Museum of Automobiles - Morrilton, Arkansas - Museum with Antique Automobiles

The Museum of Automobiles is located at Jones Lane in Morrilton near Petit Jean State Park in Central Arkansas. It is open throughout the year from 11am to 5pm closing only on Christmas Day. The museum has large collections of automobiles, related memorabilia as well as antique guns and there are also cars sold here.

The museum was initially founded in 1964 by the late Arkansas Governor Winthrop Rockefeller and it housed his collection of automobiles until 1975. His collection was then sold and the buildings and grounds were donated to the State of Arkansas. The museum reopened in 1976 with collections made of cars loaned by collectors from across the United States and has since been enlarged to include 30 automobiles as part of a permanent collection.

The automobiles on display at the museum vary greatly in age with cars such as the 1904 Oldsmobile French Front and 1912 Ford Model T Touring through to the Cadillac Fleetwood 75, which dates back to 1967. Motorcycles also feature with Harley Davidsons from 1913 and 1946 as well as an Indian Motorcycle from 1950 and a Rokon Motorcycle from 1969. There are many Fords, Cadillacs, Lincolns, Buicks, Chryslers, Chevrolets as well as other well known brands on display here too.

Aside from the cars, the museum also house many other antique items such as guns, license plates, player piano, gas pumps and some old arcade machines. This site also serves as the headquarters for The Mid America Old Time Automobile Association (MOTAA), which brings together several local antique car clubs. Essentially this club aims to preserve and maintain ancient motor vehicles and provide information to its members and the general public.

The museum gift shop has plenty of automobile related souvenirs for visitors to buy such as postcards, magnets, t-shirts and caps. As already mentioned there are also cars for sale at the site, so anyone interested in making a purchase should either drop by the museum or contact members of staff to gain a current listing. Various events are held throughout the year including a Fall Swap Meet held during the fourth week of September and another annual event, which is the June Show, held on the week of Fathers Day.

Approximately five kilometers from the museum is Petit Jean State Park, which is located along Petit Jean Mountain Road. The park offers many things for visitors to do such as over 20 miles of hiking trails, fishing and boating on Lake Bailey as well as a swimming pool and two playgrounds. Visitors can also take a picnic to the park or dine at Mather Lodge's Restaurant, which is open throughout the year.

Visitors looking to stay in the area could stay at Mather Lodge, which offers 18 single rooms and 6 double rooms. Petit Jean State Park also has 21 cabins and 125 individual campsites as well. The lodge is also a great site for holding small meetings, corporate retreats or training workshops to cater for groups of up to 40 people.