Reviews of Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum (Museum)

Rich Rauth

This place is awesome. Hundreds of vintage sports and racing cars to see. Plenty of parking in an industrial area of the airport.

David Graves

Even if you're not a car buff, this place is worth the visit. The cars here are just beautiful works of art

Eric Mason

Great place with many rare cars

Blue Pants

Cool place... sports car museum. Nice bunch of volunteers to chat with

Joseph Simonini

Amazing collection of vehicles.

Roni Mocan

Even my wife loved it...

saint r

I have not visited the amazing museum .. i will make it one day :) I would like Mr Simeone to hire a video team to make short videos when they take the various models on the road/track. What an amazing collection!!!!!!! Thank you for having a very very special automotive museum to show everyone around the world !!!!! Priceless

Christian Herrera

This place is a Gem! Decided to take my mom here as part of a day trip for her Bday. My brothers were very skeptical that she would like it. Well... seems like she enjoyed more than anyone!! Very impressive collection of cars. Lots of info to learn.

Jack Long

This is possibly the finest collection of historic sports racing cars in the world. The museum is not to be missed, but best of all are the Demonstration Days the last Saturday of each month when several cars are taken out of the museum (weather permitting) and run in the large parking lot to the rear of the building. Every month is a different theme, like LeMans winners, or pre-World War I race cars. Seeing and hearing these rare cars is a treat for any gear head or fan of automotive history.

Albert Scalla

Rare racing automobiles of long ago

Michael Rosen

This car museum specializes in rare race cars from the teens to the 70s. Each car is a work of art. The museum displays the automobiles with descriptive plaques for each, videos in various sections, and a free mobile phone app with additional written descriptions and audio mini-lectures. You can get a feel for the place by downloading the app in advance of a visit; it's available for Android and iPhone. There is free parking on site. Adult admission is $12. Child, Senior, and Military discounts are available. The museum hosts a variety of special events and programs throughout the year. The museum can be rented for private events.

Kristina Smith

Amazing demos of the cars, beautifully displayed, warm and knowledgeable staff

PNAM

Classic race cars...YES.

Sarah Monheim

What a unique place. Great venue for Father's Day. Enjoy the museum displays, and come back for demo days.

Brian Anshen

A true hidden gem to say the least. This world-class museum is the most amazing I have ever seen. Their cars are some of the rarest and most sought-after in the world. Ford GT40, Aston Martin DBR1, Shelby Cobra Daytona, Ferrari 250, Porsche 917, Mercedes 300SL, Jaguar D-Type, and the Hudson Hornet all under one roof is just the start. Any fan of vintage sportscar racing will feel right at home. The only bad thing about Simeone is the dim lighting in the exhibits.

Jose Rodriguez

Liked the cars but a small museum

Louis Hansell

Fantastic automotive museum

Treva Pletscher

Attended a Bar Mitzvah here, great venue. Very unique.

Rodolfo Bryson

The selection of cars in their collection is unreal. They graciously host all types of car shows and events. This is a must see!

Nathan Lammers

Great mesuem. They have some very expensive cars. They also have some very rare cars that I doubt you will see anywhere else

Robert Terwilliger

Hands down best museum in philly!

natasha green

Beautiful space and amazing cars

Victor Li

Greatest collection ever, one of one Bugatti type 57G Tank, Ferrari 250GTO etc

Brandon Newberry

Awesome place to view and get a quick overview of many different historical race cars.

Tung To

Beautiful vintage cars! A hidden gem in Philadelphia.

Charles Deal

Fantastic car collection- one of a kind!! A must see

Taisha Brown

This place is so awesome...this is the biggest place I want to get married here

Steve Smalley

The perfect treat for an automotive history lesson. A great building full of automotive candy for the eyes!

Tony Olecki

Great car museum.

JoeyMac215 SWP

This place is awesome. I didn't even know this was here before they put signs out on the street, I lived in southwest & now their is finally something to go do with all the events they have. Very nice place the cars are amazing if you're into cars.

Paul Nicholasen

Spectacular collection of rare and super significant sports racing cars, and on "Demo Days" they chose several cars from the collection based on the day's theme and run them out back.

Christopher Conrad

Amazing hidden treasure. go during one of the Demo Days to see, hear and experience the cars up close.

Kyle Cochran

Great museum, amazing range of historic vehicles, and they have demonstrations about 2 times a month on Saturdays. That’s what I go for, but there’s far more.

Jonathan Lamoreaux

I loved the museum. The went for the NNL Philly model car show and sale. The museum was having a demonstration day program and pulled two cars out of the building to allow everyone to see them run and get up close. The cars were a GT40 Mark 2 and a GT40 Mark 4 and the unmuffled sound of 427 Ford motors from the 60's is great. The car collection is large enough to spend time with, but not so big you can't get it all in. It is a raceing sports car museum so you won't find a bunch of Model T's. No this is much cooler.

Todd Higgins

Fun time and worth every penny.

