Those who love and appreciate cars and motorcycles spanning many decades will be in heaven at LeMay – America’s Car Museum. Kids and grownups alike will be amazed at the variety and history featured in this state of the art museum that opened in June.
Just adjacent to the Tacoma Dome and visible from I-5, this new museum is something the whole family can do! We were lucky enough to try it out ourselves when the LeMay car museum invited us to be their guests one day in August.
Open 10 am to 5 pm every day, this museum is a car lover’s dream. More than 350 cars, trucks and motorcycles from private owners, corporations, and the LeMay collection are featured in this 165,000 square foot facility on over 9 acres of property. And to think that this man – this couple – Harold and Nancy LeMay, owned more than 3,500 vehicles in the mid-‘90s is astounding.
This museum, which took more than $9.5 million to create during a fundraising and conception phase that lasted a span of 10 years, was produced on the premise that there is an important, unique automotive story to tell about the past, present and future of cars, trucks and motorcycles, according to the LeMay museum website.
Walking through, you will find floor after floor, and row after row of amazing machines. The oldest one was our favorite – the car from the Flintstones.


The car is part of telling a story rather than being a story itself, we were told by Scot Keller, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer. As a result, ACM will attract young and old alike, will inspire everybody who enters, and will help educate the drivers of the future.
We found that to be true. For example, while looking at some old Duesenbergs we were simultaneously educated on the vast divide between the rich and poor in the 1920s and 1930s, represented by the rich’s ability to own such expensive luxury vehicles.
What you and your family will find most fun depends on the age of your kids. There are slot cars for kids of all ages (and adults, too) for $3. There is racing simulation for older kids and adults ($8), and in the future a Family Zone will open!


As the museum becomes more established, there will be an educational component added also, starting with the hiring of and Education Coordinator. Already, the website boasts curriculum enhancers and printables for use by parents and educators in grades K-5.
It’s estimated that 400,000 visitors will go through the museum each year, and 10,000 or more of those will be kids on school tours. The museum is appealing to all ages, all backgrounds, and broad demographics.
We encourage you to visit!