson (miracleofamericamuseum.org): As the name suggests, this repository is dedicated to all things Americana — from soda shops to vintage firearms — and transportation ranks high on the list, including everything from a 1927 T racer to a ’63 Rambler with a Camp’otel teardrop trailer. $10.

Where to stay: Indian Creek Campground, Deer Lodge (indiancreekcampground.net)

Founded in 1992 by “Speedy” Bill and Joyce Smith, the museum now covers more than 150,000 square feet across three levels. Exhibits — of vehicles, engines, people, toys and more — are divided into specific rooms. Vehicles, for example, are separated into 17 displays ranging from land speed and open wheeled to Model T’s and “Bill’s Garage” — then are often divided further. Among the 14 vehicles in the Show Car exhibit, for example, are the Lil Coffin car originally created by Dave Stuckey and the Red Baron designed by Tom Daniel; both have been immortalized by Monogram in model car kits (the Red Baron, in fact, “grew” out of the model). The museum was voted No. 1 Best Attraction for Car Lovers in the 2021 USA Today “10 best readers’ choice travel award contest.” $15.

• Also worth a visit: Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum, Ashland (sacmuseum.org): With 35 aircraft on display — ranging from a B29TB Superfortress to an F-117 Nighthawk — this museum also includes a spacecraft room and numerous temporary and permanent exhibits such as Doolittle’s Tokyo Raiders and The Korean War & Aviation. $14.

Where to stay: Camp A Way, Lincoln (campaway.com)

Also known as “the Harrah Collection” originally curated by gaming pioneer Bill Harrah, the museum was opened in 1989 when Holiday Inns — which acquired Harrah’s operations after his passing, including an estimated 1,400 vehicles — donated 175 of them. The museum currently has 209 vehicles on display — including 14 celebrity vehicles and five movie cars. Vehicles are segmented into such exhibits titled “Turn of the Century,” “Roaring Twenties” and “Cars of the Stars” and include such rarities as an 1892 Philion (steam) Road Carriage, the only 1938 Phantom corsair ever built and the 1961 Ed Roth “Beatnik Bandit” custom. There’s also a blacksmith shop, hardware store, service station and more. $15.

• Also worth a visit: Don Laughlin’s Classic Car Collection, Laughlin (riversideresort.com/don-laughlins-classic-car-museum/): Another extensive collection owned by a gaming icon, this assemblage of nearly 100 vehicles is housed in two areas at the Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino. The First Floor Showroom exhibits desert racing machines, while the 30,000-square-foot Classic Auto Exhibition Hall includes decades of street vehicles. $3.

Where to stay: Sparks Marina RV Park, Sparks (sparksmarinarvpark.com)

Located adjacent to the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, it’s not surprising that the North East Motor Sports Museum features cars, motorcycles, trophies, helmets, engines and vintage racing attire — all with a New England background — spread across its 10,000 square feet of display space. Opened in 2017, the museum also boasts an extensive library as well as a theater that shows footage of early racing in New England. There’s even a Soap Box Derby display, slot car track and iRacing Simulator. $10.

• Also worth a visit: Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, Londonderry (aviationmuseumofnh.org): New Hampshire’s only working museum dedicated to aviation history in the Granite State, the museum is housed in a 1937 Art Deco airport terminal. Displays include warbirds, vintage flying machines and aviation engines. $10

Where to stay: Cascade Campground, Loudon (cascadecampground.com)

Located inside a real WWII hanger, the NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum runs the gamut from propeller-driven aircraft to supersonic jet fighters (“NAS” stands for Naval Air Station). Exhibits include everything from an F6F-3 Hellcat to a Gruman F-14 Tomcat, Bell UH-1 Iroquois (“Huey”) helicopter — even displays of engines such as the GE90 turbofan jet engine from a Boeing 777. Displays also include lifestyle artifacts from the WWII era, and visitors can climb inside a real air-traffic control tower. $14

• Also worth a visit: Vintage Automotive Museum of New Jersey, Point Pleasant (vintageautomuseum.org): Said to be the only public car museum in the Garden State, this automotive repository leans towards the classics of each era, from a 1917 Ford Model T to a 1972 Mercury Comet with a nice mix of vintage race cars thrown in. It’s small, but free.

