Gilmore Car Museum — Attraction in Barry Township

I've been a member for nine years and have been visiting since I was 13. Gilmore has to be one of my favorite places to be. Things change constantly. They do a decent job of keeping the grounds and museum in order. Honestly my only complaint is they focus more on alcohol sales during events then they do I listening to members. I will too, I believe they could do a much better job on gearing more things towards kids. I think 99% of the events there are geared toward older adults. There are very few kid friendly events, it's a large museum and they expect kids to walk through without keeping them in mind. There is no touching of all the cars and very few hands on exhibits, it's very difficult to keep their attention. I think the museum staff should look into a play ground, or maybe bringing back some of the peddle cars. A movie night outside geared toward kids maybe. Gilmore has so many resources but really fails to include younger generations. The Movies shown in the museum are exhaustingly boring and dusty. Music may be of the time period, but to kids it's just mind numbing boredom. They continue to show pictures of the new muscle car wing of the museum and learning center, but they will probably lose the interest of their target group because they'll have old guys teaching it. All in all I absolutely love Gilmore, but most of those in charge are so out of touch with the current and up coming generations that they should retire. They really need to evaluate how the current staff is running things, the board of directors need to be more active They really need to listen more to the members and...

We visited on the hoods up event. Apparently, this occurs in the very early spring. With the hoods up, it was a great opportunity to see engines for a number of interesting cars.

It was fascinating to see cars from the 50s 60s and 70s. The size of those cars is extraordinary. They are extraordinary in the sense of how immense they are in terms of both size and weight.

There are several buildings and if you travel through at a moderate pace, you can easily spend 3 to 4 hours or more. And, it is a great way to spend several hours if you have any Interest in cars. Make sure you get the map when you buy your tickets. Then, there is a suggested path. If it’s your first visit, that is probably the best way to go.

We stopped in during Covid which meant some of the buildings were closed. It sounds like some of the buildings are closed seasonally. Check their website for of the various events. These include music and some outdoor displays.

This would be a great place to visit during warmer weather. There are several large, open areas outside and couple of different places where you can get snacks or food. And you can eat outside. Reasonably priced food.

The one downside is the location. It is about 45 minutes to an hour from Lansing and about 35-45 minutes from Battle Creek. That said, roads leading to the location are not likely to be crowded. There is a great deal of on site parking.

The gift shop was a OK. Some of the items seemed pretty unique. So, not a lot of the same stuff you would see at other museum...

I visited the Gilmore Car Museum last weekend, and it’s hands-down one of the most impressive automotive collections I’ve ever seen. Billed as North America’s largest auto museum, it lives up to the hype with over 400 vehicles spread across a sprawling 90-acre campus. The main gallery alone is a treasure trove—think pristine Model Ts, a rare 1948 Tucker, and muscle cars that roar with nostalgia. I loved how they’ve organized the exhibits across multiple historic buildings, like a 1930s Shell station and a 1928 Model A Ford dealership, which really immerse you in the eras. The standout for me was the hood ornament collection—one of the biggest in the country. It’s such a cool, overlooked piece of automotive art. The 1941 Blue Moon Diner was a fun pit stop too; the burgers were solid, and eating in a vintage setting made it memorable. The staff were super knowledgeable and happy to chat about the cars, which added a personal touch. That said, it’s not perfect. The sheer size means you’re walking a lot—my legs were toast after four hours—and some of the outer buildings felt a bit disconnected from the main experience. Admission isn’t cheap either, though I’d say it’s worth it for car buffs. If you’re not into autos, it might feel overwhelming or repetitive. All in all, it’s a fantastic day out, especially if you love cars or history. I’d recommend wearing comfy shoes and planning to spend at least half a day to really enjoy it. Can’t wait to go back for one of their...