LeMay - America's Car Museum - groundbreaking for new museum

We will occasionally bring you information about things to see and places to go that are not well-known but we think are worth your attention. ShorelineAreaNews photographer Steven H. Robinson attended the groundbreaking of the LeMay and brought back these photos.

After nearly a decade in development, a major milestone for LeMay-America's Car Museum was reached on June 10 with the groundbreaking of the long-anticipated automotive Museum in Tacoma. When complete, the LeMay will be the largest automotive Museum in North America.

The ambitious architectural plan calls for a campus complex which includes a great pavilion with a tower showcasing 150 of the finest cars in the collection; a concourse capable of presenting 100 cars in displays related to culture, speed, design and technology; galleries of experimental attractions; a restoration shop; a six acre courtyard for show, auctions and rallies; cafes, retail and entertainment areas, a clubhouse for use by sponsoring car clubs, the "Concourse Suite" and exclusive club for major benefactors; leased private vehicle storage that is accessible and reserved and most impressively -- viewable storage for up to 1,500 automobiles on site. 

With the beginning of construction, the Museum will now concentrate on a "Race to the Finish" campaign which will focus on exhibit and educational program development in preparation for the Museum's Grand Opening in summer 2011.

The LeMay Museum is currently located at Marymount Academy, 325 152nd St East, Tacoma, WA 98445, 877-902-8490, or 253-536-2885. Email for tours. Visit the website.