Pontiac Transportation Museum — Attraction in Pontiac

Canceled their June 2nd 2024 Wedding/Event expo less than 48 hours in advance. Poorly managed and operated. In 2021 I gave one star to the Pontiac Transportation Museum (PTM) as it is not yet open for business and a "Coming in 2019" hangs sadly above the front door lined with blue construction tarps. No other signage or explanation of the missed opening or current project status. By chance I ran into one of Pontiac, MI biggest boosters who has great things to report about the renovation and took seriously the need for an update on a public opening date. I reserve any more stars until their website and printed materials more accurately reflect their open status, diversify a seemingly all white Board of Directors, provide a local address and hours where records can be inspected by the public, and clarify the actual ownership of the collection and relationship to the sister museum.

Added a star to acknowledge improvements to signage and the occasional outdoor event programming!

May 2024 Opening Day. Back to one star after 15 minutes of standard not for profit research revealed dire information on the Pontiac-Oakland Museum and Resource Center (POMARC) of 2011. Entity was administratively dissolved in May 2023 after failing to file tax returns (IRS form 990) for three consecutive years. 2019 is the most recent tax return filed. A new (parrallel) entity Pontiac Transportation Museum (PTM) was created in January 2023 (most likely as a ruse to absorb assets of the shuttered POMARC) received a favorable IRS Letter of Determination in July 2023 making CURRENT donations tax deductible. Problem is, dissolution requires approval of the Michigan Attorney General, entity assets to be distributed to a viable not for profit doing similar work, and other steps. The former Pontiac-Oakland Museum and Resource Center operated illegally for nearly four years, collected donations which were NOT TAX DEDUCTIBLE, and rather than have their status reinstated by the IRS opted to create the new entity Pontiac Transit Museum. The Articles of Incorporation of PTM list a President (organizer) but no Treasurer or Secretay as required by IRS code. Nor are any Directors indicated. A glossy annual report for 2023 boasts of $337,737 in revenue while the filed and signed IRS 990 Postcard indicates receipts of less than $50,000.

The cars are beautiful. The ethics and business standards non existent. Another bruise on the...

Drove down yesterday on my day off to check it out. I am a car guy and big GM guy with many family ties to the auto industry here in MI. I love history and the mueseum has some very rare vehicles with significance to the area also. I learned about the Carter co and how it contributed to what is most common automatic transmission today. And about Grabowsky trucks. I knew GM had a huge presence in Pontiac and history of PMD and GM truck and coach but i learned alot more yesterday. Also there are some very neat items pertaining to history of auto mfg there. And beutiful cars and trucks and several carriages on display. The volunteers i did meet at the mueseum were great! Friendly and very knowledgable of the products displayed. Cannot wait to go back once phase 2 is open! Thanks for the great...

Visited on a Saturday afternoon. Not busy at all. We were expecting to just walk around on our own but it’s actually a guided tour. Our guide, Steve, was fantastic! He had so much knowledge about each item in the museum. It really made it feel well worth the ticket price ($10). The last part of the tour takes you into an unfinished area of the museum, think dark cold garage. So keep in mind if you visit in winter you should bring your coat inside. The museum is planning to renovate the space so it won’t always be dark cold garage vibes. I’m just happy they include that area in the tour because there were many neat cars and other items there. It was overall a great experience, worth the price, and we were...