Snook's Dream Cars
Culture: Short Feature
Snook’s Dream Cars museum, located on Home Rd. near the intersection of I-75 and Route 6, is a place that's all about experiencing the past. At any given time, dozens of classic cars are on display, and visitors can stroll through authentic recreations of a general store from the 1930’s, downtown Bowling Green in the 1940’s, a diner from the 1950’s, or a raceway from the 1960’s. The museum itself is housed in a rebuilt 1940’s era Texaco gas station.
It all started in 1963, when Bill Snook and his son Jeff restored a 1929 Ford Model A that Jeff then drove when he turned 16. As the father and son’s interest grew, so did their collection of classic cars and automobile memorabilia. Bill preferred to collect American classics, while Jeff focused more on the faster British cars.
Eventually, the two realized that their growing collection required more storage - the need for which evolved into their idea for the museum. To share the collection with the public was a dream come true for the father and son team. With a grand total of more than 40 automobiles, their array of cars includes models from Ford, Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Jaguar, Packard, Lotus, and others. The showroom has about 25 to 30 cars on display at a time, and vehicles are rotated regularly to keep things fresh for returning visitors.
Yet there’s still more to see, such as the military section that exhibits classic military vehicles, soldier equipment, and paraphernalia.
Visitors also can peruse a collection of antique car ornaments, old oil cans and other various authentic artifacts and documents on display throughout the exhibits. Children may find especially interesting the old backseat games, antique petal cars, and the coin-operated entertainment such as pinball machines and miniature Model-T rides.
The museum maintains a 6,000 square foot garage and shop area. The clean and air conditioned facility provides proper care for the cars not on display, along with a working area to keep all of the vehicles tuned and ready to drive. (Every car is expected to run whenever the owners may want to take one for a drive!) The storage and shop facilities are also available for use by other classic car owners.
The museum is also open for hosting private events. Class reunions and wedding receptions have been quite popular at the museum. The tables and food are set up throughout the museum space, in and around the cars on display. The banquet gives friends and relatives a place to talk and tell stories about the cars they used to drive.
Inside and out, Snook’s Dream Cars is about being able to step back in time with friends and family. History comes to life through the cars, jukeboxes, hood ornaments, and the myriad stories represented in the many displays.