Tag: Museum

Scottsdale, Arizona – January 2023 – Penske Racing Musuem

History, Museum, Transportation

Roger Penske is a long time auto racing team owner, with his cars racing, primarily in Indy Car and Nascar. He is also the owner of numerous business, including many car dealerships.

In the middle of an auto mall of luxury cars such as Lamborghini and Ferrari there is a Penske Racing Museum, with a few of his more famous race cars.

In 1969 Penske had his first entry in the Indy 500 – this Lola. It was driven by Mark Donohue, who qualified 4th but finished 7th.

Penske Racing and Donohue won Indy in 1927 with this McLaren M16B Offenhauser.

The 1984 Indy 500 winner, with a March chassis and a Cosworth engine (as nearly every entry that year were). It was driven by Rick Mears.

This 2018 car was another Indy 500 winner, driven by Will Power. It was Penske’s 17th win at Indy as an owner. The car was powered by a Chevrolet V6 engine.

More Indy cars from over the years.

2018 Indy 500 Corvette Pace Car

Tom Sneva Penske PC-5 1977 Indy 500 car. He is famous for being the first driver to qualify with a lap over 200 MPH. While he did well in the race he ended up finishing second to A.J. Foyt.

Danny Sullivan’s 1985 Indy 500 winner, another March chassis with a Cosworth engine. This race is famous for Danny doing a 360 degree spin while fighting for first place, and not crashing, later to retake 1st place for the win.

The final car is the 1972 Pontiac 442 that was the pace car for the Indy 500. The Penske Racing Museum in Phoenix is worth the visit if you are in the area. While it isn’t very large, the cars are unique, and the cost is great – it is free.

Tucson – November 2022 – An Afternoon at the Art Museum

Art, Museum

The Tucson Museum of Art is a 73,000 square foot facility in downtown Tucson built in what can only be described as a brutalist style.

From the street the building does not look that large, as the exhibits are in multiple below ground levels.

Much of the focus is on native and southwest cultures.

The final stop was in a courtyard where there is a small sculpture garden.

Chandler, Arizona – November 2022 – Arizona Railway Museum

History, Museum, Transportation

The Arizona Railway Museum is located in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler. While there are museums in the country that have larger collections, this museum’s is extensive enough to make the trip worthwhile.

The day we chose to go was an open house, with numerous railroad enthusiast groups onsite.

The rolling stock collection is well preserved or restored.

The Southern Pacific Railroad Locomotive 2562 is on the National Historic Registry.

Unusual for many railroad museum, the interiors are also in great shape. Since most came from the Southern Pacific or the Santa Fe they have the southwest look to them.

The Arizona Railway Museum is a great stop for more than train enthusiasts.

Tucson – November 2022 – Franklin Auto Museum

Architecture, History, Museum, Nature, Transportation

As the city of Tucson grew it often took over large areas of the desert that were ranch lands. Today some of ranches still exist, often being surrounded by suburbia. The Franklin Auto Museum is in one of those areas.

Thomas Hubbard became a collector of Franklin Automobiles in 1950, and brought them home to his ranch in Tucson. The ranch consists of an adobe home, along with numerous out buildings.

One great feature of this museum is being able to tour the home.

The collection of automobiles are housed in 4 different buildings.

The Franklin Auto Museum is a hidden gem of Tucson.

Tucson – October 2022 – Presidio San Agustin del Tucson

Architecture, History, Museum

The Spanish Army, led by an Irish mercenary Captain Hugh O’Conor, established a fort in what became Tucson in the 1780s. All or part of the fort was in use until the last of the original walls came down in the early 1900s.

An archaeological excavation occurred between 2001 and 2006 resulting in the recreation of the northeast corner of the fort.

Today re-enactors demonstrate life as the community would have been in the early 1800s.

Some of the buildings that are now part of the Presidio were once homes dating from the late 1800s and early 1900s.

A large mural on one wall depicts life as it was in the presidios heyday.

Salt Lake City – September 2022 – Toyota Land Cruiser Museum

Museum, Transportation

In an industrial area of Salt Lake City is an old warehouse stuffed full of Toyota Land Cruisers from over the years.

The original ones were based on a Willy’s Jeep, and by 1942 were in production. By the 1950s this vehicle had become known as the Land Cruiser.

The Land Cruiser is popular throughout the world, but has especially strong sales in Australia.

The Land Cruiser has been used for special purposes and expeditions throughout it’s history.

While the museum has a large collection, from a photography perspective it is difficult as they are all jammed in together, with barriers preventing from going between them for closer looks.

This, coupled with a fairly high entrance fee, made this a less than desirable stop for me.

Provo, Utah – September 2022 – Signs, Signs Everywhere There’s Signs

Art, History, Museum, Transportation

Like most cities Provo, Utah has a sign ordnance dictating the size and placements of advertising signs. Fortunately the Lakeside Storage Facility is either not in the city of Provo, or has an exemption as they have an amazing collection of petroliana (items relating to the gasoline industry).

We happened upon this place just after they opened their office for the day. The young lady in the office said that we could walk around all we like!

But it is not just signs they have….

There are multiple small airplanes on top of the storage units.

Most of the signs date from the 1940s through the 1970s, in various states of condition.

A few old cars and trucks are included in the collection.

They have another area across the road with more signs, but it was under construction and off limits. Still – who can resist Elvis and Marilyn on a flatbed truck outside the gate.

The Lakeside Storage and Sign Museum on the west side of Provo, Utah is one of those funky places that is a must for me!

Circleville, Utah – September 2022 – Butch Cassidy’s Boyhood Home

Architecture, History, Museum

The small town of Circleville, Utah has the claim to fame of being the boyhood hometown of Butch Cassidy.

They celebrate this fact by maintaining his boyhood home.

Butch lived here under his birth name of Robert Leroy Parker from the age of 13 until he was 18, when he started working at the nearby Jim Marshall Ranch. It was here he met Mike Cassidy, who taught him (among other things) how to handle horses and guns. The rest, as they say, is history.

The farm has a collection of old implements that post date the time Butch would’ve lived there.

The valley the cabin is located is very scenic.

Butch Cassidy’s boyhood home is not something most people would make a destination, but if you are passing by it is worth the stop to stretch your legs and check out a bit of Utah history.