Call the Edge Motor Museum and you’ll be greeted by an enthusiastic vroom, vroom followed by the squealing of tires. Punch a series of buttons and you’ll be greeted by an even more enthusiastic museum director, Richard Vining.
Vining says that Mid-America Old Time Automobile Association (MOTAA), open since 2019, was going to host a car festival, but decided not to do it this year. That’s when museum tour guide Bob Watkins suggested they do it themselves.
“It’s free to come out and see all the cars for the festival or $15 to enter a car,” Vining says. “They’ll be outside, and the museum will be open. Tours are self-guided, but we do like to talk about cars, so you’ll probably get an earful.”
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Live life on The Edge at the old Auto Row.
The Edge District used to be Auto Row, and the museum is located in the old Cherokee Motors manufacturing plant from the 1920s. Right down the street is Sun Studio, where Elvis recorded his first record and drove his first car off the Madison Cadillac lot. There’s a lot of history there.
Inside the museum is the “American Speed” car exhibit, featuring vintage American cars from post-war years, the same era as the Sun Studio heyday.
Admission to the museum is $10 for adults and $5 for kids. “We have a rule here though,” says Vining. “No family pays more than $30.”
Inaugural Fall Edge Motorfest, Edge Motor Museum, 645 Marshall, Saturday, Oct. 17, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., free to look, $15 to register for car competition.