Connect the highway lines to these 5 Volkswagen museums for some fun summer road trip exploration

BY MARK MAYNARD

Like spring peepers emerging from vernal pools, America also has begun to emerge from the muck of a pandemic lockdown. With cautious optimism, a road trip looks to be a safe form of travel into new adventures. Consider these five Volkswagen automotive museums across the U.S.

Here are five automotive museums across the U.S. that have helped preserve some of the world’s rarest Volkswagens. The institutions of preservation feature everything — from a never-been-titled 1974 Karmann Ghia to a 1966 Volkswagen Type 2 Bus that is a piece of civil rights history.

With expansive collections available to the public, anyone can admire these classic cars. Whether these five museums are pit stops or your destination, their collections of vintage Volkswagens are worth seeking out.

1. LeMay – America’s Car Museum, Tacoma, Wash.

A 1967 Type 2 double-door camper at LeMay Automotive Museum. (LeMay)

America’s Car Museum preserves the history, technology, and influence of cars in the U.S. through its 12 rotating exhibits. Among the museum’s collection of more than 250 cars is a light green 1967 Volkswagen Type 2 double-door camper. It has been restored with its original interior, wooden cabinets, fold-down table, and bed. The car was donated by renowned blown-glass sculptor Dale Chihuly, who was born in Tacoma. The museum also features a turquoise 1962 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia that was owned by museum founders Harold and Nancy LeMay.

2. Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing, Ocala, Fla.

The 1974 Karmann Ghia at the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing.

Automotive engineer and racecar driver Don Garlits is considered the father of drag racing. As a young man, Garlits would buy a new Volkswagen every year, and the vintage vehicle wing of his museum reflects his love of the brand. Most notable in his collection is his green 1974 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia that he purchased from a car dealership auction. The vehicle has only been driven for 27 dealer test miles and has never been titled. From the same auction, Garlits also purchased a black 1950 Volkswagen Beetle. It is one of only 151 that were imported to the U.S. that year. Garlits restored it himself before displaying it at his museum.

3. Volo Museum, Volo, Ill.

The animatronic 1963 Volkswagen Beetle at the Volo Museum. (Volo Museum)

On a trip to the Windy City, head north about 50 miles to the suburbs to the Volo Museum. It is an entertainment zone classic cars, including many from TV and movies. The pearl white, No. 53 Beetle is a movie star worth visiting. About 35 models of the iconic car were built for the 2005 sequel, “Herbie: Fully Reloaded.” The car on view really does come to life from a network of more than a mile of wires concealed under the hood. The museum has rigged it to a motion sensor, so the Beetle still reacts when someone walks by.

4. The National Automobile Museum, Reno, Nev.

This restored 1947 Type II Limousine at the National Automotive Museum in Reno, Nev.

This collection of more than 200 vintage vehicles dates as far back as the 1890s in downtown Reno’s National Automobile Museum. An air-cooled, four-cylinder black 1947 Volkswagen Type II Limousine is on display. Visitors are often surprised to see that the four-seat car is called a “limousine,” but in Germany where the car was built, the term simply means “full-sized sedan.” A ruby-red 1964 Volkswagen 1200 Deluxe Convertible is also on display, after being completely disassembled and restored by the museum.

5. The Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles.

At the Petersen Museum, view this 1966 Type 2, formerly used by civil rights pioneers Esau and Janie B. Jenkins. (Historic Vehicle Association)

With more than 100,000 square feet of exhibits and 300 vehicles, the Petersen Museum is one of the world’s largest automotive museums. Its exhibits feature many iconic Volkswagens, including the yellow 1979 Volkswagen Transporter Van from the 2006 film, “Little Miss Sunshine.”

Also on display is the 1966 Volkswagen Type 2 “Jenkins Bus” that was used by civil rights pioneers Esau and Janie B. Jenkins in Johns Island, S.C. The bus was used to transport hundreds of residents of the island to attend high school. The Jenkins family helped Black citizens pass discriminatory voting literacy tests, and later opened businesses on Johns Island to support the community. The bus has been carefully preserved and still bears the marks of its over 40 years with the Jenkins family.