Northeast Classic Car Museum

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by: Tyler Murphy

Tucked into a quaint corner of our community is an unexpected gem that garners nation-wide attention.

The Northeast Classic Car Museum on Rexford Street in Norwich houses one of the most renowned automotive collections in the country, and celebrated it milestone 10-year anniversary in 2007.

“We have people come from all over the world. Many of them tell us we have the best collection they’ve seen. I’d be willing to put up our collection up against anybody elses,” said Kay Wells Zaia, who has served as the museum’s executive director for the last seven years.

The car museum opened in 1997 and started in a single building with only 55 cars. The current layout of the museum boasts three buildings and holds over 120 cars and seven exhibits, plus another 45 cars in storage.

In addition to the automotive collection, there is an antique set of old plane engines. Many of the pieces date back to World War II, but the museum also has a World War I engine. “That is a difficult thing to find,” said Zaia.

The museum welcomes well over 10,000 visitors annually. The organization is maintained by over 100 volunteers and three paid staff.

One volunteer, Gary Gray, has acted as the museum tour guide for the last four years. Four days a week, Gray comes in to greet visitors. “It’s not work. I love doing it. I get to spend the day talking about history and cars with people who are as interested as I am. That doesn’t sound too much like work now, does it?” laughed Gray.

An even more venerable volunteer at the site is Al Dennison, age 94. Dennison comes to the museum nearly every week and sits at the front entrance, greeting visitors and handing out pamphlets or pins. He said he enjoys the cars and likes having the company of the customers.

The museum is open seven days a week, all year round, except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Each day the hours run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Some of the more popular treasures in the trove include a 1916 Studebaker, 1909 Victor, 1931 Packard and a 1936 Pierce Arrow. Members can access the museum at their leisure by paying an annual fee of $25. An entire family can pay for an annual of $40 for unlimited access. A single visit for an adult costs $9; students between the ages of 6 and 18 pay $4 and children under 5 get in for free. The museum is also handicapped accessible.

“The thing is people are always impressed when they come in. They’re surprised to find us here in Norwich and it always makes me smile a little,” said Gray.

Many of the displays are accompanied by mannequins and other props representing their respective eras. Most of the props were provided by the Chenango County Historical Society Museum. The museum has rotated-in different cars each year celebrating the vehicles 50th anniversary. In 2006 it was the class of 1956, and so on. However, explained Zaia, 2008 will not see the class of 1958. “We haven’t really decided on what we are going to do this year, but it will be something just as remarkable,” said Zaia.

One of the most enjoyable nights of the year says Zaia is the museum’s Casino Night fundraiser. The night allows contributors to have a night of gambling by purchasing fake money. At the end of the night that money is then used in an auction. Another large attraction for the Museum is their annual raffle of a 1960s Mustang, estimated to be worth around $20,000. The raffle runs from May to September, and the actual drawing takes place on Colorscape weekend.

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