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Top 7 U.S. Vacation Destinations for Car Geeks

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Planning a vacation? Why not feed your inner car geek at the same time? Whether you prefer cutting-edge Corvettes or classic Cadillacs, these seven museums definitely have something to satisfy every car aficionado.


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National Corvette Museum

7. National Corvette Museum (Bowling Green, KY)

Kentucky is not just Thoroughbred country, but Corvette Headquarters. Any ’vette fans will definitely want to tour the National Corvette Museum located on a 55-acre campus in Bowling Green. Guests can tour the actual Corvette plant, as well as take a 3-mile loop ride in one of the brand’s featured cars like the 1979 Corvette Red Coupe. Thrill seekers will not want to miss the nearby NCM Motorsports Park, where visitors can take a whirl with a professional driver.

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Gateway Canyons Resort
Photo: Destination Colorado

6. Gateway Canyons Resort (Gateway, Colorado)

Drive to Gateway, Colorado to experience the car geek haven known as Gateway Canyons Resort. Discovery Channel founder John Hendricks forged this car lover’s attraction. Tourists can roam the on-site car museums that include historical rarities like the 1954 Oldsmobile F-88 concept car and the 1906 Cadillac Model H Coupe. Speed demons can go for a spin in a supercar or exotic vehicle available for rent. You can also test out the nearby off-roading track.

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Petersen Automotive Museum
Photo: David Zaitz

5. Petersen Automotive Museum (Los Angeles, California)

LA boasts one of the world’s largest auto museums, the Petersen Automotive Museum, that teems with 25 public galleries and over 100 cars. Pour over film-featured cars like the 1992 Batmobile from Batman Returns, Lightning McQueen from Disney Pixar’s Cars & Cars 2, as well as the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 from the James Bond movie Skyfall. Guests can also pay an admission premium to access the “vault,” which accommodates the museum’s more private collection.

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NASCAR Hall of Fame
Photo: NASCAR Hall of Fame

4. NASCAR Hall of Fame (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Head to the NASCAR Hall of Fame to wander over 150,000 square-feet of race car history. Tourists can also browse the Glory Road area that houses 18 historic cars and features 40 different racecar tracks. You can also peruse the Hall of Honor that immortalizes NASCAR’s famous inductees. With 50 interactive attractions like racing simulators and four floors containing around 1,000 artifacts, learning about racecar history has never been so fun.

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The Kennedy Car at the Ford Museum
Photo: Day in Tech History

3. Henry Ford Museum (Dearborn, Michigan)

Michigan boasts one of the U.S.’s car history gems, the Henry Ford Museum. View the Driving America display that features historical American cars like the 1865 Roper, the oldest surviving car in the country, as well as Henry Ford’s first gas-fueled vehicle. The Presidential Vehicles exhibit showcases historic presidential rides, including the iconic 1961 Lincoln Continental limousine that John F. Kennedy was assassinated in. Visitors can also engage in the museum’s plethora of interactive features, like building a Model T.

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A flashy 1931 Cord Speedster at the Auburn cord Duesenberg Museum
Photo: Larry Edsall

2. Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum (Auburn, IN)

Classic car enthusiasts will want to visit Auburn, IN to check out the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum. This former headquarters-turned-museum-building boasts elegant Art Deco architecture. The main show room area is filled with color from the vintage Auburn, Duesenberg, and Cord autos on display. Guests can delight in the 120 cars the museum houses as well as nine car-themed galleries depicting the history of the Auburn Automobile Company, as well as Indiana-built cars.

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Tesla robots assembling some rad models at the Fresno factory
Photo: Tesla Motors

1. Tesla Factory (Fremont, CA)

For those privileged owners of Tesla cars, cruise to Fremont for a private tour of the Tesla Factory. Set foot on the holy ground where Elon Musk’s brainchildren are born. The front of the factory houses a small array of historical Teslas, like the Tesla Model S and Roadster. Witness firsthand the amazing robotic production machines, as well as the human assembly line workers that add the finishing touches to the aluminum body components before they are painted.

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Sources: Automobile Magazine, autoNXT, Travel Channel, Roadtrippers, Corvette Museum, Classic Cars, Automobile Museum, Petersen Automotive Museum, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Henry Ford Museum, Autoweek, Electrek