The Automotive Hall of Fame

Originally founded in 1939 by a group called The Automobile Old Timers, The Automotive Hall of Fame pays tribute to the men and women who have contributed to the development of the automobile. Located adjacent to The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, Michigan, The Automotive Hall of Fame opened in 1997 and tells the story of hundreds of engineers, designers, racing pioneers and captains of industry through nine different exhibits housed across the 25,000-square-foot facility. 

Museum visitors come face to face with the earliest days of motorized vehicles, including a replica of the 1886 Benz Patent Motor-Wagon, which is widely considered to be the first practical automobile powered by an internal combustion engine. The museum then traces the evolution of the automobile through the Volkswagen Beetle. With a wide range of permanent exhibits, the museum shares how the automobile became a part of daily life around the world. 

Learn about early highway travel with “Lincoln Highway: America’s First Interstate.” The route, which stretched from the heart of New York City all the way to California, was the forbearer of the interstate highways we know today. Check out the innovation of several other vehicles in exhibition halls that cover motorsports, trucks and truckers, and tech visionaries. The “Leaders and Innovators” exhibit shares how modern car features, such as cruise control, were created and made a lasting impact on the industry. 

Iconic names in racing have been inducted to the hall of fame, including NASCAR legend Richard Petty, drag racing pioneer “Big Daddy” Don Garlits and land speed record holder Mickey Thompson. Inductees are celebrated in the Hall of Honor, which features a colorful, 11-foot-tall mural. The towering work of art depicts the automobile’s evolution from the early days of wooden-spoke wheels to the space-race-inspired car designs of the 1950s and ’60s. 21400 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn, Michigan 48124, 313/240-4000, automotivehalloffame.org