Museum of the Horseless Carriage
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 will happen 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.
To view our Form 990 financial records go to:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_pNQ-213KRCCPl1J2ITH1GW6nNrlXLX2?usp=share_link
