An artist’s renditon of the planned LeMay Museum
A crowd of vintage car fans, including SCM Publisher Keith Martin, gearheads and assorted politicos were in Tacoma, WA June 10 for the long-awaited groundbreaking ceremony of the 165,000-square-foot LeMay— America’s Car Museum.
The museum, which will cost about $60 million for the first phase, will house about 500 cars, and about 150 to 180 will be on display at a time.
The LeMay Museum, which currently operates in the buildings of a former private school, has been planning the new building for more than 10 years.
Said, Martin, who served as emcee of the event: “SCM has been working with the museum for almost 10 years now, and we are gratified to see the outpouring of public support.
“ Beginning construction is a major step toward completion of what will surely become an important part of Northwest car culture.”
The new museum is scheduled to open next to the Tacoma Dome during late summer or fall 2011. The museum is named for Harold LeMay, a man who built a collection of more than 2,300 vintage cars from the profits of his garbage-collection company.
Fundraising continues, and the museum is scheduled to open late summer or fall of 2011.