Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum

I was completely unprepared for the scope of this museum and was totally blown away by the presentation. What an unbelievable experience.
We were in the area for the Fall auction at Auburn and I mentioned to my dad that I wanted to check out the Auburn Cord Duesenburg Automobile Museum (ACDAM).
The museum occupies the former showroom of ACD and the entry is left in the art deco style of the 20s and 30s. Coupled with the beautiful automobiles in the «showroom» you truly feel like you are stepping back in time. Approximately 20 cars occupy the first floor. Helpful staff will assist with any of your questions.
But this is nowhere near the end. File up the stairs onto the second floor and prepare to be blown away. The upstairs encompasses a treasure trove of additional ACD (and non-​ACD) autos but also a large (and comprehensive) history of automobile building in the state of Indiana. The engineering and drafting offices are recreated in intracate detail, more interactive kiosks and exhibits, and a ton more cars and memorabilia are available.
We were there for about two hours and honestly if you stopped to look at all the presentations, etc. you could make an entire day of it. The scope is massive and it is an unprecedented presentation. I have never witnessed something done this well.
Looking back at all my five star reviews makes me question them after visiting ACDAM. This is a true five star museum that you should make the effort to get to. Absolutely first rate.

I don’t usually like old cars but this place was pretty cool. I loved the look of the building as well, kind of put you back in time. The cars were neat, especially the John Dillinger car. The place is a bit big and can be overwhelming and by the time I got to the third floor I was a bit over seeing the cars, although the old bathrooms and offices put me back in time all over again. I kept imagining what life was like then. Overall, this place was fun. Not being a car lover, I enjoyed it.

Not a «car guy or girl»? Don’t let that keep you from this place. You will love checking out these classic and classy cars. And «motor heads» there’s a muscle car museum next door. AAA members get a discount of about $ 4 but you’ve got to ask. If you’re anywhere near Indiana it’s worth the time and admission. We need to go back and check out some of the local historic homes the receptionist gave us a flier for.

Am I a car buff? Not really. But I did love seeing all of these beautiful machines that herald to a time long gone and tried to imagine the people who drove them.
This museum was interesting from the moment I walked in the door. This was the original international headquarters of the Auburn Automobile company so the building itself will have you oohing and ahhing even before you look at one car. This magnificent, art deco showroom is the perfect setting for these beautiful cars.
As for the cars, most are from 1925 – 1937 and are truly stunning to look at. Keep in mind that the chassis were all the same and then each owner designed the «cabin» which was totally customized. Peek into each one and see how unique the fabrics, design and functionality are.
And if you are a car buff– know that there is an event area at this museum. I was with a car club (could there be no better place to have a party) and the food was good, the service was friendly and they let you take your drinks around the 2 levels of the museum.
A really lovely venue that’s a bit off the beaten path for those who love history, cars or both!

Can a museum be to good! A very nice museum with many nicely displayed motor cars. Some had interactive touch screens with additional info on them I enjoyed looking up info provided on the original owner’s manual. Not being from the area, although originally from Chicago, I never realized the extensive auto history of the area. My only suggestion for improvement was that I wish some vehicles were better lighted inside providing a better look.

Gorgeous building with a lot of history. Stopped in while on the road home to Chicago from fort Wayne. Totally worth it.

One of the best museums around. Lots to see and learn about early American automobile manufacturing. If you let he cars this is your heaven. Lots of rare cars including the original Mercedes Benz Gull Wing. Great layout, with lots of surprises around each corner. Puts you back in time and let’s you dream of a bygone era.

Great Place. Lots of Classic Cars. it seems that the cars just went on forever. they have quite a collection.

We’re not car people in the traditional sense but we do appreciate history, timeless and elegant design, and Art Deco architecture.
We loved this museum! Plenty of stuff to look at and read that provided a historical backdrop of the automobile industry and how the Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg fit in with that.
Guides stationed around the museum were outgoing and gladly answered any questions we had.
Was surprised to learn about all the technical innovations developed by Auburn, Cord, and Dusenberg were refined and still being used in today’s automobiles.

I’d never been to the Auburn Cord, so when I found out my cousin’s wedding reception was taking place there I was super excited.
We had about an hour before dinner was served to take advantage of the open bar and explore the museum. Drinks in hand, we weaved through all the classic cars on the first floor. There was an informative plaque near every car listing its year, model, and other fun facts. Even if you’re not that into automobiles, you could certainly appreciate the beauty and great up-​keep of these classic cars. There were also plenty of photo ops, and guests were even allowed to climb in and have their picture taken in a specially designated Duesy.
There were also plenty of benches/​tables throughout where guests could sit, chat, and drink while waiting for dinner to be served.
No drinks were allowed on the second floor, which housed a massive collection of other historic cars and provided information about this evolution of the American Automobile. My favorite from this floor would have to be the car the belonged to architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
Kudos to the ACDAM and to the newlyweds for planning such a unique and fun reception!

This museum houses a lot of historic cars. At first it seemed like all the same car just different variations. I was wrong though because once you go upstairs there are many more different types of cars. It wasn’t very busy so that made the experience better. You can get a student discount if you have your student ID. For the price it was a nice museum. I have no complaints.

We had a fabulous day at the Duesenberg Museum! They have an amazing display of rebuilt and original Dusenbergs, Cords, and Auburns. There are knowledgable volunteers spread out through the three floors of automobiles. A volunteer, Mike, greeted us as soon as we walked through the door and his introduction served to make us even more excited to see all the museum had to offer. You can’t miss this one. Gorgeous, beauty cars and even a few cycle cars, and horseless carriages!

