Hot Rod/Custom museums & collections

Vehicle museum south of Shepparton housing more than 100 classic, vintage and veteran cars, muscle cars, trucks, motorbikes and pedal cars, alongside motoring collectibles.

Former Trabant-focused automobile museum in Kölleda, Thuringia, opened August 27, 2016 by Trabiparadies Kölleda e.V., which took over the collection from the earlier Trabiparadies Weberstedt; exhibits emphasized customized/modified Trabants.

Eccentric private museum in Hyderabad showcasing handmade, drivable novelty cars shaped like everyday objects, created by collector K. Sudhakar Yadav and opened in 2010. It focuses on whimsical custom vehicle design rather than historic marques.

Not-for-profit historic-vehicle museum housing 100+ vehicles from collector Ross Myers with an emphasis on hot rods and award-winning restorations, in a restored early-20th-century brick factory building.

A 12,000-sq-ft showroom museum at AER Manufacturing's corporate HQ featuring vintage and custom cars against a 360-degree mural of hot rods and motorcycles.

A museum dedicated to motorsport, with a primary focus on organized drag-racing history.

A private institution in Houston dedicated to contemporary "art car" culture, founded by Ann and James Harithas.

Museum in Douglas dedicated to "art cars" - vehicles transformed into rolling works of art. Opened to the public in 2023.

A nonprofit museum (est. 2008) showcasing historical race cars, movie/production vehicles, hot rods, and music-related memorabilia.

An 18,000 sq ft facility in Callaway County portraying automotive history through vintage and classic cars, chrome, and street rods.

Legendary Hollywood custom-car builder George Barris's shop/showroom (creator of the Batmobile and Munster Koach) operated in North Hollywood for 60+ years before that location closed in 2021; family stated intent to reopen a public display in the Oxnard-Ventura area.

Private classic car museum with 100+ vintage, custom, and hot rod vehicles spanning the 1920s-2010s.

A small storefront museum in downtown Trussville displaying classic cars alongside vintage gas, oil, and Coca-Cola memorabilia; much of the collection can be viewed through large glass windows even when closed.

Former museum of custom car builder Darryl Starbird in Afton, once displaying 50+ one-of-a-kind customs from builders like Barris, Titus, Roth, and Starbird himself.

Large collection of 200+ classic, muscle, exotic, and custom cars alongside 3,000+ vintage toys.

A museum in Ocala, FL founded by drag racing pioneer "Big Daddy" Don Garlits, home to the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame plus original and replica dragsters, hot rods, and antique automobiles.

Private 260-acre complex in Colorado Springs with roughly 100 operational military vehicles plus a large secondary hot rod/muscle car collection.

A museum run by the Early Ford V-8 Foundation displaying 65+ flathead V-8 Ford vehicles from 1932-1953. Exhibits include a recreated 1936 Ford dealership with a stainless-steel sedan and a 1940s service garage.

Planned museum in Española ("Lowrider Capital of the World") to document Northern New Mexico lowriding history and culture, championed by the Española Lowrider Association.

Nonprofit Modesto museum celebrating the "American Graffiti" cruising culture with classic cars, hot rods, and memorabilia in a recreated-storefront setting.

An 80,000 sq ft private museum in Roscoe (near Rockford) with the world's largest collection of Presidential/world-leader limousines, gangster-era vehicles, and celebrity memorabilia.

A private hot-rod and drag-racing memorabilia gallery in Monroe built by drag racer Jim Green, adjoining his performance shop; also rented as an event space.

A large hot-rod shop/showroom (roughly 200,000 sq ft facility) displaying customs and classics; functions partly as a public-facing showroom.

Free roughly 150-vehicle collection on historic Route 66 in Duarte, assembled by the Justice Brothers (early NASCAR/racing sponsors and automotive-chemical pioneers), featuring vintage race cars, motorcycles, and memorabilia.

Former private auto museum in Chicago's Belmont Cragin area built on founder Larry Klairmont's 300+-vehicle collection.

