Whether you’ve got kids out of school for the summer, or are just looking for another place to fill your automotive enthusiast cravings, the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) is pound-for-pound, the biggest and best antique auto and bus museum in the eastern USA. Located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, AACA hosts one of the finest collections of antique cars in the United States as well as the largest indoor bus collection in the world. The museum is laid out on three floors with the bus display taking up a large portion of the basement, over twenty buses are on display at all times. Normally, the buses only share their space with a few cars and the children’s area – but the museum’s “British Invasion” display of antique British motorcycles is currently taking over part of the basement while it visits through October 2013. BSAs, Nortons, Indians and, of course, Triumphs are all gathered in one spot and dripping oil everywhere, as all good British motors do. The museum also has many more motorcycles on the upper floor (with fewer oil drops underneath them). On the main floor of the building is a living display of the history of the automobile. Displaying vehicles in their “natural habitat”, such as this coupe waiting at a burger stand, enables onlookers to better imagine how it fits in throughout history. Many of the vehicles are sectioned off by decade, if you are looking for cars and trucks of the Roaring 20s, you will find many of them gathered together, as with other decades. Special exhibitions visit AACA and rotate throughout the year - with some vehicles on loan, as well as some from the museum’s ownership. During this visit, Porsche's were running rampant through the museum (as well as the town). It was, after all, the final weekend of the Porsche exhibit. Dozens of Porsches lined the special showcase area. Porsche race cars, ranging several eras, were also showcased, helping to demonstrate the way in which motorsports has influenced the evolution of this marquee. And the answer to the burning question on everyone’s mind of "Can I use a Porsche for farm work?" Is, “Yes, they DO have a diesel Porsche tractor for you to enjoy!” There are hundreds of toy and miniature cars, motorcycles and airplanes from yesteryear strewn throughout the facility. It even includes a children’s play area where the kids can climb into and pretend to drive small antique cars, including a 1952 Crosley. The AACA Museum is a wonderful reason to take the family for a visit to Hershey, PA and even the kids will love this bit of nostalgia (you don’t even have to tell them it’s educational!) Word has it that there’s even a great amusement park in the area that you can take the kids to afterwards! If you happen to be in a different area, check out NBC’s list of “12 Car Museums Worth a Detour”:
