Don Garlits Museum

[Zammy]

The wife and I stayed over an extra day from the Snowbird Gathering so we could tour the museum, we've ridden past it many times in our travels but never seemed to have enough time for a proper check-out. We spent about 3 hours there and probably could have used a little more time, over 300 vehicles on display including a separate building for older cars.

Anyone who was into drag racing in the 60's and 70's will know the name Don Garlits, I was in heaven looking at all these rails.

In 1967 I was at the NHRA Nationals in Indianapolis when Garlits broke the 6 second barrier, he had been growing a beard and said he would shave it off when he hit that mark. I believe he ran a 6.67 and we watched him return to the starting line and shave off his beard. I got to meet him later in the day in the pits, he was really down to earth, this is the the car that he won that meet with, Swamp Rat 11

Incredible engine display room from through the years and a whole wall dedicated to intakes.

Old Fords starting about 1932 and going up, I wish I would have taken more pics in this building

I guess a tribute to hot rodders of all kinds, a Trike!!!

 

[pioneer11]

Cool pics, thanks for sharing

 

[ol' school]

Thanks for sharing the pictures Gary!

And yes Big Daddy is a real down to earth guy. My son asked him to authograph a picture for him some years ago at Maple Grove Raceway in PA during Garlit's last year racing. He invited my son to come into his pit and got him a Coke to drink. They sat and talked a while and when I tried to tell my son I was sure Mr. Garlits had a lot to do my son stated he and Don weren't done talking. I told my son to address him as Mr. Garlits but Don told me he had told him to just call him Don. Their conversation was about what my young son did each week helping me in the pits with my own drag car at our local track. He thanked me for letting him sit and talk with him saying it made him feel good knowing the sport he had worked so hard to promote over the years had young folks to carry it into the future.

 

[1dn5up]

Nice pix Gary,

Our local club , "Road Knights" in Garrison NY has a front engine dragster there.

 

[Captain H]

Thanks for sharing the pictures Zammy . I to have gone by there many times & never stopped in . Now it will be added to my to do list .

captain h

 

[David357]

Well done GaryThumbUpThumbUp

 

[Ed Hobgood]

Thanks for sharing:clapping:

 

[Zammy]

Our local club , "Road Knights" in Garrison NY has a front engine dragster there.

How cool is that, I'm sure I gave it a look over.

 

[kybigmac]

I was there in 91,very cool place!

 

[Phu Cat]

They frequently hold car shows on the grounds and you then can get into the museum for the cost of the car show admittance, a good deal. Then the local 'Vette club holds their annual show and a buddy usually asks me to tag along in his 'Vette so I get in for free. (His entry fee pays for both of us actually so I buy him supper.)

As Zammy said there's just too much to see in one day. Some of his personally owned cars are really cool too.

PC

 

[Shimpy]

I live about 20 minutes from there and several years ago my son-in-law came to visit and said the only place he wanted to visit was Don Garlits. I took him there and had a hard time getting him to leave. I used to watch Garlits race his rail jobs in Miami in 1957.

 

[Jack Klarich]

Very very cool

 

[Marc H]

I have a customer who got to visit with Don at the museum once.He came away with a few rods from his blown engines.1 is being used to locate the steering column in his deuce coupe.