Was a large (192,000 sq ft) combined automotive, carriage, and military-history museum complex near Auburn, tied to Kruse International auctions, opened around 2003.

~100,000-sq-ft non-profit (founded 2019) celebrating SoCal car culture and motorsports, with 150+ classic cars, race cars and hot rods. Immersive sets recreate a 1960s speed shop and the historic Lions Drag Strip.

Privately founded non-profit displaying a broad multi-marque collection of 170+ vehicles including classics, hot rods, customs and imports, plus one of the largest displays of auto memorabilia, antique gas pumps and signage.

Privately owned non-profit automobile museum in Glendale housing over 170-200 vehicles spanning more than 100 years of automotive history, plus an extensive collection of automobilia, antique gas pumps, and neon signage.

A Burlington museum founded by Mike McCandless honoring his father Herb McCandless ('Mr. 4 Speed'), a legendary drag racer, focusing on Forward Look-era Mopar/Chrysler vehicles, drag racing history, and automobilia.

A nonprofit museum and event venue displaying 65+ rotating vehicles from 1907 to the present, including custom, muscle, exotic and classic cars. Grew from the Morgan family collection and opened to the public in 2019.

General automobile collection of 150-200+ vehicles (1890s-1980s) housed within the Old Montana Prison Museum complex; one admission covers all five museums.

Antique and classic car/motorcycle museum in Rapid City built from Bill and Peggy Napoli's personal restorations since they married in 1969; also functions as a classic-vehicle sales lot.

A museum (founded by Speedway Motors' 'Speedy' Bill and Joyce Smith) dedicated to American hot rod and racing history, with race cars, hot rods and an unrivaled collection of racing engines and speed equipment.

Founded 1995 by custom-car builder Darryl Starbird, this 40,000-sq-ft museum housed 50+ one-of-a-kind hot rods and customs, including 25 of Starbird's own creations plus builds by Barris, Ed Roth and others.

Located at the Fairplex in Pomona in a historic Art Deco exposition hall, preserving dragsters, land-speed cars, hot rods, and customs that tell the story of American drag racing.

Private hot rod museum/collection in Las Vegas displaying restored vehicles from 1910 to 1984, alongside memorabilia and antiques; offers guided tours.

One of the world's largest automotive museums on LA's Miracle Mile. 300+ vehicle collection across ~25 galleries covering design, motorsport, Hollywood cars, hot rods, lowriders and future mobility, plus a large basement Vault.

Private collection of 1940s-50s advertising memorabilia and classic cars housed in an old Ford dealership building in Hillsboro, owned by Carroll Estes.

Movie/TV-vehicle themed museum featuring screen-used cars and replicas.

Large auto museum in Tucson (opened 2024) founded by Joseph Findysz, spanning 77,000 sq ft with 250+ vehicles including antique cars, fire trucks, tractors, muscle cars, and motorcycles.

Privately owned museum on Route 66 in Santa Rosa with 30+ restored classic cars, street rods, and motorcycles, run by restorer James "Bozo" Cordova.

An interactive educational automotive museum operating as 'The Garage', featuring hands-on displays, the year-round Kustom Kemps of America (KKOA) Hall of Fame exhibit, and rotating exhibits.

A private museum (founded 1993) showcasing ~80 Ford vehicles from roughly 1928-1932 (44 running), including a '32 open-cab pickup, '31 ambulance and a period hot rod, plus a 25,000-piece Ford literature library.

Located in Chattanooga's Historic Southside next to the historic Honest Charley Speed Shop (the world's first mail-order speed shop, est. 1948), this museum showcases Corky Coker's personal collection of over 100 vintage cars, hot rods, motorcycles, trucks, buses, and rare engines.

Free auto museum attached to TP Tools & Equipment retail store, with themed exhibits (50s diner, service garage, country store).

A nonprofit collection on a large rural campus housing restored vintage cars and a substantial gas-pump/petroliana collection, with a specialty in 1933 Fords.

Family-owned museum (since 1960) and active collector-car dealership on 35 acres in Volo with 300+ cars plus the largest collection of Hollywood movie/TV vehicles in the country.