10 Automotive Museum Closures That Are Heartbreaking

Automotive museums are a testament to our century-long passion for cars, trucks, and motorcycles, and for the joy of driving them or even just admiring them as they roll by. The exhibits in our favorite automotive museums remind us of vehicles from our youth, or perhaps those driven by our grandparents or neighbors. The top-rated car museums can also recall bygone eras, such as the age of muscle cars, or they might display famous race cars, movie vehicles, and memorabilia.

Running a car museum is a tough business, though. First, a museum needs a good location. A large collection takes a lot of space to display, preferably with room to get the cars out of the aisles for "exercise" and special events, and the facility also needs to be easy for the public to get to. Marketing can be expensive, and the museum needs staff, including mechanics. Ideally, the building housing the collection offers temperature and humidity control, which adds cost. Many institutions run on thin profit margins, relying on gift shops and event rentals to make ends meet.

Thus, even well-known automotive museums beloved by visitors can close in truly heartbreaking fashions. All of this is true even in the best of times, but when events in the wider world take a turn for the worse — such as during the COVID-19 pandemic – the effects on a car museum can be devastating. Also, as we'll see below, museums often fail to survive the passing of their owners, which can lead to a collection being sold off. This is doubly sad, as these museums are priceless repositories of the automotive industry's heritage.

The closing of the Zimmerman Automobile Driving Museum came from examples of the tragic events we just mentioned, because in 2020 it suffered the double whammy of COVID-19 and the death of its founder and benefactor, Stanley Zimmerman. The museum managed to soldier on for a few more years, but in October of 2024, it closed its doors for good. There were other factors like competition that also worked against it, but the loss of its founder's financial support was the blow from which the institution couldn't recover.

Hemmings reports that Stanley Zimmerman and Earl Rubenstein opened the museum in 2002 to "collect, preserve, exhibit and ride in historic vehicles." The "ride" part was one of the museum's signature undertakings, as Zimmerman wanted visitors to enjoy riding in his cars. Thus, its tradition of Sunday Rides was born, allowing staff to drive guests around town in cars from the collection at no extra charge. Inside the museum, visitors could touch the cars and even sit in them. Mr. Zimmerman wanted the cars to be experienced, not just looked at.

The museum didn't just house exotic cars from the distant past, either. (Well, depending on your definition of "distant past.") In addition to historic classics such as Auburns, Packards, and the Chrysler Airflow, the museum housed more recent cars like a Pontiac Fiero and a Chrysler Laser. It even had a Cadillac Allante, which — admittedly — was one of the worst cars penned by Pininfarina. There were also a few extremely rare cars, like David Stollery's one-off ASVE AREX Super Coupe.

The Klairmont Kollections Automotive Museum in Chicago also ran into trouble after the passing of its founder, Larry Klairmont, in 2021. The museum kept its doors open for four more years before closing and sending Mr. Klairmont's collection to be auctioned in the fall of 2025. With 100,000 square feet of space, this accounted for nearly 300 vehicles and more than 1,000 pieces of road art.

The collection included rare and historic vehicles such as a 1926 Rickenbacker Eight Super Sport — possibly the last one in existence — and a famous custom car called the Golden Sahara II. Depression-era luxury cars were represented by vehicles like a 1934 Duesenberg while a 1967 Shelby GT500 repped the Muscle Car era. There were even two Batmobiles, not to mention plenty of other concept vehicles, motorcycles, miniature cars, celebrity-owned rides, and mid-century European luxury cars. Not bad for a museum that started as storage for its owner's personal collection.

The Klairmont Kollection went up for auction at Mecum in September 2025 in an event wistfully called Larry's Legacy. The event featured the Rickenbacker and the Golden Sahara II along with a 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Aero Coupe and a 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Boattail Skiff. Other Klairmont cars sold at the auction included a 1969 Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds, a 1963 Corvette Split WIndow Coupe, a 1982 DeLorean DMC-12, a 1949 Bentley B Special Speed 8, a 1936 BMW 319 Cabriolet, and far too many other amazing cars to all be included here.

Larry Bennett founded the Dream Car Museum in 2015 at the site of his car dealership in Evansville, Indiana. Distinguished by a real Corvette that sat atop its sign, the museum displayed classic vehicles and movie cars alongside nostalgic items such as vintage gas pumps and movie memorabilia. It quickly became a part of the community and hosted charity events. Unfortunately, as we've seen, the car museum business is a tough one, and its lack of revenue led to the museum being closed to the public on January 5, 2020.

A 2018 YouTube video shows that while it was open, exhibits resembled an old-fashioned full-service gas station, with mannequins dressed as cops, waitresses, and attendants servicing cars. The collection included a 1926 Model T, a 1971 Dodge Demon, a Corvette that spent four decades in a barn, and a 1967 Chevy Camaro RS. There was also a "General Lee" Dodge Charger from "The Dukes of Hazzard" that had actually been driven on the show, as well as a dented black 1970 Charger came from "The Fast and the Furious." Other items on display included neon signs and drive-in movie speakers.