Where to stay: Holly Shores Camping Resort, Camp May (hollyshores.com)

Owned by Archie Lewis, this repository encompasses both indoor and outdoor exhibits spread across eight acres — and while we haven’t figured out if it’s a museum or, well, a graveyard of antique vehicles, if you’re a gearhead it’s a must-see site. An estimated 700 old cars and trucks can be viewed in various states of disrepair — from a Mack wrecker from the ’40s to unrestored Crosleys and Packards — along with an indoor display of original vehicles along with toys (estimated at more than 6,000), jukeboxes and more. Free.

• Also worth a visit: War Eagles Air Museum, Santa Teresa (war-eagles-air-museum.com): The War Eagles Air Museum is dedicated to historic aircraft of the World War II and the Korean Conflict eras — but there’s more. Along with about three dozen vintage aircraft, you’ll also tour at least that many automobiles, as well as exhibits of military equipment. $11.

Where to stay: Happy Trails RV & Campground, Moriarty (happytrailsnm.com)

Established in 1997 by Jim and Mary Ann Sandoro in a building that once housed a Mack Truck showroom and repair shop, this museum leans towards vehicles that once made Buffalo and western New York a center of automotive design and manufacturing — including the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Co. The collection of historic automobiles, bicycles, motorcycles and more includes such standouts as a 1903 Pierce Stanhope and 1909 Thomas Flayer 6-40 Flyabout — as well as a one-of-a-kind installation of a unique fuel station designed by Frank Lloyd Wright but never built until the Sandoros had it constructed within the museum. $12.

• Also worth a visit: Glenn H. Curtiss Museum, Hammondsport (glennhcurtissmuseum.org): Aviation and automotive pioneer Glenn H. Curtis was born in Hammondsport, and this museum bearing his name touches on early aviation, automotive and motorcycle history. Exhibits include more than two dozen Curtiss aircraft, autos from 1904 to 1931, bicycles from the late 1800s — and a number of Curtiss motorcycles dating back to 1904. $13.50.

Where to stay: Branches of Niagara Campground Resort, Grand Island (branchesofniagara.com)

As a hotbed of stock-car racing, North Carolina has a lot to choose from: Richard Petty, Richard Childress, Hendrick Motorsports and others all have museums. The biggie, though, is the NASCAR Hall of Fame: The 86,000-square-foot high-tech venue celebrates the history and personalities of the sport through exhibits and interactive displays (try your hand at being a pit crew member!). Read of the 58 men voted into the Hall, create a scrapbook of your visit, buy mementos at the gear shop, try your hand in one of eight stock-car replicas fitted with race simulators — but mostly, immerse yourself in the amazing displays, from Heritage Speedway to Glory Road Champions. $25.

• Also worth a visit: Wheels Though Time, Maggie Valley, (wheelsthroughtime.com): Called “the world’s premier collection of rare American motorcycles,” the displays at this 38,000-square-foot facility are arranged in garage-like settings and range from “Home Made America” to “The Chopper Graveyard.” One, in fact — the WTT Service Station — is used to service many of the bikes on display. There are a few vintage cars, as well, including the massive 1915 Locomobile. $15.

Where to stay: Carowinds’ Camp Wilderness Resort, Charlotte (carowinds.com/resorts/camp-wilderness)

Said to be North Dakota’s premiere aviation destination, the Fargo Air Museum is home to aircraft of all eras — from the modern MQ-1 Predator unmanned drone to the “most accurate recreation of a Wright Brothers’ flyer the Smithsonian Institute has ever seen.” A “flying” museum, many of the airplanes also occasionally take to the sky. Archived within two hangers, the museum also includes an extensive library, flight simulator lab and ongoing restorations; there also are exhibits of vintage motorcycles and military vehicles and memorabilia. $10.

• Also worth a visit: Dakota Territory Air Museum, Minot (dakotaterritoryairmuseum.com): Founded in 1986, the Dakota Territory Air Museum includes a huge outdoor exhibit that includes the Spitten Kitten display — three aircraft types flown by the 5th Fighter Interceptor Squadron — as well as numerous hanger exhibits featuring such machines as a replica of the Wright Flyer, iconic WWII aircraft, a restoration hanger and more. $10.

