Arizona’s Coolest Car Collections
Writer Joseph J. Airdo
Arizona’s automotive heritage runs deeper than its legendary highways and desert proving grounds. These seven remarkable museums preserve not just vehicles, but the dreams, innovations and personal stories that drove them forward.
Franklin Auto Museum
Tucked away in a historic adobe home in Tucson, this unique museum preserves the legacy of the Franklin automobile through a meticulously curated collection of 25 to 27 classic models. The collection showcases the company’s distinctive air-cooled production history, including two remarkable time capsules — a 1910 model and a 1924 model with the lowest original mileage remaining, preserved just as they left the factory. Guided tours offer multilevel interpretation of automotive history tailored to visitors’ interest levels, complemented by exhibits of other vehicles with local historical significance.
Rolling Thru Time Auto Museum
Family heritage drives this Tucson collection of approximately 225 vehicles spanning four generations and more than half a century of collecting. Curator Joe Findysz’s family has been involved with Ace Hardware for 80 years, and the museum features a recreated vintage hardware store among its central exhibits. Other attractions include a Model T assembly line, Caterpillar tractor collection, working machine shop, paint shop, mechanic’s shop and a popular firetruck room. Each vehicle on display includes family photos, connecting visitors to the personal stories behind the machines.
Tucson Auto Museum
Having opened in April 2025 in a significantly expanded Sabino Canyon facility, this museum’s collection of more than 75 classic cars and automobilia is maintained as a “living collection,” with all vehicles kept in roadworthy condition. Highlights include a Model T, a 1929 Duesenberg Model J, a one-of-a-kind 1948 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet, and several vehicles with Hollywood histories from shows like “Mannix,” “Charlie’s Angels” and “Batman.” The new location will feature “The Batcave,” showcasing two Batmobiles and rare Batman memorabilia, plus a broadcast studio and event spaces available for community rental.
JWJ Cycles Museum
In San Manuel, this unique motorcycle museum tells the story of a family’s lifelong passion for two-wheeled adventure. Named for founder Jack Traweek, his brother Warren, and Jill, the late wife of Jack’s son Parrish, the museum houses approximately 100 motorcycles, including unique pieces like the Pulse Autocycle and Russian Minsk. More than just a display space, JWJ Cycles serves as a hub for active riders, who can stage rides from the facility, stay overnight and participate in regular events, creating a living connection between motorcycle history and contemporary riding culture.
Dwarf Car Museum
In Maricopa, Ernie Adams has spent decades crafting perfectly scaled-down replicas of classic cars, each one handmade from scratch. His first creation, “Grandpa Dwarf,” came to life in 1965 — a 1928 Chevy two-door sedan constructed from nine old refrigerators. Today, the museum showcases 19 dwarf cars inside (eight fully street legal) and 18 cars and tractors outside. What surprises visitors most is that these miniature masterpieces are fully functional vehicles that can be driven at highway speeds. Throughout the day, Adams selects visitors to sit inside his creations and demonstrates the vehicles running.
Art Car World
In the border town of Douglas, this unique museum houses 42 vehicles that blur the line between transportation and artistic transformation. Created by owner Harrod Blank and other artists, these extraordinary automobiles often take years to complete, with some in progress for nearly three decades. Signature pieces include “The Carthedral” by Rebecca Caldwell and Blank’s own “Camera Van,” alongside artistic elements like neon signs by John Law and a world globe by Royce Carlson. Custom 45-minute tours offer intimate glimpses into this distinctive art form that leaves most visitors speechless.
Arizona Route 66 Museum
Housed in Kingman’s Historic Powerhouse, this unique facility offers a two-for-one experience: a journey through the Mother Road’s evolution and the world’s first museum dedicated solely to electric vehicles. The Route 66 section chronicles the highway’s development from Native American trade routes to America’s most famous roadway, while the attached Electric Vehicle Museum showcases more than 100 years of EV history, including a 2008 Tesla Roadster II. The museum is currently undergoing renovations ahead of Route 66’s centennial celebration in 2026.
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