Even when that video was made, many of the cars and other items were marked for sale. Despite its appeal to car buffs and retro-nostalgia enthusiasts, the museum only attracted about 600 visitors per month. When the museum closed, some of the displays remained behind as the facility was converted to a private event space. In April 2021, more than a year after the museum closed, the famous Corvette was taken down from the sign.

The Mullin Automotive Museum was very well-known, and its demise drew laments from the buff books like Car and Driver and Motor Trend, the latter of which said, "We may never get up close and personal with such a rare vehicle collection ever again." The pride of Oxnard, California, the museum was founded in 2010 by Peter Mullin, who was once named Automobile Magazine's Man of the Year. Sadly, Mr. Mullin passed away in September 2023, and his beloved museum closed its doors the following February.

Mullin styled the institution as a monument to French cars. He acquired the Chandler's Vintage Museum of Transportation and Wildlife, which had previously closed, and redesigned its interior to evoke the Grand Palais in Paris. To match the artistic beauty and time period of the cars, the museum displayed Art Deco items from around the world. But the cars were the stars of the show, and the collection included stunners such as a 1934 Voisin Type C27 Aerosport Coupe, a 1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS, and a 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic.

While Mullin hoped his collection would outlive him, it only managed this feat for a few months. Some of the cars went to the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles, while many of the rest went up for auction through Gooding & Company in April 2024. The auction shocked its organizers when it broke $19 million in sales; one car, an absolutely stunning blue and white 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Aravis "Special Cabriolet," fetched over $6.6 million on its own.

Just a few months after the Mullin Automotive Museum closed, Oxnard lost yet another amazing collection when the Murphy Auto Museum closed its doors in July 2024. Founded by Dan Murphy in 2005, this automotive gallery attracted about 10,000 visitors per year, but that unfortunately wasn't enough to keep the lights on. The museum struggled for much of its history, and its Executive director, David Neel, took over from Murphy in 2014 in an attempt to keep it going.

In addition to dozens of antique and vintage cars, the museum also featured many other transportation-related displays such as a model railroad, vintage trailers, slot cars, and die-cast cars. It connected with the public via monthly car shows called Muscles and Mojo, which allowed visitors to socialize and eat while admiring the venue.

The museum had to move from its original location when its landlord didn't renew the lease in 2019, and its new, smaller location required it to sell off about half of its collection. The timing for its move was terrible, as COVID came around almost as soon as it was up and running again. Many of the remaining cars belonged to private collectors who were practically paying rent to have their vehicles on display, but the combination of that income and money from admissions wasn't enough to stay in business.

The National Motorcycle Museum closed its doors in 2023. Jill and John Parham, owners of J&P Cycles (which sells motorcycle parts, apparel, and gear), founded the museum in 1989 in the biker Mecca of Sturgis, South Dakota. Starting with just 40 motorcycles, they moved into bigger digs in 2001 in Anamosa, Iowa, where their collection expanded to over 500. Sadly, John died in 2017, and combined with low attendance thanks to COVID a few years later, the museum couldn't overcome the challenges.

Some of the most interesting motorcycles on display included Rollie Free's 1948 Vincent HRD, Steve McQueen's 1947 Indian Chief chopper, and a 1937 Brough Superior SS80. The collection's 1911 Flying Merkel boardtrack racer was considered one of the most authentic surviving models, and there was a whole exhibit about boardtrack racing featuring a 50-foot section of wooden track lined with vintage bikes. The museum's "Barn Find" exhibit displayed actual, unrestored barn finds in all their rusted glory. Art on display included work by Ed "Big Daddy" Roth.

After announcing the closure, Jill Parham needed to liquidate the museum's collections. In September 2023, Mecum Auctions put the John Parham Estate Collection up for bid. Some of the most remarkable sales included a 1927 Brough Superior SS100 Pendine Replica that fetched $220,000, a 1906 Curtiss Twin that commanded $214,500, a 1916 Thor Model U that sold for $121,000, and a 1933 Brough Superior 11/50 that went for $115,000. It might have been a bittersweet day for Jill Parham, but these prices were a testament to the quality of the collection that she built alongside John.

Perhaps nothing better illustrates the difficulty of making it in the car museum business than this fact: The museum named for the Chrysler Corporation's founder couldn't stay afloat in the company's own hometown. It closed in 2012, then reopened in June 2016 for weekends only, before closing again for good in December of that same year. Some of its vehicles were put into storage, brought out only for special events, while others were transferred to different locations such as the Chrysler Technology Center.

The museum's 55,000-square-foot facility was designated to be converted into offices, but while it was open, it housed over 60 vehicles from every era of the company's history. Some were even displayed on a pillar in the three-story building's lobby. Vehicles on display included vintage and historic models from Chrysler, brands owned by Chrysler, and brands owned by companies that were later bought by Chrysler. This includes Dodge, Nash, Hudson, DeSoto, Imperial, and Plymouth. Highlights included a 1955 Chrysler 300 Sport Coupe, a 1953 Hudson Hornet, and even a 1984 Plymouth Voyager minivan.