Where to stay: Governor’s RV Park & Campground, Casselton (governorsinnnd.com/governors-rv-park/)

There are actually two fine museums in Ohio dedicated to the Packard (America’s Packard Museum and National Packard Museum) said to be the first car to use a steering wheel, front/rear bumpers, four wheel brakes, interchangeable wheels, and more. We went with the “national” — Warren was home to the Packard brothers — with its Legacy Hall and Great Hall exhibits that include some amazing restored vehicles, from a 1903 Model F Runabout to a 1937 Model 1507 Twelve 2/4 rumbleseat roadster. There’s also an extensive motorcycle display, changing exhibits and even displays of American musclecars. $8.

• Also worth a visit: Snook’s Dream Cars, Bowling Green (snooksdreamcars.com): We have a soft spot for old gas stations — and this one has a museum attached to it. This collection of automobilia includes an operational four-bay mechanics’ area, 1930s general store, 1950s diner — and a huge showroom of “dream cars” from the 1930s through the ’70s. $8.

Where to stay: Kool Lakes Family Campground, Garrettsville (koollakes.com)

With more than 3,500 artifacts on display, this 63,000-square-foot homage to aviation and space flight covers everything from the Wright Flyer to the moon. Exhibits range from early aviation (from the Wright Glider to the Spirit of St. Louis and even a recreated Hindenberg airship) to modern aviation (from the Bell X-1 through supersonic warcraft). Additional exhibits include those dedicated to space exploration, rocket engines and a Gen. Thomas P. Stafford gallery. $7.

• Also worth a visit: Darryl Starbird’s National Rod & Custom Hall of Fame Museum, Afton (http://www.darrylstarbird.com): Darryl Starbird was one of the premier car customizers of the 1950s-’60s — and he’s continued to customize such machines as his “Cristina Mark IX,” a 1941 Lincoln Continental. This 40,000-square-foot houses more than 40 of his creations, along with those of other hot rod- and custom-car builders. $15.

Where to stay: Wanderlust Crossings RV Park, Weatherford (wanderlustcrossings.com)

Housed within indoor hangers covering more than 3 ½ acres, WAAAM is a “living museum” — the museum states that its collection of airborne and wheeled vehicles is fully functional. That’s saying a lot, because there’s a lot here: more than 100 cars, trucks and tractors from a 1900 Locomobile Steam Car Runabout to a 1981 Avanti. It’s roster of airplanes and gliders is nearly as long — ranging from a 1910 Curtiss Pusher to 1970s and ’80s gliders — and then there are the motorcycles (more than a dozen) and military vehicles. $19.

• Also worth a visit: Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, McMinnville (evergreenmuseum.org): If you wondered where Howard Hughes’ H-4 Hercules — the Spruce Goose — ended up, you’ll find it here, along with more than 150 other aircraft, exhibits and displays. You also can watch the restoration team in action as they bring back historic aircraft to their original state. $20.

Where to stay: Gorge Base Camp RV Park, White Salmon (gorgebasecamp.com)

Assembled over 50 years by Dr. Frederick Simeone, this museum is said to house one of the world’s greatest collections of racing sports cars. Significant cars include those from Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, Mercedes, Jaguar, Bentley, Porsche, Aston Martin, Corvette, Ford and more — many assembled within exhibits such as LeMans, Bonneville Salt Flats and Mille Miglia. The cars include such marque builds as a 1937 Cord 812 Supercharged, 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona coupe, 1926 Bugatti Type 35 and many others. $12.

• Also worth a visit: Barry’s Car Barn, Intercourse (barryscarbarn.com): Focused on American musclecars of the’50s, ’60s and ’70s, this museum is fronted by a replica Gulf service station. Inside are more than 50 restored autos and 10 motorcycles belonging to founder Barry Baldwin, along with an amazing number of vintage pumps, neon signs and other memorabilia. $12.

Where to stay: Philadelphia South/Clarksboro KOA, Clarksboro, NJ (koa.com/campgrounds/philadelphia-south/)

How can you not love a museum that dedicates an entire exhibit to those fabulous “Fin Cars” of the Fifties? That, though, is just one of the exhibits within this private collection of 85-plus automobiles tracing seven decades of automotive design and engineering. Others include Corvettes — with every body style represented — Ford/Shelby, Mopars, American Muscle and World Cars (Jaguar, McLaren, Lamborghini and others). Located within a former missile-manufacturing facility on seven acres, there’s also a gift shop with an eclectic assortment of things for the car lover. $18.

