A Visit to the AACA Museum in Hershey, PA

Recreated covered bridge with a Model T crossing it at the AACA Museum

Date of Visit: September 1, 2019

It may surprise you to know that the No. 1 ranked attraction in Hershey (according to TripAdvisor) isn’t Hersheypark. Nor does it have anything to do with Milton S. Hershey or the chocolate empire he built in the Derry Township village. It’s the Antique Auto Collectors of America (AACA) Museum.

The Herhsey Kissmobile featuring three overside Hershey kisses on a flat bed on display in front of the AACA Museum

Located about a mile north of Hershey’s more well-known attractions, the AACA Museum feels like a world away from the smell of cocoa and sound of screaming roller coaster riders. If not for the Hershey’s Kissmobile parked out front, it would be easy to forget exactly where you are.

The AACA Museum showcases more than 100 years of automotive history throughout its galleries.

Antique Tucker automobile in front of a recreated Tucker dealership at the AACA Museum

One of the most interesting permanent exhibits at the museum is the Cammack Gallery, home to the world’s largest collection of Tucker Automobiles and related artifacts.

Preston Tucker was an ambitious engineer who launched several business ventures, culiminating in the creation of his namesake car model, “America’s first completely new car in 50 years.”

Maroon 1948 Tucker on display at the AACA Museum in Herhsey, PA

Unfortunately the business was a failure (visit the museum to get the full story) and a total of just 51 Tuckers were built. Among those on display at the AACA Museum is Tucker #1001, the first production prototype. Tucker #1001, along with three other vehicles and a range of accessories were the collection of David Cammack and have had a permanent home in the museum since 2014.

Tucker is not the only failed brand with a prominent place at the museum. DeLoreon, the infamouse manufacturer immortalized in the Back to the Future franchise, is represented with two pieces on display in the main gallery.

Antique buses in a row at the AACA Museum in Hershey, PA

A visit to the lower level reveals that the Museum is about more than cars. The AACA Museum is also home to the Museum of Bus Transportation, featuring an impressive collection of people-moving machines.

Green and white bus similar to the one in Forrest Gump on display at the AACA Museum

Among the highlights of the collection are a bus from the movie Forest Gump, as well as a look-a-like of the bus from the movie Speed.

Some items carry more historic significance, including a 1912 White Truck, the oldest running motorcoach in the world.

Inside a classic bus like the one from Forrest Gump

While the White is off-limits, many of the buses are open for guests to walk on board and look around (the museum just asks that you don’t sit down as it adds wear and tear to the seats).

Small diner with a Coke sign over the door and another sign next to it that reads "Floinn Caffe"

The lower level is also home to the Floinn Cafe, an original diner built by the Valentine Manufacturing Company. Drop a quarter in the jukebox outside the diner to hear songs from artists like Elvis Presley and the Tempations.

Miniature railroad display at the AACA Museum

Kids (and kids at heart) will enjoy “From Roads to Rails,” a 36-foot long minature village (nicknamed Tuckerville) that features model trains riding the rails through small towns and rural landscapes, past streets filled with classic cars, of course.

Collection of classic motorcylces in front of a backdrop of a classic diner called "Big Dippers"

The AACA Museum also had a rotating exhibit on display in the lower level – this one telling the history of motorcyles with an impressive collection of Harley-Davidsons and other classic bikes. The Big Dipper Diner, a country general store and a scenic wooded highway are incorporated into the wall murals that serve as a backdrop for the symbols of the open road.

Rotunda of the AACA Museum featuring three antique cars on the first floor and a row of motorcycles and mopeds on the second floor

Before you leave hte museum, make sure you make a visit to the upper level. The gallery space includes a collection of hood ornaments, plus more motorcycles and small vehicles. It also provides an incredible view of both the gallery below and rolling landscape out the large picture window.

1920s era car in two-tone dark pink in front of a mural of Milton Hershey at the AACA Museum

There may not be any chocolate at the end of your museum tour, but the AACA Museum is a sweet stop for anyone who loves cars – and everyone else.

Two Studebakers posed nose-to-nose in front of a painted backdrop depciting the Golden Gate Bridge

When You Go

The Museum is open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.
Expect to spend an hour or more browsing the galleries, depending on your level of interest
Exhibits run for about five months with a month in between when the galleries are being changed. Check the exhibit calendar and time your visits accordingly.
The Museum is a great place to recharge your batteries – literally. It has a row of electric vehicle charging stations for your convenience.