The Volo Auto Museum is located in Grayslake, IL. It is a good 1.5 hours from Chicago, but if you are in the area for any reason, it is a great place to make a stop. You can even make a train adventure out of it, and take Metra there. I still can't get over what a unique and fun find this was. We recently spent 2 hours exploring the 33+ exhibits, but you could easily spend an entire afternoon, or even a full day if you add on the Jurassic Gardens Dino Park.
There is so much to see, from vintage and muscle cars (available for purchase), to Warner Bros. and Disney galleries, and cars from so many movies. My son refused to believe any of it was real. "How can a museum in the middle of Illinois have all this stuff from Hollywood?" It is thanks to the Grams family, that has been running and operating the 35 acre property for three generations. Often, Hollywood studios want to rid themselves of the tax burden of holding on to things like the Bat Mobile, Grease Lightning, or a certain Delorean from 1981. The Grams family has spent decades collecting these rare vehicles and so many more. Certificates of Authenticity, and interesting stories about how the vehicles were obtained, accompany many exhibits.
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What I really loved was that they often had a photo or a video of the movie scene the car was in, making it much easier for the kids to appreciate some of the cars they were less familiar with. For instance, they have a 1981 Cadillac Hearse from Terminator 3. Even though my kids hadn't seen the movie, they show a scene of the car getting shot at in the film, and low and behold you can see the bullet holes. Fun fact: "All the holes you see were strategically punched into the sheet metal and then filled with a plastic explosive before being painted over. Each explosive would detonate in a controlled sequence, exposing the holes, simulating the car being shot up."
Another stand-out was the Super Luxurious Omnidirectional Whatchamajigger (S.L.O.W) from the live action film, The Cat in the Hat. It cost $1.4M to build the working vehicle. "The s.l.o.w. was piloted blind by a driver concealed behind the front seat. The rear-view mirror was actually a camera connected to a monitor next to the driver. Another technician stationed outside of the s.l.o.w. communicated with the driver via radio, advising him of objects beyond the camera's field of vision and discussing maneuvers; the external technician also triggered various effects generated within the vehicle, such as flames and smoke." It is these behind the scenes details that makes these exhibits extra special.
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One of our favorite exhibits was Cars of the Rich and Famous. As a huge fan of Oprah, I was tickled to see the $365K convertible she bought herself for her 42nd birthday. They also have the 1996 Rolls-Royce Princess Diana used on her final trip to the US. The car was stored for her to use upon her return, but tragically she died in 1997. The coolest cars belonged to Elton John and Johnny Cash. Elton's car actually doubled as a playing piano, and Johnny's a guitar of course.
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Can't get to Disney World? Visit Volo's Disney gallery, with dozens of life-size dioramas of your favorite Disney Characters. There is a little something for everyone.
We ended our afternoon in the antique arcade. We exchanged $10 into tokens and enjoyed games and kiddie rides, dating back to the 1930's. "No, kids, I wasn't alive then." However, they did have an old obsession of mine that I would play outside our grocery store as a kid, a 1962 Williams Road Racer.
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For even more fun, visit over 30 animatronic dinosaurs in the Jurassic Gardens (combo ticket required.) The Jurassic Gardens also has a Rapture Pen Arcade, and Dino-Dig. The Volo property also has an outdoor playground, and an onsite pizza place with animatronic entertainment.
Like I said, you could easily spend an entire day. The museum is open daily 10am-5pm. Check them out at https://www.volofun.com/
Be on the lookout for their many special events!
