Awards & Recognition
Awards & Recognition
Recognition
Trip Advisor – 10 Best Museums in Reno
tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g45992-Activities-c49-Reno_Nevada
LA Times
Your Ultimate Guide to Planning the Best Summer Road Trip
June 2017
In an LA Times article, Chris Erskine recommended a “sampling of some of the world-class museums and car shows available to travelers in the West. Some are so significant, and well located, that they can be destinations all their own.” The article included seven entries of museums and car shows in California, and one recommendation in Nevada, the National Automobile Museum.
California and a Stop in Reno…
- Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles
- Bob’s Big Boy Weekly Car Show, Burbank
- Nethercutt Museum, Sylmar
- Automobile Driving Museum, El Segundo
- Mullin Automotive Museum, Oxnard
- San Diego Automotive Museum, San Diego
- Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Pebble Beach
- National Automobile Museum, Reno, NV
latimes.com/travel/deals/la-tr-road-trips-car-museums-20170609-story
Galeriemagazine.com – 10 Best Car Museum
The 10 Best Car Museums in the U.S. were featured at www.galeriemagazine.com in May 2017. It reported that “Respected author and automotive enthusiast Ken Gross, who’s been a judge at the esteemed Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance for a quarter century, divulges his list of must-see automobile museums across America.”
- Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles, CA
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum, Indianapolis, IN
- Mullin Automotive Museum, Oxnard, CA
- The Revs Institute, Naples, FL
- National Automobile Museum, Reno, NV
- Nethercutt Collection, Sylmar, CA
- Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, Auburn, IN
- Blackhawk Automotive Museum, Danville, CA
- The Henry Ford, Dearborn, MI
- Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, Pomona, CA
Smithsonian.com - 1934 Dymaxion
Smithsonian’s online magazine featured at story about Buckminster Fuller’s 1934 Dymaxion from the Museum’s collection, which reached an audience of more than three million readers.
smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/buckminster-fuller-was-good-ideas-terrible-car-design-180963983
USA Today – 10 Great Auto Museums Worth a Pit Stop
The list was compiled by Ken Gross, former executive director of the Petersen Automotive Museum, and respected author and automotive enthusiast, who has curated several highly significant auto exhibitions in art museums. Gross reported, “…you can indulge your motorized fantasy at auto museums across the country. They speak to the imagination.”
- Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles, CA
- Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, Auburn, IN
- The Revs Institute, Naples, FL
- The Henry Ford, Dearborn, MI
- America’s Car Museum, Tacoma, WA
- Lane Auto Museum, Nashville, TN
- Museum of American Speed, Lincoln, NB
- National Automobile Museum, Reno, NV
- Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, Philadelphia, PA
- Blackhawk Automotive Museum Danville, CA
usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/10greatplaces/2017/08/11/auto-museums/556458001
BestLife – 10 Cool Car Museums for Cruising Down Memory Lane
This list includes national and international selections. Bestlife reported, “…think of car museums as civics lessons. They’re great ways to spend relaxing downtime on a business trip. Or, as a family destination, it can be a surprisingly clever choice given all the interesting events and activities on offer. The landscape is dotted with dozens of fascinating private and public collections. We’ve listed our top public spots…”
- Cite de l’Automobile Musee National de l’automobile, Collection Schlumpf, Mulhouse, France.
- The LeMay, America’s Car Museum, Tacoma, WA
- Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles, CA
- Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, Somerset, England
- National Automobile Museum, Reno, NV
- National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green, KY
- Audie Museum Mobile, Ingolstadt, Germany
- Blackhawk Museum, Danville, CA
- The Mullin Automotive Museum, Oxnard, CA
- Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, Auburn, IN
bestlifeonline.com/must-see-car-museums
RGJ.com – 10 Ways to Get Your Science on This Summer
RGJ.com reported, “Lessons and classrooms may spring to mind when science is mentioned to children, but there are many area organizations that focus on making the many different physical-world studies a fun and interactive experience for all ages. Here are 10 places to take the kids for some edifying scientific entertainment.”
