Martin Auto Museum
Overview
The Martin Auto Museum in Phoenix is a spectacular hidden gem founded by avid collector Mel Martin, dedicated to the preservation of automotive history and heritage. The expansive indoor showroom displays an extraordinary collection of over 150 vintage, classic, rare, and exotic vehicles, spanning from early late-19th-century horseless carriages to sleek modern supercars. Highlights include historic race cars, meticulously restored hot rods, classic Hollywood movie vehicles, and rare European sports cars. What sets this museum apart is its interactive environment, allowing visitors to touch, sit inside several of the classic automobiles, and take unforgettable photographs, making it a dream destination for car enthusiasts of all generations.
Practical Info
Travel Tips
- Relocation GPS Warning: The museum permanently relocated from its older northern site to a massive indoor facility right off I-17 (current address: 4320 W Thunderbird Rd). Do not follow outdated travel blogs or legacy maps, which route to an abandoned empty lot.
- Monday Closure & Summer AC Safe Haven: The museum is consistently closed on Mondays. Because the massive single-floor exhibit space is fully air-conditioned, it serves as an ideal sanctuary from noon to 3:00 PM during extreme Arizona summer heat waves.
- Interactive Seating Rules: Unlike traditional hands-off museums, select vintage cars here permit visitors to open doors and sit inside for photos. However, look closely at dashboards; vehicles bearing red 'Do Not Touch' signs are strictly off-limits, and violations lead to removal.
Reviews
- An absolute paradise for car enthusiasts! It features hundreds of vehicles, from vintage jalopies and muscle cars to race cars, all kept shiny.
- The best part is their hands-on philosophy; you are encouraged to actually sit inside many rare classic cars and movie props for incredible photos.
- The massive indoor showroom is fully air-conditioned and features free-to-play retro racing simulator arcades that kids will absolutely love.
- Admission is highly affordable, covering all interactive simulator play; the owner himself is often on site sharing legendary car-hunting tales.
- The layout feels like a giant, packed warehouse salvage; cars are parked extremely tight together, making clean individual side-angle photos difficult.
- The informational placards beside the vehicles are overly brief and basic, often just a single printed sheet lacking technical depth or translation.
- There is no on-site themed diner or cafe, only a few basic snack vending machines, requiring you to pack your own food for long visits.
- Located near a freeway intersection in an industrial park, the surrounding view is ugly and transit access is poor for non-driving visitors.