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Visit the Northeast Classic Car Museum in Central New York

posted by Teresa Farrell at 2018-12-29 13:18:00

Tucked away in the Central New York town or Norwich is a hidden gem for automobile enthusiasts: the Northeast Classic Car Museum. This unique museum features a look back in history at some of the most popular classic cars and pays tribute to the pivotal place in American history occupied by the automobile industry, and it’s an interesting way to spend an afternoon whether you’re a huge classic car enthusiast or just curious about what it all entails.



The collection is impressive to say the least, with seven different exhibits spread over five interconnected buildings and more than 170 cars on display that span from the 1890s to the 1970s.  In between lies the story of America in the first half of the twentieth century, spelled out in engine parts and chrome. Exhibits include The Pre-War Collection, the Post-War Collection, The Fabulous Franklins, Made in NY, Tribute to Bennet-Ireland, Trucks at Work, and even a Vintage Airplane Engines exhibit. Each year, an annual exhibit comes to stay; past themes have included Cars Featured in Song, Wagons and Woodies, Red Lights and Sirens, and Pickups of the Past, to name a few.



The museum was founded largely through the efforts of local farmer, Franklin auto enthusiast and classic car restorer George Staley, so it makes sense that today, the Franklin Room is one of the museum’s crown jewels. In fact, the Northeast Classic Car Museum is home to the third oldest Franklin automobile known in existence, and the Franklin Room houses the largest collection of Franklins on display in the world.



Franklins were built in Syracuse, and by all accounts were ahead of the curve; they were a cornerstone of the automobile industry in Central New York during the early 1900s, when Syracuse was home to at least seven different auto manufacturers before the Great Depression. In fact, the New York State’s rich heritage of automobile manufacturing was a large part of its growth during the twentieth century, and this collection serves as a testament to that fact with exhibits like “Cars Made in New York,” which includes a Chevrolet made in Buffalo, one car made in Sydney, another from Binghamton, and the aptly named “Owego”, which hails from Owego, New York.


The museum hosts events, too, including the annual Dancing with the Cars Sock Hop; the fifth annual event will be held on January 25, 2019 from 6 to 10 p.m. The family-friendly event includes a tour of the museum, music by the Bruce Beadle Band, plus a cash bar and pizza and ice cream available for purchase. You can even choose to don a 1950s costume like a poodle skirt when you go. If the sock hop isn’t your style, just show up for a tour any day of the year; the museum’s open from 9-5 every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.

 
PHOTO CREDITS
Red Victor photo credit Aaron Headly
Duesenberg photo credit Aaron Headly
Blow your Horn photo credit Aaron Headly
1939 Graham Paige photo credit Aaron Headly

 

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