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The Best Place to Have Your Next Event

Antique Pocket Knife Collection

The Tallahassee Automobile Museum features the largest private Case Knife collection in the world.

Our vast array of pocket knives is an incredible example of the evolution of the pocket knife through time and truly demonstrates American innovation through manufacturing and process design.

If you like knives, more than likely you will never see another collection like it!

The Museum also houses a Case Knife store. We have a very large and varied selection available for purchase –over 2,000 to choose from!

Case Knives make excellent gifts. Visit us today to view our inventory!

Rare Steinway Pianos

The Tallahassee Automobile Museum is also home to a collection of eight rare Steinway Pianos.

Steinway tells us this is the finest private collection in the world!

One of the favorites is this Whitehouse “Gold” Piano. One of the most famous and ornate instruments created by Steinway & Sons, the first White House piano (serial no. 100,000) is the third instrument to be reproduced as part of the Legendary Collection –one-of-a-kind re-creations of the most historically significant Steinway pianos.

The magnificent painted lid was originally created by Thomas Wilmer Dewing, and was exhibited as a painting before completing the piano at the White House in 1903. Paintings of 13 state seals and acanthus scroll encircle the case of this gilded instrument.

Another favorite is the Alma-Tadema Steinway. Commissioned in 1884, the highly acclaimed artist Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema designed an instrument so creative and finely crafted, it is considered the “grandest grand piano of all time.” True to the original, this magnificent re-creation captures the glorious elegance of the Victorian Era and introduced the new Legendary Collection honoring the history of the Steinway art case piano. Adorned with 2, 200 inlay of mother-of-pearl, the piano features an exquisitely hand-carved case, top lid and legs. Above the keyboard is an elaborate rendering of Sir Edward J. Poynter’s classic oil painting, The Wandering Minstrels.

The Alma-Tadema re-creation took more than 20 months to complete and was one of the most elaborate and expensive projects ever undertaken by Steinway & Sons. The original Alma-Tadema art case sold at Christie’s in 1997 for $1.2 million, the greatest amount paid for an art case piano to date.

On occasion, our pianos have been known to travel. In 2017, five of our precious instruments traveled across town to Florida State University for an epic concert with The Five Browns. Read about this once-in-a-lifetime concert performance HERE.

President Lincoln’s Hearse

Come see the actual hearse that transported one of the country’s most famous presidents in person!

Tallahassee Automobile Museum’s Firsts

First-Of-Their-Kind Items at the Museum!

1857 Smith & Wesson No. 1 – First Issue – First spring loaded barrel catch revolver.

A one of a kind 1900 Snell gas combustion automobile.

1903 Oldsmobile Surrey – First automobile with the “Oldsmobile” emblem.

1971 Chevrolet Nova – 1st year for the GM Corporate mandate requiring all engines to feature lowered compression ratios to enable the use of unleaded gasoline

1972 Buick Skylark GS Sun Coupe – 1st and only year of the fabled Sun Coupe edition

1961 Chrysler Imperial Crown – 1st year the Imperial was the longest (227.3 inches) American production non-limo car

1960-1969 Chevrolet Corvair was the “First” Unibody chassis made by Fisher Body Corporation. Pictured below is our very own 1965 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa.

The Tallahassee Automobile Museum has another first. The Duo-Art Player Piano was a new invention in the early 1900’s.

1905 Dial Cash Register – First cash register to have a dial for design going back to the mid-1880’s.

1907 Waterman Outboard Motor – First American production outboard motor.

1931 Duesenberg Model J – First automobile to be rated over 200hp

1948 Tucker – First automobile to have a padded dash and pop-out windshield.

1951 Whizzer Sportsman Deluxe – First and only year a Bi-Matic transmission was offered.

1954 Kaiser-Darrin – First American automobile with fiberglass body (First showing preceded 1953 Chevrolet Corvette!).

1969 Studebaker Avanti – First American car to have Bendix front disc brakes.

1969 Rokon MK3 Trail-Breaker – First motorcycle to have a disc brake.

1970 Chevrolet Chevelle – First year Chevrolet offered the 454ci engine as an option.

1992 Dodge Viper – First Viper sold to the public.

1997 Plymouth Prowler – First Prowler sold to the public.

1890 NCR Model 3 National Cash Register Company – First modern American company to introduce a sales training school and a comprehensive social welfare program for factory workers.

1936 Cord 810 Phaeton Sedan – First automobile to have hide-away headlights. Also, first successful front-wheel drive production automobile.

1939 Ford Custom Roadster – First and only Ford Custom Roadster – Built in England for Henry Ford’s Grandson William Clay Ford’s 15th Birthday

2010 Camaro/Trans Am – First Camaro/Trans Am sold to the public.

1937 Bendix Outboard Motor – First American all-aluminum construction outboard.

Batmobile and Batman Memorabilia

The Tallahassee Automobile Museum is home to a large collection of authentic Batmobile’s from the Hollywood movies.

This incredible collection features the actual Batmobiles used on set in the movies Batman Forever and Batman Returns. The collection also includes a replica of the Batmobile from the original television series, the Penguin’s Duck Vehicle from Batman Returns, a Bat-Boat, and an array of other Batman movie props.

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