Do I hear wedding bells? Surely not in the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum… But it is! The only reason why I made the trek to Auburn, Indiana was for a wedding reception where the newly weds felt that X marked the spot right over the ACDAM.
We entered the museum on a Saturday evening, dressed in our Sunday’s best. The way our path weaved through the gift shop, we only saw a glimpse of about three cars in the museum. I honestly thought that this was a lame-​O museum that was supplementing their cash flow by hosting wedding receptions.
There was a nice room for a cocktail hour with hors devours. It was complete with pop-​open shuttered windows to the bar area (and bar tenders who probably would not have won any tips at a bar but who did well enough serving free liquor), and suited-​up servers carrying platters of little delicacies.
Beyond this antechamber was a hallway with a guest book and table markers so that we could find our seats. The actual banquet hall was about the size of a gym — like a basketball court-​sized gym at a high-​school with room for bleachers and concessions. The newly weds rented everything from chair covers, to table linens, to the Japanese lanterns suspended above us. When I helped clean everything up the next day, I saw how impressive this bride and groom really were. The pair had a VISION and the means to make it happen because the space was really, really lack-​luster. This was no banquet hall.
What was really, really neat about having a wedding reception at the ACDAM was that guests were free to roam the museum. At one point, we got up and walked around the first floor snapping lots of pictures and pausing to read signs and stuff. Then we ran into some guests who encouraged us to go upstairs. Um… We quickly discovered that the ACDAM was MASSIVE and had a HUGE collection of cars and car stuff. There were THREE LEVELS. We soon forgot about reading signs and just wandered around looking at the cars that happened to catch our wandering gaze.
One blessing to the design of the museum was that there were side rooms with seats and flat screen televisions showing videos. We agreed that it was nice to be able to pause to relax for a while (after all, we were in our stuffy and uncomfortable Sunday best).
Speaking of Sunday morning, when I returned the next day (a Sunday morning), I saw that there were already a fair amount of visitors to the museum! I would never have thought that a museum in the middle of nowhere would attract such attention! Kudos ACDAM! And kudos to the newly weds who had the foresight to use the museum to host their reception!

My wife and I spent about 2 hours touring this great museum. One could easily spend 3 hours in the museum. Over 120 cars nicely exhibited in the old Auburn headquarters building. Admission is $ 10 and worth a visit. We were there on a Tuesday afternoon in August and it was not at all crowded. Plenty of free parking in their parking lot. In addition to Auburns, Cords, and Duesenberg’s, there are other car makes and displays showing designers drafting boards, clay models, the Presidents office, etc.
My wife is not an auto enthusiast but enjoyed the experience. Every car had information displayed and although the cars were roped off you could get very close to them, allowing you to peer inside and see the interior, dash, etc.
There are sitting areas around the museum if you want to take a short rest during your tour. Photography is allowed. Also very clean restrooms.

Wow! It’s a Duesy! What more can be said for this museum, located at the factory where many of these cars were built. So many classics here, real works of art. These cars are beautiful! You don’t have to be a car buff to appreciate this museum, but there is something for everyone.
The selections are not limited to just Auburn — Cord — Duesenbergs, they also have some nice stainless steel Fords and a Delorean, a 57 Chevy, English and Italian cars, a couple Corvettes, Thunderbirds, etc.
I have had this museum on my list for decades, but never seemed to have the time to visit. I will return for a repeat in the near future.
AAA discount of $ 2 off the $ 10 admission fee.

Oh, my. That was my reaction on my first visit, and my second. And I’ll be back. The building is beautiful, the cars are amazing, and it’s reasonably priced. I’ve been back and forth across Indiana lately, and am glad I stumbled on this. A bunch of Auburns, Cords, and Duesenbergs, yes, and stunning examples, but also a smattering of other classic cars. And with the National Automotive and Truck Museum right next door, and several other vehicle museums nearby, Auburn is worth a visit all on its own, if you have any interest in cars at all.

This is a very nice and classy museum. Its all about the Duesenbergs and classic cars. This is what Auburn is known for. They’ve also done reception parties here like my brother’s prom.

Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum is probally one of the most expensive museums in the world which is also the same city i was born in. I believe that this museum has over 600 million dollars worth of vehicles inside if not more and the sweet part about this museum is that it barley cost anything to check it out. mmmm yea…
If you are a car enthusiast, this would be the first place to go to and if you decide to go you should definitely bring me along with You.
p. s. I also had my Semi– Formal here in 2003. I had a great time and i kinda wish i could go back in time to redo it again. :)

How lucky are we who get to see the best cars ever produced in the world? The experience when you go to the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum is a classic event for young and old.
Although I was not around in the day of these cars, I have been a fan since I was a little kid and saw pictures of these classics. Everyone bitches about why we are getting our butts kicked by the foreign automakers, like we can’t figure this out for ourselves but the answer lies here in Auburn IN. Once upon a time American cars WERE the best and the proof is here.
It’s not on the way to anywhere but if you can devote the time it is definitely worth the trip. The first time I went here they had volunteers, guys who actually use to work here when they were producing cars, walking around answering questions and telling everyone some fantastic stories of old-​time American automaking.
It is in part of the old factory where some of the cars were actually made, and the list of cars to see is amazing. You will see cars you probably never knew existed. It is a great journey to see real craftsmanship when it actually existed.

If voluptuous, powerful cars of yesteryear make you giddy and excited like a little boy (or girl) you need to figure out how to get to this museum out in the pastoral hinterlands of northeast Indiana. My dad and I stopped here on the way to get a rototiller fixed and spent a fantastic afternoon looking at three brands that spelled power and beauty and are sadly now missing from American life. The collection is located in an original Art Deco building that served as the headquarters of this company that succumbed to car company consolidation. If you love cars, you need to find a day to check this place out. It’s a feasible day-​trip out of Chicago, Indy, or Detroit.