• Also worth a visit: Audrain Automobile Museum, Newport (audrainautomuseum.org): Located in a Bruce Price-designed 1903 building almost as fascinating as the cars inside, the Audrian displays a changing roster of 30-some vehicles from a collection of 200 vintage machines, often curated into special exhibits from A History of GM Design to Sweet Rides & Summer Fun. $12.

Where to stay: Melville Ponds Campground & RV Park, Portsmouth (melvillepondscampground.com)

Home to the largest collection of professionally restored American LaFrance fire apparatus in the country, the 20-plus vehicles in the collection date back to the 1780s — and all the pieces still run and can fight fires. The massive lobby, with 20-foot ceilings, is designed to resemble a classic fire house. Exhibits — many of them interactive or allowing hands-on experiences — include firefighting equipment and artifacts, as well as theater presentations (some with live smoke). $6.

• Also worth a visit: Wheels of Yesteryear, Myrtle Beach (wheelsofyesteryearmb.com): This 100-plus vehicle collection, owned by car enthusiasts Paul and Carol Cummings, revolves around their love of American-made cars and trucks. Rare musclecars tend to dominate, including a 1971 Plymough Hemi ‘Cuda convertible, 1969 Mercury Cyclone CJ, 1963 Corvette split-window coupe. $10.92

Where to stay: Lake Air Campground, Hollywood (lakeairerv.com)

This 18,000-square-foot museum houses an array of restored and original antique and classic cars, from a 1921 Cadillac Touring Car to Corvettes. Other displays include a 1941 Lincoln Continental coupe (one of 1,250), a ’39 LaSalle sedan, 1940 White Horse milk truck and a 1962 Dodge Dart with a 440 Magnum that owner Bill Napoli (and his wife, Peggy) rescued from the crusher and restored. There’s also pedal cars, toys, oil and gas memorabilia, neon signs, even a row of classic and antique car engines. $5.

• Also worth a visit: Pioneer Auto Show, Murdo (pioneerautoshow.com): An eclectic collection of vehicles and, well, “stuff,” the Pioneer Auto Show encompasses more than 275 classic cars and trucks, 60 tractors, 60 motorcycles — and literally tons of automobilia — housed within 40 buildings. There’s also a 1930 service station, old toys, business equipment, antiques…like we said, eclectic. $12.50.

Where to stay: Rapid City RV Park & Campground, Rapid City (rcrvpark.com)

One of the few U.S. transportation museums to specialize in European cars, Lane Motor Museum occupies 40,000 square feet in a Nashville landmark, the former Sunbeam Bakery. Arranged within galleries, museum exhibits include “Oil and Water” — duel-purpose amphibious vehicles such as the Amphicar 770 designed to both drive and boat — “RADwood: A Celebration of the ’80s and ’90s” and “Stretched to Fit,” an exhibition of fabric-covered cars. And then there’s “Wingless Wonders,” propeller-driven vehicles from the early 1900s through the late ’70s that, for some reason, never quite took off. $12.

• Also worth a visit: Hollywood Star Cars Museum, Gatlinburg (starcarstn.com): Lights, camera…you know the rest. This museum features more than 40 cars, trucks and motorcycles appearing in movies and TV, from a Batmobile seen in the original TV show in 1966 to a whole host of vehicles from the Fast & Furious franchise. $14.99.

Where to stay: Nashville KOA Resort, Nashville (koa.com/campgrounds/nashville/)

From late 19th century motorcycles that were little more than bicycle frames with attached engines and gas tanks to ultra-modern road warriors, the 20,000-square-foot Haas museum displays more than 230 motorcycles — and a premier array of metallic sculptures — in an ultra-modern facility made to house them. From its “History Hall” to the “Race Track,” “Avant-Garde Avenue” and “The Custom Shop,” the viewer-friendly galleries trace the evolution of two-wheelers and the people who made them. There’s even been a documentary made — “Leaving Tracks” — showing how museum founder and curator Bobby Haas went about creating one of the world’s premier custom motorcycle museums. $10.

