ABOUT US

A vintage toy car in front of a barn-style wooden door with diagonal and horizontal trim, decorated with a leafy tree branch casting shadows over the ground.

Our History

The Museum of the Horseless Carriage’s mission is to engage, advance, support, promote, and administer charitable and educational activities, causes, and projects. Preserving the history and artifacts pertaining to the Brass Era automobile (pre-1916) by operating a museum and providing education opportunities for the general public.  

The period before 1916 saw an amazing transformation in independent transportation and technological advancements.  This period is not emphasized enough in other museums or illustrated adequately in school history courses. The world’s history and culture were profoundly impacted by the early development of the horseless carriage and the pioneers who made it happen.

There are many of us within the Brass Era hobby who love these cars, are dedicated to preserving them, and believe this gap in the public’s understanding can be rectified. In order to do this a separate 501(c)3 corporation called The Museum of the Horseless Carriage at the Gilmore Car Museum was formed.  

Locating the Museum of the Horseless Carriage at the Gilmore Car Museum creates the perfect partnership.  Alignment of mission between our entities, central location in the United States, and the fact that the Gilmore is the largest auto museum in North America makes it the perfect place.  The Museum of the Horseless Carriage will join the CCCA Museum, the Pierce Arrow Museum, the H.H. Franklin Collection, the Model A Museum, the Cadillac-LaSalle Club Museum, The Lincoln Motor Car Museum, and other future museums like the muscle car museum on the large 90 manicured acres of beautiful barns and buildings.  There are also almost three miles of private roads for driving the antique cars and hosting shows and events.  

The Museum of the Horseless Carriage will be open at its temporary location in the Steam Barn on the Gilmore campus until the capital campaign is completed and the new stand alone museum building is completed. 

  • PRESERVE

    The museum will preserve Brass Era (pre-1916) automobiles and artifacts for all current and future generations to see and experience what made the early age of the horseless carriage come to life.

    Close-up of an antique black and gold vintage car with a tufted black leather seat and wooden steering wheel, parked on grass with a red cart in the background.

  • EDUCATE

    The museum will help to educate members and the public about the amazing change in technology and culture during this time through both the exhibit and live events/activities.

    View of a vintage car show outdoors on a sunny day, with classic racing and early automobiles displayed on grass and pavement, and people walking and observing the cars.

  • SUPPORT THE HOBBY

    The museum will support the Brass Era (pre-1916) hobby through raising awareness and events to support the preservation and use of these amazing automobiles.

    The image shows the view from inside a vintage car on a rural road, with the driver visible from behind. The road is lined with lush green trees and fields, with a yellow car ahead carrying two passengers.

A New Museum

There has been a desire for many years to establish a museum completely dedicated to Brass Era cars and the pioneers who made them a reality. As this possibility was analyzed it became obvious to a committee looking into its feasibility that there was only one way to do it successfully. The idea is now  becoming a reality. The willingness of the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan, to accept the Museum of the Horseless Carriage as one of the partner museums on their 90-acre property is really the only practical answer. With some financial assistance from the Horseless Carriage Educational Institute, the legal work to establish a new tax exempt 501(c)3 Michigan corporation and negotiate a 50-year legal agreement with the Gilmore Car Museum was accomplished in early 2020. 

The next steps are somewhat more complex. We have begun a three-year capital campaign to raise $3,000,000 which will be used to build the 10,000 square foot building, pay for the display materials and furnishings, as well as create a $1,300,000 endowment to insure its long-term viability. The first step in that process has been to create a display in the existing Steam Barn at the Gilmore which is now complete.  This display  features a full-size replica of the original Wright Brothers plane hanging from the ceiling. We have obtained an original photo of Orville Wright and his sister riding in a 1903 St. Louis, and George Dorris III has loaned us a 1903 St. Louis for the display as well. There is a large balcony area so visitors can view all this from above the display area. We now have on loan a very significant group of cars to complete the display in a way that tells the story of the early development of the automobile. 

One of the most exciting elements in this program has been the plan to have a national signature event at the museum annually.  The first event, A Celebration of Brass@ The Gilmore, took place in July of 2021 and was a great success. There is a video on this site featuring the highlights of that event. The two-day celebration was followed by three magnificent days of touring through the Michigan countryside. A similar event happens the third Friday and Saturday of every July. 

All of this will only happen if supported financially by the Horseless Carriage community. If you would like to help make all of this a reality make a check payable to: Museum of the Horseless Carriage and send it to Museum of the Horseless Carriage, Gilmore Car Museum, 6865 West Hickory Road, Hickory Corners, MI 49060. 

Artist rendering of a proposed new museum building called the Museum of the Horseless Carriage. The building has a brick facade with green door and window frames, a striped awning, and outdoor seating areas. Several people are seen walking and interacting outside, and an antique horse-drawn carriage is displayed in front of the museum.

Officers

JIM HART

CHRIS PAULSEN

KIM BRODHAGEN

JAY FOLLIS

Collections/Exhibits/Artifacts
collections@museumofthehorselesscarriage.org

PAUL JAMES SLOAN

Board of Directors

KYLE BLAKE

Cumberland, Maryland

KIM BRODHAGEN

Mattawan, Michigan

JAMES SKILLICORN

Salinas, California

JIM BLOOMSTRAND

Hoffman Estates, Illinois

JAY FOLLIS

Allegan, Michigan

PAUL JAMES SLOAN

Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan

WHITNEY HAIST

Orinda, California

JIM HART

Mendon, Michigan

CHRIS PAULSEN

McPherson, Kansas

DONALD PLUMB

Sherwood, Oregon

DAVID STEVENS

Whitehall, Michigan

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