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Event Coverage World Of Speed Museum Closes Permanently.

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Marty Strode, May 13, 2020.

  1. Hollywood-East
    Joined: Mar 13, 2008
    Posts: 1,993

    Hollywood-East
    Member

    A go fund me, an life time pass with a $100 donation I bet would keep it open till this crap pass's...
     
    Stogy and loudbang like this.
  2. lippy
    Joined: Sep 27, 2006
    Posts: 6,825

    lippy
    Member
    from Ks

    Hard times we are in. Sad to hear about the museum.:(
     
    OLSKOOL57, Stogy and loudbang like this.
  3. loudbang
    Joined: Jul 23, 2013
    Posts: 40,276

    loudbang
    Member

  4. Bob Lowry
    Joined: Jan 19, 2020
    Posts: 1,488

    Bob Lowry

    Sounds like you run your own business. If someone is not a their own businessman, they have NO idea of what it's like in these times..there are medical deaths, AS WELL as financial deaths! Time to let us go back to work!!!
     
  5. The37Kid
    Joined: Apr 30, 2004
    Posts: 30,627

    The37Kid
    Member

    Went to the website to look at the cars, guess a lot were on loan from the INDY 500 collection, they must have had every car Micky Thompson drove on display as well. Sad times. Bob
     
    Stogy likes this.
  6. OLDSMAN
    Joined: Jul 20, 2006
    Posts: 2,422

    OLDSMAN
    BANNED

    I agree with you about auto museums becoming a thing of the past. Kearney, NE has one that was scheduled to be closed next year, however the story that I hear is that have already closed because of COVID 19. I was in it twice and enjoyed it both times
     
    Stogy likes this.
  7. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 9,291

    jnaki





    Hello,

    It is a sad day when any business or museum closes. Especially one with a narrow focus of something like the World of Speed. Being funded by a charitable organization or donations is always on thin ice. Economic times being what they were/are, it is a wonder anything is still viable. We have all discussed the fact that anything hot rod/drag race/speed runs at Bonneville, etc are all in a very small grouping versus other things in our society. While the avid fans are around there just aren’t as many as there should be. But, that is the way any activity is, only for a certain group of people. Automotive history has always been there, but, compared to the history of the USA, hot rods, drag racing, Bonneville, etc is small potatoes.
    upload_2020-5-14_5-6-44.png
    “In 2018, the museum brought in more than 51,000 visitors and generated $340,000 in ticket sales and program fees.

    During its five years of operation, the museum hosted motorsport legends Mario Andretti, Janet Guthrie and Herm Petersen, among others. It also ran accredited automotive classes for local high school students in conjunction with Clackamas Community College.

    The museum’s assets will be distributed to other museums and schools over the next three to eight months, its board of directors said.”

    We have driven by that industrial area of Oregon as it is on the western side of the I-5 freeway that is a stone’s throw away. Going 80 mph is what most people see as they whiz by this industrial business park in Wilsonville, Oregon. Unless it is a definite stop on anyone’s itinerary, this area is a fast freeway zone headed north 15 miles away in Portland, Oregon. Or South to all points back to California. Despite being a freeway, the roadway does go through plenty of great areas of Oregon. But, if one did not know the museum is in Wilsonville, it was just a blip in the road.

    upload_2020-5-14_5-7-58.png
    I-5 Freeway view, a blip in the road trip headed South.

    Jnaki
    The World of Speed was on our next itinerary before stopping in Portland. But, we are no longer driving as per "locked in place." It was to be part of the 2012 San Juan Island trip that had to be cancelled, due to my wife's dad getting seriously ill back then. We love the Pacific Northwest and especially the San Juan Islands. Roche Harbor was our goal on that cancelled trip. It may have been one of our last Pacific Northwest long, road trips that was on the books for 2020. Now, we are home bodies and distancing ourselves like everyone else, while following the California pandemic rules.


    Gee, I wonder who will end up with the films that were in the archives, categorized by activity and history. My digital drag racing film collection from So Cal was donated to them, split up into various forms to fit the displays inside of the museum and for showings at the family activity days. Hopefully, they will go to the nearby college automotive program.

    It was nice to have been associated with that great organization running the whole museum and hopefully people got to see some good history of drag racing in So Cal during the 1958-64 era of development. The films if anything, showed how certain classes developed from daily drivers with drag racing intentions, to the same class of hot rods turning into full on drag racing machines. Then, those newer versions had no intention of daily driving to work and play. Finally, disappearing all together as the drag racing world changed with the times.

    Thank you, World Of Speed Museum, the people behind it, the daily representatives of the displays and sorry it has come to this drastic end.
    upload_2020-5-14_7-0-57.png
     
    Last edited: May 14, 2020
    31hotrodguy, Stogy, warbird1 and 2 others like this.
  8. 31Apickup
    Joined: Nov 8, 2005
    Posts: 3,366

    31Apickup
    Member

    The museum is Tupelo was pretty nice collection, had the opportunity to visit it in 2008 when I had a project down there. Usually try to visit any of the car museums that I come across in my travels.


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  9. Rramjet1
    Joined: Mar 13, 2018
    Posts: 226

    Rramjet1

    I must have been living in more of a bubble than I am now because I was not aware of this place and we drive right by two times a year on the way to and from our place in AZ. Sad times.


    Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  10. dwollam
    Joined: Oct 22, 2012
    Posts: 2,320

    dwollam
    Member

    I've been there twice and would of went plenty more times given the opportunity. It will be missed. These are sad times indeed.

