As part of our on going Tour De PacNW, we headed to the newest Car museum in the country, the LeMay. The whole WA Family went along to see what was new.
This is a really neat museum. We'll start with the building. It's beautiful! The outer shell is covered in corrugated metal and the shape is reminiscent (at least to me) of a hood scoop. It also looks a lot like the fender of an late 30s luxury car. Take your pick. Inside is all curved wood beams and high arching ceilling with enormous windows that give a great panorama of Tacoma. The set up is a great idea. Essentially, it's a four story parking stucture. There are up and down ramps on each side and level center areas. All are filled with one of the most eclectic car colections you've ever seen. This layout makes it easy to display the cars and obviously easy to move them about. It also means there is plenty of space to view the cars and take photos. I particularly appreciated the very low ropes that didn't block the shot. My one complaint is that the lighting could be better, especially in the center areas. That's why some of the shots are a bit dim.
As to the collection, eclectic is indeed the word. There is something for every one. Early brass encrusted Horseless Carriages, Classic Era grand limos and cars for Everyman, 50s and 60s fin mobiles, muscle cars and a few exotics. There is also a whole row of alternative energy vehicles from a Baker Electric to a Stanley Steamer to a new Chevy Volt. Much of the collection is exceptional, some is "Why is THAT in a museum." The last is a value judgement each person will make, depending on taste. Renee Crist, Collection Manager has done a great job of setting up her babies in an effective arrangemnt. Since the museum has only been open for two months, one can expect that things will be tweaked to make things even better. All in all, it's a worthwhile place to see in the PacNW.
If I may be so bold as to offer some suggestions, I have a few. First, the lighting in the center aisles needs improbing. These areas look too much like a parking garage. Second, the arrangment of the cars in these areas lacks cohesion. cars from the 60s are mixed with cars from the 30s. Maybe a theme for each level? A history of everyday cars for everyday people on one level, the Grand Dames on another? The side aisles ARE arranged this way with very effective and informative signage, why not do the same for the center sections? I'd also suggest that the floors get a nicer covering than bare concrete. This is a tough call, especially on the sloping ramps, as traction for visitors and wheel chair accessability are at war with aesthetics. I'm betting one of the companies that specialize in florr covering for Garage Mahals would be willing to come up with a good solution and donate it for the publicity and write off. The last suggestion would be some kind of signage that directs the traffic flow and lets you know just where you are. Even Renee commented to us that in the beginning, before the cars were in place, she got lost more than once!
The ancillary necessities are very nice. The gift shop is well stocked and the staff are friendly (as are all the people involved, from the volunteers who man stations around the museum without being officious, to the people at the admissions, everyone is smiling and genuinely happy to be there! There is no sense of stogieness that you get in some places), same is true of the restaurant. The food was good and not outragously priced and the seating up on a mezzanine overlooking the main concours is well designed.
My dad had to be in a wheel chair, and access for him was exceptional. Not just the expected government mandated stuff like rest rooms, but the view of the cars was unobstructed and easy for his to see. There was plenty of space to navigate. The up ramps were a bit of a chore for us, but hey, suck it up!
Overall, I'd rate this a winner. The collection has some real gems in it that make it worth the admission fee. How many Crane-Simplexes or Hudson Torpedos or V12 Caddies are you likely to see? I think that as they tweak things around, things will only get better. The LeMay is worth a trip to the PacNW all alone, let alone all the other great places to see and great roads to drive up there.
As to the collection, eclectic is indeed the word. There is something for every one. Early brass encrusted Horseless Carriages, Classic Era grand limos and cars for Everyman, 50s and 60s fin mobiles, muscle cars and a few exotics. There is also a whole row of alternative energy vehicles from a Baker Electric to a Stanley Steamer to a new Chevy Volt. Much of the collection is exceptional, some is "Why is THAT in a museum." The last is a value judgement each person will make, depending on taste. Renee Crist, Collection Manager has done a great job of setting up her babies in an effective arrangemnt. Since the museum has only been open for two months, one can expect that things will be tweaked to make things even better. All in all, it's a worthwhile place to see in the PacNW.
The ancillary necessities are very nice. The gift shop is well stocked and the staff are friendly (as are all the people involved, from the volunteers who man stations around the museum without being officious, to the people at the admissions, everyone is smiling and genuinely happy to be there! There is no sense of stogieness that you get in some places), same is true of the restaurant. The food was good and not outragously priced and the seating up on a mezzanine overlooking the main concours is well designed.
My dad had to be in a wheel chair, and access for him was exceptional. Not just the expected government mandated stuff like rest rooms, but the view of the cars was unobstructed and easy for his to see. There was plenty of space to navigate. The up ramps were a bit of a chore for us, but hey, suck it up!
No comments:
Post a Comment