Aaca Museum Inc

Target demographics: Adults Children and Youth (infants - 19 years.) General Public/Unspecified

Geographic areas served: National

Programs: The program service of the aaca museum consists of operating an automotive/transportation museum, open to the public 362 days per year. It is dedicated to the preservation, education, and display of motor vehicle history, and it hosted 68,000 visitors this year. The displays in the museum are educational in nature, and there are specific educational programs conducted as well. In recognition of the quality of its display, the aaca museum has been designated by the smithsonian institution as an affiliate museum. The aaca museum has also been recognized by periodicals as one of the top automotive museums in the world. The displays include some semi-permanent exhibits and temporary exhibits in additional to the permanent exhibits. Changes are made periodically so that the display remains interesting to the public. Many of the antique motor vehicles displayed in the upper level of the museum are arranged in galleries, with each representing a different era, and a different geographical area of the country. Each display includes a highly detailed diorama that presents the vintage vehicles in a context that brings the history of the automobile to life. The displays place each automobile in the context of american culture at the time it was produced. For example, the earliest antique cars (pre-1910 era) are displayed next to a tiny machine shop in a scene that represents turn-of-the-century new york. The machine shop reflects the manner in which cars were typically serviced and repaired in that era. The 1920s cars are displayed in front of an artistic mural showing several panoramic views of downtown hershey, pennsylvania in the 1920s. The 1930s cars are shown in a scene that represents an art-deco hotel in miami beach, florida, in that era. The 1940s cars are shown in front of a "service station" of that era, authentically replicated to include a supply of automotive lubricants and other products that would be available at that time. The service station even has a "bell hose" that rings to let the attendant know that a customer has arrived. Next to the station is a restored 1930s fuel tanker truck, ready to pump the station's tanks full of 20-cent-per-gallon gasoline. The 1950s cars are shown at a drive-in theater that was popular in the era. Other displays depict 1960s cars in a scene representing the rocky mountains, and 1970s and 80s cars in a scene reflecting the golden gate bridge in california. The cammack gallery on the main floor was re-purposed in october of 2014 to house the world's largest collection of tucker automobiles and related artifacts. Key collection elements include 3 tucker '48 automobiles including the first production tucker 1001, the only surviving tucker with automatic transmission, several experimental engines and the factory test chassis to name a few. The exhibit educates the audience regarding the life and career of preston tucker, whose innovative designs and efforts to compete with the major auto manufacturers made him a significant historical figure. The exhibits trace mr. Tucker's life and career, including his early days with an interest in racing, his years of labor to develop a revolutionary new automotive design, the triumphant introduction of his "car of tomorrow", and the legal travails that followed. Mr. Tucker's life story was the subject of a popular movie released in 1988, and remains of great interest to our visitors. This permanent exhibit continues to grow with new exhibit cases, wheel interactives and other educational pieces. Special featured exhibits occur each year and are incorporated throughout a variety of gallery spaces. For example, these exhibits have focused on "brass-era" automobiles (pre-1920), wooden-bodied automobiles, trucks, and the so-called "muscle cars" of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Exhibits have also included cars from notable private collections, all of which are loaned to the museum without charge for the benefit of the public. The lower level of the museum includes additional displays of historically significant cars, often including a vintage ambulance and hearse, to show the usage of "professional cars" in our country's early history. Featured temporary exhibits in this area include a yearly summer exhibit which typically features motorcycles, scooters or related smaller vehicles. Changing themes have included "indian nation" focused on indian motorcycles, "motorbikes for the masses" focused on scooters and mopeds, and "fast from the past" focused on racing bikes. In addition, the museum exhibits about a dozen historic buses owned by the museum of bus transportation. This display includes buses from all eras of the twentieth century - local buses, school buses, and long-distance buses. It is the largest collection of historic buses in an indoor display in the united states. In addition, the museum exhibits an operating train and diorama display. The educational content of the museum is not limited to the vehicles themselves. The exhibits refer to other historically significant events, including the women's suffrage movement, the development of the interstate highway system, the issuance of license plates by the different states, and the techniques of advertising automobiles as it changed through the years. Displays include such varied items as automobile anti-theft devices, tire jacks, hood ornaments (mascots), and automotive literature from different eras in history. On permanent display in the museum is a genuine restored 1941 valentine diner, relocated from kansas, and outfitted just as it was in the days before world war ii. The museum also promotes new alternative technology and energy forms; three no-fee electric vehicle charging stations on the premises are available to the public at all times. The aaca museum offers specific educational programs for both the community and school audiences as an additional program service, in addition to the educational aspects of its displays, the museum sponsors specific educational activities, lectures, programs and workshops for the benefit of the general public. 1. For the education of children, the museum maintains an activity area where children can engage in a variety of hands-on projects and activities intended to teach them about transportation history. 2. The museum offers schools a variety of educational tours for pre- kindergarten to twelfth grade. Tours support state curriculum standards in history, english, math, economics and science, and are presented with a view toward the curriculum and age level of the group. Students visit the museum and learn by seeing and doing, the museum's specially tailored programs make learning fun and active. 3. Given technology advancements of the 21st century, the museum strives to work with schools to create new forms of interactive engagement. The museum extends outreach programming that allows museum trained ambassadors to drive antique vehicles to the school and explain them to the student group. 4. As part of its adult education program, the museum sponsors talks with the museum curator, car collectors, and other experts throughout the year. Focused workshops, rallies and programs augment changing exhibitions seasonally. Public programs include special vehicle displays, movies, music, gallery demonstrations and other forms of special interpretation. 5. The museum sponsors an antique automobile show each year, which is open to the general public. This event has been held for 20 years, and visitors to the museum can make arrangements to get a "behind-the-scenes" look at the museum's storage facilities. 6. The museum has provided several vehicles to pennsylvania college of technology for students to obtain hands-on experience restoring antique automobiles. 7. A standard practiced by all historical societies and museums, the aaca museum is digitizing the collection for internet access. 8. The aaca museum has partnered with lebanon valley college and their student teachers to create an ongoing series of specific online learning modules focused on the automobile and how it relates to various courses. These learning modules are available to all at no charge via the museum's website. The aaca museum continues to work with the community and their leaders, along with educational institutions of all types to explore new opportunities for providing educational programs in furtherance of its mission.