- Nevada Bugs and Butterflies, Lemmon Valley
- Sierra Nevada Journey Science-Fest, Reno
- National Automobile Museum, Reno, Be the Astronaut exhibit (presented by the Nevada Space Center)
- Children’s Museum of Northern Nevada, Carson City
- Fleischmann Planetarium, UNR, Reno
- Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum, Reno
- M. Keck Earth Science and Mineral Engineering Museum, UNR, Reno
- Sensory Gardens, Reno
- Animal Ark, Reno
- Wilbur D. May Museum, Reno
The Travel Ledger – Best Museum in Reno
Inspiring Travel One Story at a Time, The Travel Ledger was founded to encourage and inspire travel. To provide that extra nudge of inspiration, motivation, encouragement and enthusiasm through impactful and powerful long- and short-form travel stories, videos, photos and more. It listed a series of “bests” in Reno and the National Automobile Museum was selected as the Best Museum.
Highline Autos Magazine
Highline Autos magazine included an eight-page Great Garages article about the Museum, its history and the collection. The article also highlighted six cars from the collection:
- 1907 Thomas Flyer
- 1927 Lincoln Coaching Brougham
- 1937 Airomobile Experimental Sedan
- 1934 Dymaxion Model 2 4-D Transport
- 1936 Mercedes-Benz Type 500K Special Roadster
- 1938 Phantom Corsair Experimental Six-Passenger Coupe
Road & Track – 12 of the Best Automotive Museums in the U.S.
Road & Track has asserted itself as an automotive authority. That’s why we are so honored to have been selected as one of their 12 Best Automotive Museums in the U.S. Road & Track wrote, “Pay a visit to one of these 12 museums. Automotive history doesn’t have to live in private collections. These 12 US museums are some of the best to check out all sorts of beautiful, rare, and interesting cars.”
- The Revs Institute, Naples, FL
- America’s Car Museum, Tacoma, WA
- Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles, CA
- Antique Automobile Club of America Museum, Hershey, PA
- National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green, KY
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame, Indianapolis, IN
- The Henry Ford, Dearborn, MI
- Lane Motor Museum, Nashville, TN
- Lars Anderson Auto Museum, Brookline, MA
- Mullin Automotive Museum, Oxnard, CA
- Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, Philadelphia, PA
- National Automobile Museum, Reno, NV
Food & Wine
One of the top magazines, Food & Wine, included the Museum as one of the key reasons for visiting Reno in an article, 10 Warm, Inexpensive, Amazing Places for Retirees to Visit Right Now. It read,
“Dubbed The Biggest Little City in the World, Reno isn’t exactly toasty this time of year. But with high temperatures around 50 degrees, the weather is moderate compared with many places in the country. Gambling may be the city’s best-known pastime—and the elegant old El Dorado is worth a trip even if you don’t want to tempt your luck—but there are plenty of other ways to pass the time. The National Automobile Museum houses more than 200 vintage cars; general admission is $12 and $10 for seniors 62 and over. The Nevada Art Museum houses thematic collections that highlight land preservation; general admission is $10 and $8 for seniors ages 60-plus. The Truckee River forms the backdrop to the booming Riverwalk District, which hosts a $20 Wine Walk [sic] on the third Saturday of every month.”
Awards
TripSavvy Award

The TripSavvy Editors’ Choice Awards are unlike any other travel honor on the internet. They use a combination of data and real, human vetting to recognize the very best restaurants, hotels, and attractions they cover – all from a pool of 60,000 businesses.
The result: Out of the 60,000, only 1,400 businesses worldwide passed the machine and human test, and our Museum is one of them!