• Also worth a visit: Austin Rock and Roll Car Museum, Austin (austincarmuseum.org): Specializing in historical race cars, movie production vehicles and music-related memorabilia, the museum exhibits range from Indy cars to musclecars and a “Ghost Buster” Cadillac — with guitars, carousel horses and motorcycles thrown into the mix. Free.

Where to stay: Shady Oaks RV Park, Dallas (rvparkdallas.com)

Tucked away on the northeast corner of Hill Air Force Base, this 30-acre museum features more than 90 military aircraft, missiles and aerospace machines, along with thousands of artifacts. Displays are grouped into five eras, from The Beginnings to Keeping the Peace. The stars of the museum — the aircraft — range from attack units and bombers to surveillance aircraft and trainers and include many model types made famous in the two world wars, including such iconic machines as the P-51D Mustang, P-38 Lightning and the SR-71C Blackbird. You can also immerse yourself in a virtual A-10 Warthog flight check mission. Free.

• Also worth a visit: Land Cruiser Heritage Museum, Salt Lake City (landcruiserhm.com): The Land Cruiser is held in awe by off-road enthusiasts, and its this museum’s goal to acquire and display one of every model ever produced. It’s well on the way, with facility vehicles augmented by loans from private owners. There’s also more than 1,000 models and memorabilia. $15.

Where to stay: Lagoon RV Park & Campground, Farmington (lagoonpark.com/park-info/camping/)

Vermont has a lot of museums — but none are dedicated to cars, motorcycles, railroads or aircraft. We very nearly had to pass it by. The Shelbourne Museum, however, does have a collection of horseless carriages. In fact, Electra Havemeyer Webb’s decision to create the museum was a response to the 1946 gift of 28 carriages from the estate of Dr. William Seward and Lila Vanderbilt Webb. Included is a rare 1890 Million et Guiet Berlin Coach featuring brass and leather details. Immerse yourself in what founder Webb described as a “collection of collections.” $25.

• Also worth a visit: Vermont National Guard Library and Museum, Colchester (vt.public.ng.mil/About-Us/History/Museum/): The Vermont National Guard museum does have an F-4D Phantom jet fighter as well as several helicopters and tanks on display, along with a wealth of support vehicles such as the tracked small-unit, memorabilia, weapons (including missiles) and even a WWI field kitchen. Free.

Where to stay: Lone Pine Campsites, Colchester (lonepinecampsites.com)

Encompassing more than 125,000 square feet, the Keystone Antique Truck & Tractor Museum is, as its staff notes, “cool, combustive, and guarantees to take you on an exhilarating walk down memory lane.” More than 150 restored farm tractors are in this museum, dating back to 1917 — including one each of the 28 John Deere two-cylinder models. There also are more than 60 antique trucks — but we aren’t talking about Fords and Chevys. Owner Keith Jones founded Abilene Motor Express with his brothers, so the museum features big trucks, from Diamond T’s to Kenworths. There’s also a diner (The Keystone Grill), gift shop, lots of memorabilia and even a few restored fire trucks and musclecars. $10.

• Also worth a visit: Virginia Museum of Transportation, Roanoke (vmt.org): Originally focused on Roanoke’s rail heritage, this 45,000-square-foot museum now also encompasses automotive, aviation, transit and related artifacts. Features run the gamut, from steam locomotives to model railroads, while the facility displays nearly three dozen autos and an impressive “Wings Over Virginia” air gallery. $10.

Where to stay: Picture Lake Campground, Petersburg (picturelakecampground.com)

Harold and Nancy LeMay amassed the largest privately owned automobile collection in the world, and set about enshrining it in a museum in 1997. The stunning 165,000-square-foot facility opened in 2012, and has been called one of the top 10 automotive museums in the world. More than 250 vehicles are on display at any time, with others grouped into amazing galleries (you also can visit the nearby LeMay Collection at Marymount, from which this museum was seeded). There’s also a store, Full Throttle Café, artifacts spanning more than 100 years of automotive history and usually about 100 other vehicles on exhibit loan from private collections. $18.

• Also worth a visit: Museum of Flight, Seattle (museumofflight.org): The largest independent non-profit air and space museum in the world, the Museum of Flight features more than 175 aircraft and spacecraft, thousands of artifacts, millions of rare photographs, dozens of exhibits and a world-class library. $25.

