 America on Wheels museum in June 2009 | |
 | |
| Established | April 12, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Location | 5 N. Front Street Allentown, Pennsylvania 18102 |
| Coordinates | 40°36′56″N 75°27′10″W / 40.615646°N 75.452814°W |
| Type | Transportation museum |
| Director | Al Ruozzi |
| Curator | Monica Ziobro |
| Public transit access |  LANta bus: 107, 220 (at 2nd and Hamilton streets) |
| Website | http://www.americaonwheels.org |
America on Wheels is an over-the-road transportation museum in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
The 43,000 square feet (4,000 m2) museum offers over 23,000 square feet (2,100 m2) of exhibit space divided into three main galleries and several smaller exhibits.[1] The museum houses rotating exhibits on the second floor. Also on the second floor is the HubCap Cafe,[2] and a vehicle art gallery featuring the work of artists.[3]
The museum's collection features over 75 bicycles, motorcycles, automobiles and trucks in exhibits telling the story of people and products on the move from the days of the carriage to the vehicles of tomorrow.[1]
The museum also houses the archives of Mack Trucks.
History
[edit]20th century
[edit]
In 1989, Allentown city officials had announced plans to revitalize an old industrial area, which included the abandoned Arbogast & Bastian meat packing plant, along the Lehigh River.[1] This redevelopment, which was to be known as "Lehigh Landing," was to include a museum, a brewery, walking trails, a footbridge across the river, and a promenade for festivals.[1]
21st century
[edit]Development was hindered by fundraising problems, environmental remediation issues, and even a national debate on pork barrel government spending.[1]
After three separate groundbreakings in 2001, 2004 and 2005, the museum, which cost over $17 million to build, was officially opened to the public on April 12, 2008.[1]
Collection and exhibits
[edit]1889 Nadig Gas-Powered Carriage
[edit]A historically important part of the museum's collection is the 1889 Nadig Gas-Powered Car, the first gas-powered vehicle driven in the United States.[4]
Henry Nadig, a German-born vineyard owner who sold it all to come to America with his family. He became a mechanist and opened a shop with his sons in Allentown, Henry completed his gas-powered carriage in 1889, two years before Charles E. Duryea's first gas-powered automobile. Henry tested and drove the vehicle at night, because the carriage scared horses.[4] The vehicle was dedicated by family to keep from rusting, and was then slightly restored.[4]
General collection
[edit]The collection of the America on Wheels is minimal as the majority of the vehicles on display are on loan. The West Gallery changes every six months based on a new theme. A number of the vehicles are on loan from the Mack Truck Museum in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
In 2024-2025, many changes took place, including the advent of the Battle of the Car Clubs, whereby several car clubs exhibit a few of their members' best vehicles and guests vote for the best. The newest change is a permanent exhibit called World of Transportation presented by PennLUG (LEGO Users Group). Housed in the Long Haul room on the second floor, the entire room is dedicated to a world made of LEGO bricks, including a train depot, beach, shopping community, and more. It is an interactive exhibit in that there are buttons to initiate train, plane, and helicopter movements by visitors. The exhibit is now open to the public and is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
Also new in 2025 was the introduction of seminars, free to members and available to non-members for a suggested donation, on topics of interest to the automotive community. Memberships were also offered for the first time.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Callaway, Brian (April 6, 2008), "Ready to Roll ** Allentown's new $17 million homage to vehicles is set to open Saturday after nearly two decades of setbacks.", The Morning Call, pp. A.1
- ^ "The HubCap Cafe". Lehigh Valley Live. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
- ^ "Bill Bravo's Automotive Portraits at the America on Wheels Museum". Morning Call. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
- ^ a b c Gehman, Geoff (April 12, 2008), "America on Wheels rolls in ** From Macks to muscle cars, here are the museum's coolest wheels.", The Morning Call, pp. D.2
External links
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