Oklahoma resident Tim Dye’s collection of vintage Pontiac vehicles is set to arrive the morning of May 5 at the new Pontiac-Oakland Automobile Museum and Resource Center in Pontiac, Ill., according to a news release today from Pontiac Tourism.
One semi-load of cars that will be displayed at the museum at 205 N. Mill St. in Pontiac is scheduled to show up between 9 and 10 a.m. that day. A second semi-load of vehicles will be placed in a storage facility until construction on the museum is finished.
From the news release:
The museum, which will open on July 23, 2011, will house classic autos, dealer artifacts, Pontiac dealer signs, antique auto accessories, and a vast collection of printed materials, including dealer training books, service manuals, advertisements, and automobile reference books.
Thursday, July 21, will kick off the opening weekend festivities for the museum, and will feature a presentation given by Dye at the Chautauqua Park Pavilion on the history of the Pontiac car line and a community picnic in the park. Friday night will offer a sneak preview of the new museum, with live entertainment and light snacks. Tickets for the Friday night are $20 per person.
On Saturday, the opening ceremonies will begin outside the museum at 11 a.m. At noon, the doors will open to the public and the museum will remain open until Midnight. Extended hours are planned for Sunday.
The event adds to an already-busy week for Pontiac, when it’s one of the hosts for the Illinois Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor Festival on May 7-8. Also, a huge Route 66 map that serves as a tribute to late Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire will be painted that weekend on a downtown Pontiac building.