Rachel M.
Yelp
I discovered this place on a whim one evening while browsing Yelp during our first trip to Richmond. My husband is into cars, particularly vintage ones, and we don't have any museums like this where we're from. It was also a nice excuse to drive out of the city and within a reasonable distance.
We arrived on a Saturday morning. There is ample free parking for both regular vehicles and RVs, and you can also camp your RV there with water/electric hookups for a small fee. The main parking lot is on the side where the main entrance is but there are also some stalls on the opposite end of the building and also a large separate parking lot in the back specifically for event guests and RVs.
It seems to be a popular place to visit for the museum but also for private events and for the diner. The diner seemed pretty busy but there was ample space throughout the museum and gift shop to explore at our leisure. There are restrooms under the clock in the diner area and also restrooms in the museum towards the back of the first room under the big sign (I forget what exactly sign it was but the gift shop staff can tell you).
When we got there, we headed to the gift shop and got our tickets. There is a guest book on the counter if you want to leave your mark (: There was a sign in the shop that said if you spend a certain amount in the gift shop, you get one free admission. The tickets are so reasonably priced though and it goes directly towards a good cause (the museum is a 501c3 nonprofit) so we just paid full admission.
The woman working the gift shop was so incredibly friendly and welcoming. She led us into the first room of the museum and gave us a short history of the museum and then we were on our own to explore. There is A LOT to explore, especially if you take the time to really view all of the vehicles/artifacts and read all of the signs. There is a sign for each vehicle describing the history, special features, cultural influence, and basic specs. In addition to vehicles (cars, trucks, firetrucks, delivery trucks, tractors, etc.), there were impressive collections of vintage items ranging from radios to washing machines to soda cans/food cans to chain saws. Despite having a lot of items, there is ample walking space and I can see it being easy to maneuver wheelchairs and strollers. In regards to children, I feel like this museum would be best for maybe elementary school and above since you can't touch the vehicles/artifacts but they are still cool to look at. I overheard some parents reflecting on how "papa had that exact car" to their little kids so that was nice. Tip: get a museum brochure from the gift shop; it has a long scavenger hunt list on it that could be fun for kids!
There isn't a time limit so how long it would take to visit depends on how in-depth you're wanting to explore the museum (a quick walk through vs. reading all the signage). Again, tickets are inexpensive so it could be a nice place to kill some time in the AC if you're waiting to check in to your hotel/AirBnB.
What I loved most about this place besides the obvious impressive collection was the customer service we received from the gift shop staff and the community feel the space had. Again, it's not just a museum with a gift shop: it's also a diner, event space, and RV camping space.
Don't forget to take a photo with the art installation out in front where various vehicle parts spell out "LOVE"!