Volo Auto Museum offers 1960s admission prices

When the Volo Auto Museum first opened in 1960, visitors paid 50 cents each to see a smattering of jalopies in a 10,000-square-foot, gravel-floored pole barn.

Through Sunday, Dec. 10, those same two quarters will buy access to a far more bountiful feast for the eyes.

"Now more than ever, our exhibits appeal to all ages, genders and tastes," museum director Brian Grams said. "We truly are a family venue. To encourage more people to see what we have, we're rolling back the clock to our original 1960s fee."

Regular admission is $15 for adults and $9 for children ages 5-12, so the 50-cent admission offers a chance to see the museum's ever-changing collections at significant savings.

Much has changed at the Volo Auto Museum since its inception. The museum at 27582 Volo Village Road today features 150,000 square feet of indoor, heated exhibit space housing displays ranging from nautical to agricultural, musical and, of course, vehicular.

Among the more recent additions are a vintage RVs and campers exhibit, the Duesenberg Room, the Disney gallery and a collection of vintage music machines featuring everything from antique jukeboxes, Otto Accordions and player pianos to an exceptionally rare, fully functional Mortier dance hall orchestra machine from the '50s.

"It's a self-contained band," Grams said. "It came from the Crystal Palace in Belgium."

A whole room is devoted to vintage sleds and snowmobiles. Other exhibits include scooters, motorized bicycles, Depression-era tractors, antique children's rides, Rat Fink memorabilia and more.

"For those who have been here, we want to show them all of the changes we've made," Grams said. "For those who haven't been here, come check us out. We're so much more than an auto museum."

The Volo Auto Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For other information, call (815) 385-3644, visit volocars.com or find Volo Auto Museum on Facebook.