We went to The Wheels O’ Time Museum a year ago last September and I’ve been meaning to take another visit there this summer. Well, I opened a beer, scratched my left kneecap, killed a fly, opened a few more beers and all of a sudden it’s fall. And The Wheels O’ Time Museum is closed after this Friday till next year! So we need to get there before they shut the doors for this years season. Come on, let’s go, we wheely need to hurry here! Oof, sorry about that!
It's a grey overcast day here at the Wheels O' Time Museum, which is just the way I like it. Before we go in, let's check out something over to the side of the museum...
Even after the museum is closed for the season, this is something you can look at all year. There's a whole chain of train cars parked off to the side of the museum.
You can climb into a lot of the cars out here, but I couldn't find the bar car, so let's move on along. By the way, Pete Clarno, owner of No Wake Zone said that these trains were imported from Vonachen's Junction in the comments section from the last post, so thanks to Pete for that bit of local trivia!
They're still open until tomorrow, so if you want to check out this place you've got two days to do it or you have to wait until next year!
You have to pay in this front room here before you can take a tour of the museum, let's go say hi to this gentlemen...
This is Jerry and he rang me up and we're good to go...
Here we are in the main room of the museum.
The focal point in here is vintage automobiles and there's a whole showroom of them on display.
Check out this fancy limo, it's got a familiar logo on the side of it...
It used to be a limo for the Jumer Hotels and is still owned and on loan for dispaly by the Jumer family.
This is the car that's the jewel of the museum for me.
It's a 1933 Packard that's been owned by Ralph J. Coletta and his family since 1955 and they've generously loaned it to Wheels O' Time so we can all enjoy it. I've been friends with the Coletta family, particularly Joe and Bob since I was knee high to a beer keg and I remember sitting in this car in their garage in high school. That was way back when we really put the "high" back in high school, so this car brings back some really fun memories for me.
Ralph Coletta had a true love and passion for this car and I'm glad the car and memories of it are still alive out here.
Whitewall tires, talk about your wheels of time!
I bet that's the original license plate.
Cheers to the Coletta clan for sharing this vintage car with the rest of us! Hope to see you guys this holiday season!
There's more to Wheels O' Time than cars though, overhead giant model planes hang from the ceiling.
Here's more planes over in this section. I'm glad I'm not a passenger on these airplanes because they've been circling for a landing for years in here with no luck of landing so far! I bet the liquor supply on them has been long exhausted!
There's a whole room filled with antique clocks over here.
If you look closely at that tag it says it's supplied by the Acme Company...thanks to Bob Gordon for donating this bang-up clock!
Check out this barbershop quartet...stare at this for more than three minutes and you're guaranteed nightmares tonight so let's just move along!
They really need to add some Asian Carp to this WMBD exhibit to keep it up to date!
Here's a prop from a '50's movie which was called, "Honey I Shrunk The Dog And Now He's Staring At The Arm On The Turntable Like It's A Fire Hydrant."
There's a prostitution joke here, but that's too easy, so let's keep moving along...
Speaking of whores, this one is still hanging out by this cop car, she was here last year and it's amazing she doesn't get busted. She must be giving out free handjobs to the boys in blue.
Well, anyone who's familiar with The Addams Family knows what's on display in here...
Exactlyodo, Quasimodo! (To quote John Prine.) We'll see you all tomorrow!
Wheels O’ Time Museum
1710 W Woodside Drive
Dunlap, Illinois
309-243-9020
Related posts: Wheels O’ Time Museum and Doyle’s Automotive and The Costume Trunk.
Cars are cars,
All over the world.
Surprise link, click on it...I dare you!
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