Where to stay: South Prairie Creek RV Park, South Prairie (southprairiecreekrvpark.com)

As we discovered with Vermont, transportation museums in West Virginia are, well, nonexistent — at least, those with actual vehicles in them. However, you will find an extensive collection of turn-of-the-century transportation memorabilia at the Heritage Transportation Museum, although that’s only part of the reason to visit. The museum is one of seven on the grounds of Heritage Farm — which, together, dedicate more than 25,000 square feet to Appalachian artifacts — though the “farm” includes so much more on its 500 acres, including artisan workshops, a petting zoo, log church, working sawmill, Appalachian food favorites and more. $15.

• Also worth a visit: Cliff’s Museum of Car Memorabilia, Harrisville (cliffwvathebuilding.com): Cliff’s is presented as a mid-1940s car dealership with WWII-era auto-related memorabilia. The 13,000-square-foot building houses mostly West Virginia collectables, including the most complete collection of state licenses. Open “by appointment or by chance” — don’t chance it. Call first. Free.

Where to stay: Huntington/Fox Fire KOA Holiday, Milton (koa.com/campgrounds/huntington/)

The largest automotive museum in Wisconsin, this repository boasts well more than a hundred vehicles on exhibit throughout its Art Deco-inspired building. Galleries include 27 Hartford-assembled Kissel automobiles (they were built from 1906-1931), including the two-passenger “Gold Bug” Speedster model that was a favorite of celebrities of the day. Nash, which began life in Kenosha, Wisconsin, when the Thomas B. Jeffery Co. was acquired by Charles Nash in 1916, has dedicated space inside the building, as does the Southeastern Wisconsin Short Track Hall of Fame. There’s also a working steam locomotive — and a reproduction of a 1949 Lionel train showroom layout. $10.

• Also worth a visit: Harley-Davidson Museum, Milwaukee (harley-davidson.com/us/en/museum.html): You’d be remiss if visiting the home state of Harley-Davidson and missing this museum. With an unrivaled collection of H-D motorcycles and memorabilia on a 20-acre campus, the museum galleries include “Clubs & Competition,” “Custom Culture,” “Engine Room” and even a hall dedicated to fuel tanks. $22.

Where to stay: Lake Lenwood Beach & Campground, West Bend (lakelenwood.com)

This 13,000-square-foot museum is set up as two separate vintage “towns” — each created in the style of buildings of the 1900s-1950s and decorated with memorabilia. The rooms are filled with neon and porcelain signs, gas pumps and globes and automobilia and are as much of an attraction of Americana as the cars, which lean towards restored Hudson automobiles (and others). There’s also an indoor “drive-in theater” that displays classic movies and commercials, a mining room with model railway, working soda fountain/pharmacy, pinball machines and music from vinyl records. $10.

• Also worth a visit: National Museum of Military Vehicles, Dubois (nmmv.org): Established in 2020, this 140,000-square-foot museum is home to more than 475 tanks, Jeeps, trucks, motorcycles, landing craft and other military vehicles — only the U.S. armed forces owns more rolling stock. Displays also include more than 200 historically significant firearms. $15.

Where to stay: All Seasons RV Park, Rozet (allseasonscampground.com)

One of the most popular museums in the world, the cavernous Smithsonian features literally thousands of aircraft and spacecraft, including “The Spirit of St. Louis” Ryan airplane Charles Lindbergh used to cross the Atlantic; “Glamorous Glennis,” the Bell X-1 piloted by Charles Yeager to first break the sound barrier; the B-29 Superfortress “Enola Gay” that dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima…there are too many to list and number in the hundreds. Current galleries include “Boeing Milestones of Flight,” “Time and Navigation” and others revolving around the Wright Brothers and the Space Race. Just be sure to visit before March 2022, when it temporarily closes for renovation. Free.

• Also worth a visit: National Museum of American History (americanhistory.si.edu/collections/subjects/transportation): Yes, this museum covers just about everything that’s happened in America — but one area you don’t want to miss is dedicated to transportation. You’ll find it here, from the days before the Model T to modern race cars — with a wealth of accessories, to boot, from streetlights and traffic signals to gas pumps and goggles. Free.

Where to stay: Cherry Hill Park, College Park, Maryland (cherryhillpark.com)