100% Giving Board Award

Every year since 2008 the Community Foundation of Western Nevada has presented 100% Giving Board Awards in recognition of nonprofits which actively encourage their Board members to make a personal financial gift to the organization’s operating fund. The Foundation states, “While time and talent on the board are necessary, board members’ personal financial contribution to the nonprofits they serve is crucial.”
Each organization receives a certificate with a star for each year they’ve received the award. The Museum’s certificate features nine stars, indicating the Board has earned this award every year since it was introduced.
The Foundation sends the list of awarded organizations to donors, fund holders, community leaders, and other grant-making bodies in our area to make sure anyone and everyone knows these organizations and Board members are working together for our community and personally demonstrate their belief in the work being done.
Congratulations was offered by the Foundation to all 2018 Giving Board members who support their chosen cause and the mission of their organizations by making an annual gift. “You understand your role as a board member, and you are commended for your commitment,” said the Foundation.
NAAMY Award of Excellence

History Symposium Wins First Place
The Museum’s 2017 History Symposium won a First Place NAAMY Award of Excellence in Education in the recent annual competition of the National Association of Automobile Museums. The IRS granted the Museum’s nonprofit status as a 501(c)(3) corporation solely for educational purposes, which makes this award especially meaningful.
In addition, the 2017 History Symposium, The 1970s: Activism – Voices for Change, was funded by a prestigious grant from Nevada Humanities and was approved by the Nevada Department of Education for teachers to receive in-service credit. Other donors included the 20th Century Automotive Endowment Fund, Washoe County School District and the Museum’s Volunteers.
The program featured national and local authors, historians, experts and a living history performer, who wowed a public audience that included 68 teachers in our 157-seat theatre that was packed to capacity.
Golden Quill Award from Old Cars Weekly
Judging is based on page count, publication format, use of color and visuals, quality of writing and photographs, creativity and balance of articles. Frady is editor and primary contributing writer and Bob Cinkel is the graphic designer, a part-time position funded by a grant from Ranson and Norma Webster Foundation Fund at the Community Foundation of Western Nevada.
Recognition
Trip Advisor
10 Best Museums in Reno
2017/2018: 10 Best Museums in Reno, with the National Automobile Museum as number one.
tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g45992-Activities-c49-Reno_Nevada
LA Times
Your Ultimate Guide to Planning the Best Summer Road Trip
June 2017: In an LA Times article, Chris Erskine recommended a “sampling of some of the world-class museums and car shows available to travelers in the West. Some are so significant, and well located, that they can be destinations all their own.” The article included seven entries of museums and car shows in California, and one recommendation in Nevada, the National Automobile Museum.
California and a Stop in Reno…
- Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles
- Bob’s Big Boy Weekly Car Show, Burbank
- Nethercutt Museum, Sylmar
- Automobile Driving Museum, El Segundo
- Mullin Automotive Museum, Oxnard
- San Diego Automotive Museum, San Diego
- Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Pebble Beach
- National Automobile Museum, Reno, NV
latimes.com/travel/deals/la-tr-road-trips-car-museums-20170609-story
Galeriemagazine.com
10 Best Car Museum
May 2017: The 10 Best Car Museums in the U.S. were featured at www.galeriemagazine.com in May 2017. It reported that “Respected author and automotive enthusiast Ken Gross, who’s been a judge at the esteemed Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance for a quarter century, divulges his list of must-see automobile museums across America.”
- Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles, CA
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum, Indianapolis, IN
- Mullin Automotive Museum, Oxnard, CA
- The Revs Institute, Naples, FL
- National Automobile Museum, Reno, NV
- Nethercutt Collection, Sylmar, CA
- Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, Auburn, IN
- Blackhawk Automotive Museum, Danville, CA
- The Henry Ford, Dearborn, MI
- Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, Pomona, CA
galeriemagazine.com/the-10-best-car-museums-in-the-u-s
Smithsonian.com
1934 Dymaxion
July 2017: Smithsonian’s online magazine featured at story about Buckminster Fuller’s 1934 Dymaxion from the Museum’s collection, which reached an audience of more than three million readers.
smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/buckminster-fuller-was-good-ideas-terrible-car-design-180963983
USA Today
10 Great Auto Museums Worth a Pit Stop
August 2017: The list was compiled by Ken Gross, former executive director of the Petersen Automotive Museum, and respected author and automotive enthusiast, who has curated several highly significant auto exhibitions in art museums. Gross reported, “…you can indulge your motorized fantasy at auto museums across the country. They speak to the imagination.”
- Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles, CA
- Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, Auburn, IN
- The Revs Institute, Naples, FL
- The Henry Ford, Dearborn, MI
- America’s Car Museum, Tacoma, WA
- Lane Auto Museum, Nashville, TN
- Museum of American Speed, Lincoln, NB
- National Automobile Museum, Reno, NV
- Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, Philadelphia, PA
- Blackhawk Automotive Museum Danville, CA
usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/10greatplaces/2017/08/11/auto-museums/556458001
BestLife
10 Cool Car Museums for Cruising Down Memory Lane
August 2017: This list includes national and international selections. Bestlife reported, “…think of car museums as civics lessons. They’re great ways to spend relaxing downtime on a business trip. Or, as a family destination, it can be a surprisingly clever choice given all the interesting events and activities on offer. The landscape is dotted with dozens of fascinating private and public collections. We’ve listed our top public spots…”
- Cite de l’Automobile Musee National de l’automobile, Collection Schlumpf, Mulhouse, France.
- The LeMay, America’s Car Museum, Tacoma, WA
- Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles, CA
- Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, Somerset, England
- National Automobile Museum, Reno, NV
- National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green, KY
- Audie Museum Mobile, Ingolstadt, Germany
- Blackhawk Museum, Danville, CA
- The Mullin Automotive Museum, Oxnard, CA
- Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, Auburn, IN
bestlifeonline.com/must-see-car-museums
RGJ.com
10 Ways to Get Your Science on This Summer
August 2017: RGJ.com reported, “Lessons and classrooms may spring to mind when science is mentioned to children, but there are many area organizations that focus on making the many different physical-world studies a fun and interactive experience for all ages. Here are 10 places to take the kids for some edifying scientific entertainment.”
- Nevada Bugs and Butterflies, Lemmon Valley
- Sierra Nevada Journey Science-Fest, Reno
- National Automobile Museum, Reno, Be the Astronaut exhibit (presented by the Nevada Space Center)
- Children’s Museum of Northern Nevada, Carson City
- Fleischmann Planetarium, UNR, Reno
- Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum, Reno
- M. Keck Earth Science and Mineral Engineering Museum, UNR, Reno
- Sensory Gardens, Reno
- Animal Ark, Reno
- Wilbur D. May Museum, Reno
The Travel Ledger
Best Museum in Reno
2017: Inspiring Travel One Story at a Time, The Travel Ledger was founded to encourage and inspire travel. To provide that extra nudge of inspiration, motivation, encouragement and enthusiasm through impactful and powerful long- and short-form travel stories, videos, photos and more. It listed a series of “bests” in Reno and the National Automobile Museum was selected as the Best Museum.
Highline Autos Magazine
- 1907 Thomas Flyer
- 1927 Lincoln Coaching Brougham
- 1937 Airomobile Experimental Sedan
- 1934 Dymaxion Model 2 4-D Transport
- 1936 Mercedes-Benz Type 500K Special Roadster
- 1938 Phantom Corsair Experimental Six-Passenger Coupe
Road & Track
12 of the Best Automotive Museums in the U.S.
January 2, 2018: Road & Track has asserted itself as an automotive authority. That’s why we are so honored to have been selected as one of their 12 Best Automotive Museums in the U.S. Road & Track wrote, “Pay a visit to one of these 12 museums. Automotive history doesn’t have to live in private collections. These 12 US museums are some of the best to check out all sorts of beautiful, rare, and interesting cars.”
