A Tribute to Antique Automobiles, Hershey

(The Kissmobile welcomes visitors)

When parents take their kids to Hershey Park, they aren’t always aware that a world-class automotive museum is virtually right around the corner.

The Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) Museum, located at 161 Museum Drive in Hershey, attracts car aficionados who come from miles around. The first thing guests see parked out front is the 12-foot-tall, 26-foot long, custom-made Kissmobile cruiser which resembles three Hershey’s Kisses. This is quite a sight for those who have never seen the Kissmobile and it’s always a hit with kids.

According to staff, the museum welcomes approximately 70,000 guests per year, with rotating exhibits to keep them returning to see something new every time. The three-story, 70,000 square-foot building houses nearly 100 cars, a train exhibit, motorcycles, a diner and a selection of busses.

When my husband and I visited recently, we were delighted to learn that “Forgotten Features” was the theme and that the exhibit will continue through November 16, 2025.

It was fascinating to learn about long-forgotten options like the bed-in-a-car seat option, shown in the 1941 Nash below. It makes sense since the cars were huge at that time, especially in contrast to today’s models.

Cars with doors that are hinged to the roof and lift up are features that are a bit more modern. The Bricklin car (as seen below) was the first ever to feature the powered version.

One of my favorite cars in the latest exhibit is this 1957 lime green Pontiac that sports an illuminated car ornament, a piece of car jewelry that I wish would return.

Then there’s this car below, which would intimidate even the most skilled parallel parker. The 1957 Ford Skyliner sported the world’s first mass-produced retractable top, tailor-made for speeding down the road on balmy summer days.

Another interesting, long-forgotten accessory, was the sun visor, as seen below in this 1954 Chevrolet Bel-Air.

I’ve been to more than a few car museums in my life and this is the first time I’ve seen this nifty accessory displayed in the automobile below. Called a swamp cooler, Thermador, or car cooler, the wire cage was filled with water and balsa wood shavings and allowed warm air to enter, evaporating the water so that cooler air could be blown inside.

Another interesting car with unique styling is this 1951 Studebaker, with an attractive hood ornament, a huge “nose” and a wraparound roof. It makes our current cars seem positively boring in comparison.

Then there’s this 1957 Chrysler New Yorker with a push-button shift selector. Having driven a stick-shift, I felt like this would have been an easier option for those of us who were forced to learn on one, but research tells me that they did away with them because they were viewed as a “novelty” feature and became outdated. Why am I skeptical?

Then there’s the color-changing speedometer that seems like a fun feature, but that too, was fleeting.

A permanent exhibit, which fascinates many visitors, features the world’s largest collection of Tucker 48 automobiles built by Preston Tucker, a forward-thinking entrepreneur from Michigan. To learn more about Tucker’s creativity and ingenuity, consider viewing Francis Ford Coppola’s 1988 film, Tucker: The Man and His Dream. The vehicles on display at the AACA include the first ‘production’ prototype, along with number 1022 and 1026–the only Tucker built with an automatic transmission. Tucker crafted each stylish car by hand and touted them as “the car of tomorrow.” Only 27 are known to exist today.

The AACA is also home to the largest collection of antique buses under one roof. This took me back to the days when I would ride the bus with my grandmother to visit my father in Pittsburgh.

Also on the lower level are a selection of motorcycles, an interactive, custom train exhibit for kids designed under the leadership of founder Ed Maloy, and a cute, compact diner, which dates back to the 1940s. The restored eatery, once known as the Flo-Inn Cafe, was transported from Wichita, Kansas and was in operation until the 1980s. You can read more about the Flo-Inn Cafe here

If your group, or your company needs to schedule a get together, the AACA also rents out space for events and meetings.

This and more is what awaits you if you decide to do something in Hershey other than visit the famous park. Learn more about this family friendly destination by visiting their website at https://www.aacamuseum.org/.