Zooming Through the Volo Auto Museum and Best of the Midwest Hop!!!

A number of Midwestern travel blogs {including ours} are hosting a Best of the Midwest Blog Hop each month. Each month we will have a theme and highlight some of the wonderful attractions throughout the Midwest following that theme! This month, we are focusing on MUSEUMS! With all of the less than desirable weather this winter, these indoor attraction may be just what you need to get through the season!

On one of these dasterdly winter days, we visited the Volo Auto Museum in Volo, Illinois. We have had the Volo Auto Museum on our list for quite some time and a winter day seemed to be the perfect day to explore this indoor attraction. Now, I know that some people who are not into cars may be a bit apprehensive about visiting a car museum. But, I have to say that the Volo Auto Museum really has something of interest for everyone. The museum has its cars separated into various collections, each equally intriguing to explore.

The Layout

After you purchase your tickets, you will receive a map of the museum. The collections are not all housed in the same building, so the map may come in handy. The campus is not overly difficult to navigate but we did miss one section somehow and had to work back. 

The Collections

The Volo Auto Museum is truly full of some notable rides. Who would think this would be the case here in Northern Illinois? We began our visit by weaving in and out of the museum's collection of vintage cars---including many for sale. 

Next, we headed over to the Hollywood Car Collection. Who would not like a trip through their favorite movies via the cars? Talk about nostalgia! The Batmobile, General Lee, Kit, Delorean, Grease Ligthning, Dick Tracy's car and more cars will put a smile on your face. Memories! It was really fun to show all of these cars to our daughter and actually gave us some ideas about shows she needs to see.

Of course, how could you have an auto museum with out some high profile cars of the rich and {in}famous! My daughter was in total awe as she looked over Princess Diana's car. Yes, she does have royal fever! We also spied the cars of Michael Jordan, Oprah, Britney Spears and more. Pretty cool! Plus, the museum housed Elton John's piano car. Pretty innovative!

Originally, we skipped by the military section. Somehow, we missed the exit from one gallery and entrance to the next--oops! When we found it, we were treated to a little bit of a different experience than the other galleries. There were a few military scenes, but nothing too graphic. In addition to housing military vehicles, the gallery did house some military artifacts. Being a Civil War buff myself, I found this area to be particularly interesting. There were not many Civil War artifacts, but the artifacts from more recent wars were intriguing and I enjoyed using them as ways to talk about the conflicts with my daughter.

As you can see, the museum does have something for everyone and goes beyond the typical vintage car fare. However, I have to say that the vintage cars were really beautiful and we spent a considerable amount of time peeking at them. 

The Extras

Through the month of March when the temperature dips below 32, the museum will have free coffee and hot cider--no coupon needed! A nice little amenity to warm you up as you walk through the exhibits!

Batman fan? You can watch a video about the evolution of the Batmobile. My daughter was surprisingly intrigued by this video--we actually almost passed it by thinking that she would not want to watch it. I have to say that it was pretty interesting and although I have seen the Batmobile in various reincarnations, I never really thought about its development. Plus, it was cool to show her scenes from the old school Batman show!

Disney magic has also found its way to Volo. Talk about delight when my daughter discovered the museum's collection of Disney Store Display Props. Scenes from Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, The 101 Dalmatians and more can be see. What a surprise! I think that Volo was pretty smart to pick up all of these displays as Disney Stores unloaded them after remodeling their spaces. I am sure that they have delighted many children!

The campus does also have a nice playground and picnic area. If you visit during the summer, there is a wonderful place for the kids to run around and you can easily enjoy a picnic. There is also a whimsical Betty Boop diner--definitely worth a look around when you either enter or leave the museum. There is a restroom near the diner at the entrance of the museum. You may want to stop there before exploring.

A Lovely Visit on a Winter's Day

We found the Volo Auto Museum to be a wonderful family experience for a cold winter's day. There was a lot to look at---so many interesting exhibits! Each of us found different treasures throughout the museum. A great family memory made on a cold, snowy day!

Planning a Visit

The Volo Auto Museum is open 7 days a week from 10AM-5PM. Makes picking a day easy! Tickets cost $13.95 for adults, $8.95 for kids 5-12, $11.95 for Seniors {65+}, veterans and active military with ID, free for kids under 5 and military in uniform. You can purchase tickets online. Ticket prices may change during special events. The museum also has an antique mall, so you can do some shopping during your visit!

The Volo Auto Museum is located at 27582 Volo Village Rd in Volo, Illinois.

**Disclosure: We received complimentary tickets for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% our own.

 

We'd love to see where you've been visiting!

Please read the following guidelines for sharing:

• Share posts related to the monthly topic.
• By linking up, you are giving me permission to share your post including one photo in any feature posts and on social media channels.
• Visit 2-3 other posts that have linked up, find some new places to visit & meet new friends!

"
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...