- The Revs Institute, Naples, FL
- America’s Car Museum, Tacoma, WA
- Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles, CA
- Antique Automobile Club of America Museum, Hershey, PA
- National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green, KY
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame, Indianapolis, IN
- The Henry Ford, Dearborn, MI
- Lane Motor Museum, Nashville, TN
- Lars Anderson Auto Museum, Brookline, MA
- Mullin Automotive Museum, Oxnard, CA
- Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, Philadelphia, PA
- National Automobile Museum, Reno, NV
Food & Wine
“Dubbed The Biggest Little City in the World, Reno isn’t exactly toasty this time of year. But with high temperatures around 50 degrees, the weather is moderate compared with many places in the country. Gambling may be the city’s best-known pastime—and the elegant old El Dorado is worth a trip even if you don’t want to tempt your luck—but there are plenty of other ways to pass the time. The National Automobile Museum houses more than 200 vintage cars; general admission is $12 and $10 for seniors 62 and over. The Nevada Art Museum houses thematic collections that highlight land preservation; general admission is $10 and $8 for seniors ages 60-plus. The Truckee River forms the backdrop to the booming Riverwalk District, which hosts a $20 Wine Walk [sic] on the third Saturday of every month.”
Awards
TripSavvy Award

The TripSavvy Editors’ Choice Awards are unlike any other travel honor on the internet. They use a combination of data and real, human vetting to recognize the very best restaurants, hotels, and attractions they cover – all from a pool of 60,000 businesses.
The result: Out of the 60,000, only 1,400 businesses worldwide passed the machine and human test, and our Museum is one of them!
100% Giving Board Award

Every year since 2008 the Community Foundation of Western Nevada has presented 100% Giving Board Awards in recognition of nonprofits which actively encourage their Board members to make a personal financial gift to the organization’s operating fund. The Foundation states, “While time and talent on the board are necessary, board members’ personal financial contribution to the nonprofits they serve is crucial.”
Each organization receives a certificate with a star for each year they’ve received the award. The Museum’s certificate features nine stars, indicating the Board has earned this award every year since it was introduced.
The Foundation sends the list of awarded organizations to donors, fund holders, community leaders, and other grant-making bodies in our area to make sure anyone and everyone knows these organizations and Board members are working together for our community and personally demonstrate their belief in the work being done.
Congratulations was offered by the Foundation to all 2018 Giving Board members who support their chosen cause and the mission of their organizations by making an annual gift. “You understand your role as a board member, and you are commended for your commitment,” said the Foundation.
NAAMY Award of Excellence

History Symposium Wins First Place
The Museum’s 2017 History Symposium won a First Place NAAMY Award of Excellence in Education in the recent annual competition of the National Association of Automobile Museums. The IRS granted the Museum’s nonprofit status as a 501(c)(3) corporation solely for educational purposes, which makes this award especially meaningful.
In addition, the 2017 History Symposium, The 1970s: Activism – Voices for Change, was funded by a prestigious grant from Nevada Humanities and was approved by the Nevada Department of Education for teachers to receive in-service credit. Other donors included the 20th Century Automotive Endowment Fund, Washoe County School District and the Museum’s Volunteers.
The program featured national and local authors, historians, experts and a living history performer, who wowed a public audience that included 68 teachers in our 157-seat theatre that was packed to capacity.
Golden Quill Award
Golden Quill Award from Old Cars Weekly
In December 2017, once again, the Museum was awarded a Golden Quill Award by Old Car Weekly magazine, this time for the Museum’s 2016 Precious Metal magazine series.
Judging is based on page count, publication format, use of color and visuals, quality of writing and photographs, creativity and balance of articles. Frady is editor and primary contributing writer and Bob Cinkel is the graphic designer, a part-time position funded by a grant from Ranson and Norma Webster Foundation Fund at the Community Foundation of Western Nevada.