    Dave
     
    Stogy likes this.
  11. earlymopar
    Joined: Feb 26, 2007
    Posts: 1,608

    earlymopar
    Member

    As a regular in making donations to WOS, they did try to go after additional donations in order to keep their doors open. In fact, the last request for donations was only 2-3 days of them formally closing the doors. I'm not sure of all of the donation avenues they pursued and other means to generate capital but as well as this museum was run, I suspect they tried most everything they felt was viable and reasonable.

    Aside from the obvious world-class cars and car related displays they had, the employment of local citizens and the influx of capital into the local communities, they had several programs throughout the year for people to take part in. Many of those were geared to teaching young kids and teenagers the joys of building and working on mechanical things. In an age where too few young kids know the basics of or have an interest in working on cars or anything mechanical, the loss of these programs is really sad.

    - EM
     
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  12. Marty Strode
    Joined: Apr 28, 2011
    Posts: 8,797

    Marty Strode
    Member

    The Cars and Coffee on Saturday mornings, was a very popular feature. Another loss will be the Hall Of Fame inductions held once a year, a grand celebration for Northwest heroes, in 6 different aspects of racing. Here is the program from the first one. img20200515_0003.jpg img20200515_0004.jpg
     
  13. Tupelo was the best! 110 cars, you could wander all around, I had a long sleeve Tee shirt with all 110 make/model/years on the back....
     
  14. Sadly this is a common theme throughout the country, small business has taken a gut punch that many are going to be unable to overcome. HRP
     
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  15. earlymopar
    Joined: Feb 26, 2007
    Posts: 1,608

    earlymopar
    Member

    Agreed. Our local track owner and son are fighting back in their own (tongue-in-cheek) way (Jim Livingston, Woodburn Dragstrip, Woodburn Oregon).

    - EM

    Shirt.png
     
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  16. Stogy
    Joined: Feb 10, 2007
    Posts: 26,345

    Stogy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Museums are incredibly interesting and not unlike Art Galleries but funding these is always a challenge and events can destroy the equilibrium that keeps them a float among other details that can be equally effect closure...

    I have been through a catastrophic loss of a Museum that I was a active Member in 2014 and it still has not recovered...

    I am sorry for this loss of Museum as History is important.
     
  17. Junior Stock
    Joined: Aug 24, 2004
    Posts: 1,891

    Junior Stock

    Well I hate to hear this. I was planning on making that a weekend trip after all this settles down.
     
    Stogy likes this.
  18. Arthur
    Joined: Mar 8, 2005
    Posts: 994

    Arthur
    Member
    from NC

    Once the people now in their 50's die off,you will have a hard time selling ANY pre-90's cars. Kids today don't grow up helping their dads older brothers work on hot rods. Everything is computerized today,and they buy modern cars and take them to a speed shop to have tuner kits put in.

    I had a couple of guys in their early 20's come by last summer looking for a "old car project to make into a cool street/strip ride,and we heard you have several old cars." They looked around in confusion and told me "We were looking for old cars,you know,something like a 78 Camaro,not these antique cars."

    I can't remember the last time anyone local under 50 showed any interest at all in any of my 30's stuff.
     
  19. Stan Back
    Joined: Mar 9, 2007
    Posts: 2,178

    Stan Back
    Member
    from California

    It's the old adage – most of us in later life want what we did have (or just wished for) in high school. At 78, what I wanted in high school would probably be a 40s or 50s car. How's that work for 38-year-old? He'd want an 80s or 90s car.

    (Fortunately for me, my first car was a 30 Ford product – and I've had one ever since.)
     
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  20. Arthur
    Joined: Mar 8, 2005
    Posts: 994

    Arthur
    Member
    from NC

    Yup! Add to that the fact that unlike our generation,the teens of today will NOT grow up helping their older brothers or fathers repair and modify their cars because the newer cars of today are impossible to work on without very expensive specialized electronic equipment,and within another decade it will probably even be illegal to do such things. By then it will probably be all "plug in modules" anyhow.
     
  21. justjeoux
    Joined: Mar 21, 2018
    Posts: 23

    justjeoux

    loosing a place like this is not like loosing a burger joint or hardware store. It will never ever be replaced,I dont think it can be rebuilt as its artifacts are scattered across the country. You really have to force yourself to get out and support car shows ,charity events and museums or they will all be gone. I drive by the Garlits museum so many times and have not stopped in 10 years, but I will now!
     
  22. guy1unico
    Joined: Aug 30, 2006
    Posts: 1,152

    guy1unico
    Member

    Maybe something good will come of this...the ones that hang on will mean a little more to us.
    When there is a car show every weekend I kind of loose interest.
     
  23. The truth of the matter is most of these places close because not enough people go to them pandemic or not and every time there is one of these threads about a museum closing there are a bunch of guys saying "I was planning on going but never got around to it." That is why they close. You can lament any other reason but when the people who claim interest in the subject matter of these places don't bother to go what are the chances anyone else is going to.
     
  24. OLSKOOL57
    Joined: Feb 14, 2019
    Posts: 477

    OLSKOOL57
    Member

    Admirable of you to look out for your employees. Obviously you cannot continue forever. Money needs to come in before it goes out. Best wishes and good luck.
     
    badvolvo likes this.
  25. Marty thanks for the update onWOS.
    I've enjoyed all my trips there and the cars and coffee saturdays.
    Another loss for our hobby
     
  26. A sad day indeed. I was hoping to take the kids up there this summer.
     
  27. southerncad
    Joined: Feb 5, 2008
    Posts: 949

    southerncad
    Member

    How can I get one of those T-shirts?
     
  28. earlymopar
    Joined: Feb 26, 2007
    Posts: 1,608

    earlymopar
    Member

    Here is their website page that lists the shirts and their phone #. They were going like hotcakes when I was there so call soon!

    - EM

    https://www.woodburndragstrip.com/
     

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