Atlas Obscura · People & society

Larz Anderson Auto Museum: America's Oldest Collection

The Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, Massachusetts, houses the oldest automotive collection in the United States, featuring vehicles dating back to before the 20th century.

Located in Larz Anderson Park, the museum is situated in a Victorian-era carriage house. The park and museum are named after Larz Anderson, a French-born American diplomat, and his wife Isabel Weld Perkins, who inherited a significant fortune.

The couple amassed a collection of 32 cars, 24 carriages, and 6 sleighs between 1899 and Anderson's death in 1937. Isabel auctioned off much of the collection after his death, but 14 cars remain from their original holdings.

The surviving vehicles include models from 1899 to 1926, with a significant number predating World War I. These cars offer a rare glimpse into early 20th-century automotive technology.

Many of the cars are the last surviving examples of their kind globally. As none have been restored, they are preserved in their original condition, acting as "time capsules."

The Andersons began publicly displaying their collection in 1927. The museum was formally established in 1948, after Isabel's passing.

The museum continues to acquire and rotate vehicles in its collection. While not the largest, its continuously maintained collection, originating in 1899, establishes it as the oldest in the U.S.

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