That foul year of 2020 was very unkind to Wheels O’ Time Museum. Last year they delayed their opening due to the pandemic and then they decided not to open the unique vintage museum at all.
But I’m happy to report that they just re-opened for the 2021 season, so let’s go take a tour of one of Peoria’s most unique destinations: Wheels O’ Time Museum!
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The Main Building
There’s so much to see at Wheels O’ Time Museum and the journey starts out here at the main building where there’s a gift shop and you buy your ticket to enter a world of wheels and vintage treasures!
They have a whole room dedicated to antique cars with information about the automobiles on plaques near the cars. I love all of them, but I do have a favorite automobile here in this wonderful vintage collection.
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My Favorite Car In Wheels O’ Time - The Ralph J. Coletta 1933 Packard!
This 1933 Packard Coupe Roadster is not only a beautiful vintage automobile, it also takes me back to my high school days.
This car is owned by the family of Ralph J. Coletta. I went to high school with Joe and Bob Coletta and I’ve been friends with the Coletta family for decades.
Ralph used to treat us with rides in this car and it brings back such wonderful memories. I love that it’s on display out here and thanks to the Coletta family for letting it be part of this beautiful collection of antique cars!
In addition to the vintage car displays, there’s so much more to see in here including an antique clock room, a jukebox, classic planes flying from the ceiling, phones and a barbershop quartet that will sing you a four part harmony song!
And there’s even more up in the balcony area!
After you climb the stairs you’ll find a fully stocked library, antique typewriters, a music room, a vintage kitchen and many more interesting items on display.
And we’re not close to being done, let’s go down this hallway to look at more interesting items on display.
This room is packed with unique items to look at including vintage bikes and a display featuring the early days of WMBD radio.
Then you head down these stairs to see…
Even more vintage cars and a firetruck and firehouse items from years gone by.
This door leads outside to…
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The Letourneau Steel House
This is a renovated LeTourneau Steel House.
These were small, affordable houses that were built in the 1930’s during the Great Depression.
I love the detail and the timely historical items that are placed in this Steel House.
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The Ford Building
There’s an ever-changing rotating exhibit of classic Ford automobiles and other Ford signs and memorabilia in this building.
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The New Exhibit Building
This is a brand new exhibit building at Wheels O’ Time!
Joe and Marcia showed me around and there’s all kinds of interesting items on display in here including vintage Caterpillar machinery, vintage airplanes and a fire engine. Upstairs there’s textile products and items from the Peoria Historical Society including a year-round Christmas display.
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A Dose of Hope in a Pandemic Photo Exhibition
I was excited to see this brand new photo exhibition that they’ve just put up. It’s called “A Dose of Hope in a Pandemic.”
This exhibit displays photos from Peoria and all over the country that people sent in showing people dealing and coping while living in a pandemic.
That’s Laura Evancho in the bottom photo and she’s the Executive Director here at Wheels O’ Time.
These are fabulous photos and documentation of how people live and adjust in the middle of a horrific pandemic.
This is just a small sampling of the photos, you really should stop out to see the whole collection.
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The Train Chain
If you miss the trains at Vonachen’s Old Place, all you need to do is come on out to Wheel’s O’ Time, where they’re on display outside! And you can even walk inside of some of the train cars where there’s fun and timely items and photos on display.
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Bobbie And Bill Rice And A Souvenir From The Gift Shop
Believe it or not, there is so much more to see out here, there’s buildings I didn’t even get to, but I had to call it a day!
I stopped back at the gift shop and met up with Bobbie and Bill Rice there. Bobbie is on the board here and works in the marketing department of Wheels O’ Time. Great to see both of them!
I got a book that was on display there called “Once Upon Peoria” and it’s such a cool book. It’s written and illustrated by Elizabeth Klise. It’s a story-book all about Peoria and you can check it out here at their website.
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Wheels O’ Time Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 5pm. Stop out and see all the amazing things on display at this unique and fun Peoria museum!
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1710 W. Woodside Shrive
Dunlap, Illinois
309-243-9020
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