Cruising Through LeMay Car Museum

When it comes to the LeMay Car Museum, have you asked yourself these questions…

I wonder if my kid is old enough for the LeMay Car Museum?
I am not much of a fan of cars. Will I like the LeMay Car Museum?
Is it worth a visit to the LeMay Car Museum?
What is inside the LeMay Car Museum besides just cars?

I sure did. I don't know why I was so unsure about it. I worried my toddler would want to touch all the cars, and some museum employee would come up to me and say, "excuse me, ma'am, your child is touching everything; you need to leave. We'll escort you out."

Then one blustery day, while my in-laws were visiting, we didn't know what to do with the poor weather, so we just went for it. If we didn't like it, eh, no big deal. And guess what: we all loved it!! This visit was back in 2019 when my oldest son was just about four years old, and my younger son was one year old.

After that visit, my older son frequently asked if we could return to the car place. And we did, but not until late 2021. The pandemic happened, so it took a while for us to get back. My older son was five on the second visit, and my younger son was three.

Ages

The youngest child I've taken to the museum was a recently turned three-year-old. And he did great! I imagine it will depend on your child's temperament, but given my experience, I think somewhere around 2-1/2 years and up would be fine for the museum. Also, babies would be okay because they sit in the stroller and go where you take them (I make babies sound easy, ha! But we all know they are not).

Honestly, I avoided my kids during the "I won't sit in the stroller, but I run away and don't listen" slash "I touch everything" phase. Generally, that seems to run from roughly 16 months until two years old (yes, they still don't listen, but they're a bit better…right?).

Parents and grandparents will all enjoy it as well. Strollers and wheelchairs will all be just fine here, too.

Length of Time

We spent about an hour and a half at the museum. I am sure you could spend more if you're interested in cars, but we felt this was a reasonable amount of time for us "averagely interested in car' folks.

Also, the length of time between visits? They do change out some of the exhibits, but I think you could safely go once a year and feel like you'll still enjoy it. Unless you're a car fanatic.

Location & Parking

Address: 2702 East D Street, Tacoma, WA 98421

It's not the Tacoma Dome, but it is dome-shaped in a way, and it's very close to the Tacoma Dome.

The parking is by the front of the museum and has metered parking. You can get away with the $5 for three-hour option, but it's $10 for six hours if you're having a blast. Oh, be watch for events at the Tacoma Dome that might impact parking.

Of note: We ate lunch at Camp Colvos for pizza after our visit, which wasn't too far away. Yum!

The Museum Experience

There are four levels of the museum, all with lots of cars. The first floor, or the entry-level, is the store and then a featured exhibit. Then you go down ramps to see the various floors. There are old cars and new cars, service vehicles, army cars, motorcycles, and even Flintstone's cars. The "ramps" downward have vehicles along the sides, so it doesn't get boring.

One of the floors is "Lucky's Garage" and is inspired by the museum's founder, Harold E. LeMay's collection. He had the largest privately owned collection of cars in the world at one point, which earned him a spot in the 1997 Guinness Book of World Records.

You'll see a British cars, Route 66, and more collections as you move along. All in all, a great variety of cars!

What will the kids enjoy?

Plenty! There are so many cool cars, and the variety is fascinating! But, mostly, they'll love the kids' section, aka "family zone," with many hands-on activities for everyone. There is a big ramp for you to send your self-built car down. You can add weights onto the car to see what makes it go fastest down the ramp. Also, there is a US map with train/car tracks. Then there are two cars to pretend to drive. Lastly, a simple car frame with exposed to help demonstrate how a car works!

You'll also find the "speed zone" where the kids can operate the slot cars. Or, let them watch you on the CXC racing simulator. These are extra from the main entrance ticket, but I think the slot cars were worth it. The boys loved this activity, and it was easy enough for them to use (I helped my younger son, but he thought it was doing it on his own, wink wink).

Pre-covid, they have family photo opportunities in a car (possibly it will return at some point). There is also a little theater, but we didn't sit long enough to watch much.

Will we return? Have you been?

We will definitely revisit the museum. It's great to take visiting family and friends, especially in the winter season. But it can just be an "on a whim" adventure. Have you been? Share your experiences in the comments!