The museum also displayed a number of concept cars, such as a Dodge Razor, a Dodge Copperhead, and a Plymouth Pronto Spyder. And thanks to Chrysler's ownership of Jeep (which has now passed to Stellantis, along with Dodge, Ram, and the Chrysler brand itself), there was a 1943 Willys-Overland Jeep MB displayed against a World War II backdrop. Other historic models included a 1914 Dodge Model 30, a 1946 Chrysler Town & Country "woodie" convertible, and a 1934 Chrysler Airflow. Muscle cars on display included a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T and a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner.

Rick Treworgy founded his museum, Muscle Car City, in 2009 to display his huge collection of GM cars. A combination of Treworgy's impending retirement and declining admissions due to the pandemic led to the museum's closure in January 17, 2021. In the intervening years, this car museum in a former Walmart hosted an array of muscle cars, pony cars, and Corvettes that would make enthusiast's eyes widen in wonder.

A few of the vehicles in the collection were historic, though they weren't exactly what most people would consider muscle cars. Such vehicles include a 1931 Chevrolet Independence Landau Phaeton, a 1935 Chevy Suburban, and a 1949 Cadillac Series 61 Club Coupe. Several cars on exhibit were hot rods, including a hot pink 1936 Chevy Suburban with a 454 V8, a 1949 Willys Jeepster with a four-barrel V8, and a 1957 Chevy Suburban fitted with an LS V8. There were even a couple of antique Cadillac hot rods.

There were also numerous Corvettes, including several 1967 coupes and roadsters. Camaros included a black '69 model with a 396 V8. Of course, befitting a museum called Muscle Car City, there were several GM A-body muscle cars, including a 1970 Chevy Chevelle convertible, a 1965 Chevy Malibu SS, a 1965 Pontiac GTO convertible, and a 1967 Chevelle SS. In total, there were 17 Chevelles, along with 20 Camaros, several GTOs, a 1969 Trans Am, and multiple Oldsmobile 4-4-2s. Its collection went up for auction with Mecum just after the museum closed in January of 2021.

Zack Loffert operated the Rodz & Bodz Movie Cars & More Museum from 2021 to 2025, hosting a rotating exhibition from a collection of more than 300 vehicles. The museum's collection focuses on cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other vehicles used in movies and TV shows, many of which are authentic and some of which are replicas. One of the museum's selling points was its appeal to non-car buffs, as they could easily be thrilled to see cars from their favorite shows and films.

Just like many other car museums, Rodz & Bodz struggled throughout its short history. It had to close and move twice due to issues with its previous locations, and when the museum's last landlord in Englewood, Colorado chose to redevelop the property, it closed for good. Loffert hopes to reopen in a new location someday, but as of early March 2026, the museum's website says it's closed and only operating as a car rental company. Nearly 60 of its vehicles had to be sold, including several movie cars that headed to auction.

Among the screen-used vehicles in the collection were a 1974 Ford Gran Torino from the 2004 "Starsky & Hutch" movie, a 1970 Dodge Charger R/T from the "Fast & Furious" series, a 2009 Suzuki Gladius 650 from the 2011 movie "Priest," and an "Ecto-1" 1984 Cadillac Fleetwood Hearse from the 2016 "Ghostbusters" film. Other vehicles are more imaginative, such as a "SpongeBob SquarePants" Boatmobile that actually drives. And, of course, no movie car collection would be complete without a Batmobile, which was also part of the Rodz & Bodz lineup.

The Sarasota Classic Car Museum differs from many of the short-lived museums on this list by virtue of having been open for a long time — over seventy years, in fact, beginning in 1953. Martin Godbey, who ran the museum with his son, argued that it was the second-oldest car museum in the U.S. Neither declining attendance nor financial difficulties did it in, but rather the fact that its landlord, New College of Florida, needed the property to accommodate its growing student body. Thus, the school canceled the institution's lease in 2023, and the Sarasota Classic Car Museum was forced to close.

The Godbey family hoped to relocate the collection, but as of March 2026, the museum's website no longer appears to be functional. Its collection of 150 cars needed to be moved, and the college turned its buildings into an athletic facility, leaving the current state of those vehicles up in the air. Today, the museum's legacy is a series of monthly tribute concerts, which began when it was open and have been carried on by former employees with Martin Godbey's approval.

In its day, the museum was renowned for its collection of beautiful and historic vehicles. These included antiques like a Rolls-Royce Phantom I, mid-century American classics like a Chevy Bel Air, post-war Jaguars and Mercedes SL models, muscle cars, and exotic cars from marques like Ferrari and Aston Martin. There were prototypes and Hollywood cars, too. Shortly before it closed, a Florida man stole a 1977 Porsche 911 Turbo from the museum and was caught when he registered it with false documents — in Sarasota, no less. At least the museum got it back before it shut down.