I generally have little interest in cars. My expertise in that matter stops after being able to distinguish between a SUV and hatchback, pick up truck and 4 door sedan. If given my powers of observation to rely on, after being asked what someone was driving I am apt to answer by color only, the “blue truck” or the “white car”. After that..I’m just not that connected to what one drives.

So it may shock you that I spend the day at the Peterson Automotive Museum and I fell in love with it. The museum, located on the Miracle Mile on Wilshire blvd in LA is a sweet reminder of days gone by. Being a big fan of the diorama, the Peterson really displays vehicles in settings that those cars would call home. It welcomes you to take a stroll down long gone roads in quaint towns near and far. Their collection encompasses examples of the wacky to the classic. From the outrageous to the undiscovered.

All aspects of the development of the automobile are represented here from how cars are modeled and sketched…

…to the crazy “what were they thinking” versions of alternative transportation….

…to the Matchbox Car exhibit and the alternative fuel vehicles from both past and present.

This museum is a great way to spend a day exploring automobiles and design. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a little adventure, perhaps even in an area that they might think isn’t their favorite. The Peterson has something for everyone, and at the end of the day I was left delighted, which happens to be my favorite way to find myself.

Words and photos by Barbie Brady

Below taken from the Peterson Automotive Museum website.

On June 11, 1994, Margie and Robert E. Petersen fulfilled a longtime dream when they became founding benefactors to start the Petersen Automotive Museum, donating $5 million to the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum. In April 2000, the Petersens contributed an additional $24.8 million dollars to the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum to retire the bond debt and establish the Petersen Automotive Museum Foundation as an independent nonprofit organization. Overall, their gifts to the Petersen Automotive Museum total over $30 million. Today, the Petersen Automotive Museum stands as the nation’s premiere automotive museum, serving thousands of visitors each year.