America's Car Museum

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The LeMay - America's Car Museum is a museum currently in the city of Tacoma, Washington. A new museum facility is set to break ground in the summer of 2008 and open to the public in 2010 near the Tacoma Dome. Most of the cars on display will be donated by the family of Harold LeMay to the Museum.

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Harold LeMay owned a successful refuse company, Harold LeMay Enterprises, within the Tacoma metro area and amassed the world's largest private car collection. After his death, the city of Tacoma donated 10 acres of land next to the Tacoma Dome for the Museum that would contain most of his car collection. At a price of $167 million, the Museum is being called "America's Car Museum." The Museum will be about 750,000 square feet (70,000 m²), and will contain Harold LeMay's cars along with gift shops, restoration shops, lecture halls, a banquet room, and café.

The Museum will have a 100 car gallery showing cars remarkable for their speed, technology and design, as well as their importance to car culture. Inside the Great Hall will be room to show 150 cars at a time. Under the Museum will be room to store up to 2000 additional cars. Outside the museum will be a 3 acres (1.2 ha) courtyard and clubhouse for car clubs. The Museum may also become home to LeMay annual car show. The new Museum is set to open in 2010, but is currently open to the public on the historic Marymount grounds in Spanaway, WA. When the new Museum facility opens, it will be the largest automobile museum in the world (in square footage and in the number of cars on display).

[edit] Donors

Harold LeMay's wife, Nancy LeMay donated $15 million to the museum. The City of Tacoma's land donated to the museum is estimated to be worth $17 million.

Other donors include various car collectors, auto clubs and citizens worldwide.

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[edit] References

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