The town of Springfield, Missouri, added a sizable new attraction with the opening of Guy Mace’s Route 66 Car Museum on Wednesday.
The museum is located at 1634 W. College St. (aka Route 66), just west of the Kansas Expressway.
Its hours will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
According to a news release:
Guy has been collecting antique and classic cars for over 20 years and the 67 cars in the museum are unique, some very rare.
His featured car is his newest acquisition, “The Gotham Cruiser”, the Batman car.
Two other cars of special interest are his 1932 Ford Speedster, “The Bomb Squad” that he has raced in the Hemming’s Motor News “Great Race’ for the last 10 years and the 1936 Horsch, used by the German Army during World War II.
Mace told the Springfield News-Leader his most famous vehicle is the truck from the 1939 film “The Grapes of Wrath,” driven by Henry Fonda.
The newspaper reported:
“I have thought about opening my museum for several years. There are upsides and downsides. You don’t make much money off a car museum, and it’s more for personal pleasure. With the city of Springfield’s renewed thrust and interest in Route 66, I felt this would be a real boon for promoting Route 66. A car museum is very attractive to tourists. I figured while I am still young — that is tongue and cheek, I’m 75 — I ought to get it open and enjoy it,” he said.
Also, the News-Leader published a story about the museum’s first day.
Admission is $15; $13 for senior citizens and veterans; and $5 for children. The museum has a gift shop, mostly of automobile memorabilia.
The museum will be available to rent for groups, where Mace likely will give tours explaining his collection.
(Images of vehicles at Guy Mace’s Route 66 Car Museum via the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau)