W P Chrysler Museum Closing to Public!

This totally BLOWS, but I understand they've been cash strapped for a few years now.



The Walter P. Chrysler Museum will close at year's end, following years of fundraising challenges and operating at a deficit.

As of Jan. 1, the museum, which is located on the Auburn Hills campus of Chrysler headquarters, will be closed to the public as a six-day operation and shift to a special exhibitions museum, controlled by Chrysler Group LLC.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/articl...pped-chrysler-museum-to-close-at-end-of-year#

 

This is bullshit of the highest!

Now what are they going to do, mothball everything only to sell it off at B-J like GM did.

 

That's sad that future generations will be unable to see the gems that are enshrined inside those hollowed walls. HRP

 

We got a coupon for 2-for1 that's good till the end...

http://singlefingerspeedshop.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=896&sid=e544a7089c49a5d34de3abefc2897c83

 

I guess the Chrysler Heritage and History don't matter much to the boys at Fiat.

 

That is Sad to see... Safari,,, Take lots of pictures if you can..

 

Well, this will be yet another place I'll never get to visit.

BTW, the museum is NOT liquidating!!! It will still be available for car club functions, and other things. It just won't be open to the casual visitor. So, yes, it IS "closing", but not "closing". This will be more on a par with collections such as Clive Cussler and such.

Information through Chrysler Heritage will still be available.

 

I'm glad I got to go there a while back, it is a pretty good museum.

 

x2...

 

As the story says the museum will stay in business, they just won't have general admission.

 

Hmmm

 

That's the way I read it too. When you are in the business of haveing to rely on the front gate, why would you close it to the public?

 

Future Generations wont care, attitudes have changed. More and more young people see cars as a necessary evil. To us they are freedom, creativity, expression, fun but for the newest generations of Americans they embody much of what they think is wrong with the American way of life. Teens now would rather have an Iphone or some other tablet device and live in their own fictitious world full of propaganda and actually accomplishing nothing meaningful. As global attitudes become more widely adopted and popular here in american the way of life we know is slipping away.

My OT family vehicle is an '07 Escalade ESV...A recent immigrant said to me "Why do you need such a big vehicle, In my country only drug dealers and government officials have vehicles like that" I said, "That's the magic of America, an honest hard working person can choose to own almost any vehicle they need and since I have four kids under six years old this vehicle fits my needs of comfort and safety, plus since gas prices are so high I paid less to own the Escalade that it would have cost to lease a Honda minivan for three years and 459$ a month still buys a lot of gas. I've had similar conversations like this over the years with quite a few immigrants. Sometimes that's the end of it and sometime they go on with their disgust.

 

This is a really sad say for me now having read this, that museum was like my mecca. my wife and I were actually saving money to do a road trip out there. it was pretty close to number one on my bucket list. and there is no way to make it out there by the end of the year for me, ....very sad day.

 

Ive never even heard of this museum, id love to have gone and see it. maybe someday something will work out.

jeff

 

If you read the article, the museum was a separate entity from Chrysler. It's been losing money and they've had a hard time staying in business. So, Chrysler is stepping up to buy back the assets to preserve the collection. It's a lot better deal than if the museum had to liquidate.

The GM Heritage Center operates in a similar manner - it's open for special occasions and groups.

 

My cousin Alan has been volunteering there for a few years now. He confirmed the closure is coming at the end of Dec12.

The museum's 503C tax status got revoked due to a lack of private donations, which means the museum didn't meet the IRS' requirements for 33% of total revenue for the foundation. Chrysler will purchase the assets of the Museum.

So, it looks like 126 volunteers get fired, effective at the end of Dec.
The 5 "real" employees will be let go in Jan & Feb.

The plan is to run it like run it like GM's Heritage Center.

 

Larry, how about we arrange a HAMB day at the museum on Saturday Dec 29th? We've got a HUGE number of HAMB folks in the area and wouldn't it be cool to hang with everyone at a cool location like this before it closes? See if Alan can show us around on that day.

So how many local pals would be interested in meeting there on Dec 29th?

 

One thing I noticed was that their admission fees were only $ 4-$8, which is really low. Even the local Muscle Car Museum we have here charges $12.50. I think Garlits charges $15. Maybe if they had raised their rates a little it could have survived as is.

Don

 

I went last year when I went to the Autorama.
Here is my coverage for anyone who hasn't been there.
http://www.hotrodsonline.com/articles/12_Chrysler/slides/Chrysler001.html.

 

We visited in 2004 and had a great time; the volunteers were very friendly. They have a timeline on the wall showing all the brands that were folded into Chrysler; fascinating stuff.
Quote from above : "A recent immigrant said to me "Why do you need such a big vehicle, In my country only drug dealers and government officials have vehicles like that""

Hey, Mr Immigrant : If you want things to be like they were in your country, then go back to your own fucking country, or STFU you ungrateful asshole.
Not that it pisses me off, ya know?
Gary

 

Yea to fund some Exec's "pension"...

 

It sounds like a great idea even if the dates are a little off. Wish I could make it.

 

For you folks who are complaining about this closing because of declining revenues...had you thought of writing a check before this announcement?

 

That's too bad. I was there in '99. Got to see the rich Corinthian leather in the Cordoba among other neat Chrysler products. I'm not really a fan of Chrysler but that's beside the point. It was cool to see the evolution of the automobile from their perspective.

 

Wow I hope my Cousin weathers the storm for this. He is one of the head restoration Techs at Highland Park where they work on the vehicle prior to going to the Museum.

 

Why is he a Douche? This is America right? We do have a right to choose what we drive. I hope one day some "power for the greater good" doesn't say " hey why do all those people need those old cars? " You wanna be Europe? buy yourself a ticket and hit the road! Theres a reason those foks are here, right?

 

It appears that you failed to read the rules of the HAMB before you joined. How about you save your ad hominem attacks on other members for your fantasies and spare us.

 

I went this past August and really wasn't all that impressed.

 

This is a very cool museum, it is disappointing. Sort of a hidden gem, don't think it was ever publicized much.