Since it opened last June the Newport Car Museum has welcomed more than 14,000 visitors and become an instant hit with car clubs and tour groups exploring the Northeast — especially the popular vacation destination of Newport, Rhode Island. The museum’s location in a 114,000-square-foot building once devoted to missile manufacturing in nearby Portsmouth, Rhode Island, seems an unlikely place for a car museum, but with 50,000 square feet of exhibit space, another 5,000 for special events and a free parking area for more than 300 cars, it offers what most car museums across America can only dream about.
The museum’s presentation of some 60 cars representing seven decades of automotive design — from the fabulous ’50s to today — has broad appeal for grandparents, parents and children alike. Five separate galleries showcase Ford/Shelbys, Corvettes, World Cars, Fin Cars and Mopars. Special wall art (much of it consigned), theatrical lighting, turntables and videos with directional sound celebrate the cars as works of art.
No barrier ropes surround the cars, and pieces from an eclectic collection of Mid-Century modern furniture (representing iconic designers such as Eames, Knoll Bassett, Jacobsen and Wegner) are dispersed throughout the museum, giving visitors a comfortable place for rest and reflection. The one to two hours it typically takes to tour the museum includes time for testing one’s skills on one of the museum’s six driving simulators.
“Our number one comment from visitors is how the museum is not what they expected at all,” said Gunther Buerman, who with his wife Maggie founded the museum. “Before we opened, I used to say, ‘if no one comes, I’ll be happy here enjoying the cars all by myself.’ Now, I’m just so pleased that our original intent of sharing our collection with the public is so well received.”
The Buerman’s passion for their automobiles is only surpassed by their enthusiasm for meeting other car enthusiasts and making sure they enjoy the museum. Car clubs and tour groups from as far away as New Hampshire, New York and Ohio have visited the Newport Car Museum, appreciating its expansive accommodations both inside and out.
The Newport Car Museum’s winter hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. For more information please visit www.newportcarmuseum.org