Dan Mills

What a cool place to go to. Some of the coolest cars you will find in the area outside of the Philadelphia Auto Show which is only in town once a year where that this place is open all year old long. Be sure to bring your camera and plenty of time to be able for the Full Experience. I was told there is a Ferrari here worth more than 2.5 million dollars. If you want to see some of the greatest cars of History this location has to be on your must go to list. They even have one of my favorites a 90s fairlady Z unmolested.

david neufer

Great visit. Happened to be there on a day when selected vehicles were discussed and driven by the staff and even Dr Simeone himself. A terrific collection of racecars. A fascinating place to see if you're into cars.

Will Hough

Great staff! Amazing time with my son! Awesome!!!

Darryl Northington

The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum houses a collection of some of the rarest cars in the world. They are predominantly Sports Racing Cars which essentially means they were, or closely resembled cars that could be legally driven on public roads, and with few or no modifications, could be driven in competition. Several of the non-racing automobiles on display were of the highest quality and had sporting natures by virtue of their designs or inovations. I am of the opinion that automobiles are reflections of the world conditions at the time of their manufacture -- aesthetically, technologically, functionality, and costs. Many rivalries played out on racing circuits as well as on the showroom floor for manufacturers like Alfa-Romeo, Bentley, Bugatti, and Mercedes - Benz; Jaguar, Aston - Martin, and Ferrari; Ford and Porsche, and speaking of cost, the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum offers one of the best entertainment and educational values available anywhere, especially on "Demonstration Days." Visit the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia, where "The Spirit of Competition" thrives!

Rob Ferretti

Great collection of classic racing vehicles. A true time capsule, totally worth the visit.

Elie Z.

Extremely friendly and welcoming staff. Their passion is obvious. The cars they house and host are some of the most fascinating I've seen in person.

Jeff Ventura

Huge inside display with themed backdrops,and very old classic racing cars from all eras.Early 1900's onward.Very cool

Craig Cohen

Amazing automotive history and it all runs

MPistol HVBullets

Would highly recommend this place. Looking forward to a return visit

Spencer Taylor

An amazing adventure for any sports car fan or anyone who appreciates the beauty of racing and design.

Jason Weekes

Great history here. You can learn alot.

Matt Snyder

Can run through quickly or take your time. Very easy going and informative. Would love to come for a demo day. Will defanitly come back!

Sam Noerpel

Such a super cool place to go! Even if you casually like cars, it is very interesting to check out! They have so much automotive history here, we easily spent an hour inside. I would go back again tomorrow if I could.

Chris soto

Awesome museum a must see

RanGordon

Must see for the true car enthusiast! Many ORIGINAL cars on display from classic race cars to Daytona vehicles. Neat interactive fame for kids to enjoy. Lots of stunning excellent condition collectibles.

Bruce Segal

This is on my Philly Insider Tour. It's a local gem for kids who love cars, and their kids. Oops I mean grown up kids and little kids from age 5 and up. The museum has a large collection of Hudson Hornets and boat tailed cars. You can get up close, see the interiors, and take great pictures.

Michael Tran

Hidden Gem for those into antique race cars. Very educational and cool.

Wayne's Garage

The place is awesome. Vehicles that u won't see on street. Over 6 million worth of collectable cars

Peter Babel

Excellent experience. Don't expect half a day kind of tour and you'll be fine. Only true car lovers could do that here. It's an amazing, historically important private collection of sweet rides from early 20th century to today. A lot to look at and be amazed by. Come on demo days and see the cars run as they are all in great shape to do so.

Anita Woods

Hidden gem! The vintage cars are amazing. Wonderful event venue. Catering outstanding!

Stanley Tam

Awesome Museum!! what else can I say.

Roberto Castillo

A car's lover dream, thank you Dr Simeone for sharing your passion with the world. It was my first time visiting, but definitely won't be the last. I only have one suggestion, please get more lighting so one could see all the details in your beautiful collection of cars.

Brian Sheldon

A automotive enthusiasts dream! So much to see and learn on any given day.

Norma Scock

Awesome collection of vintage autos!

Gordon H

The most amazing sports car museum! Here is what is coming up.

Mark Hinkel

One of the finest displays of the coolest, most important competition cars in the world. A must for any auto enthusiast.

Larry Kirkpatrick

Memorable. I was expecting a bigger place, but the quality of cars made it a great experience. We came from Michigan, so I envisioned something along the lines of The Henry Ford or the Gilmore. But this is very very good. Cars we have never seen before. However, they could use some AC. It got extremely warm in the building.

Heather Hay

Cool variety of cars. Fact "sheets" short and to the point. Walked around, read about half of the postings, and took a lot of pictures in about an hour. Nice people and go at your own pace.

John Hunter

Amazing selection of rare and valuable cars. A must-see for car nuts. Good time period settings for the cars on display.

Alexandrea Kensinger

Great museum. Many different cars. We especially love that they added background scenery to the displays. Clean and well maintained.

Nicholas Sannuti

Great Collection!

Joshua Cohen

I don't know how I could have gone my whole life and never visit this place, I'll be sure to come back soon and see some truly world class pieces :)

Alexander Roszko

I met Dr. Simeone a few years ago after my wife interviewed him for work. He knows more about the cars in his collection than you do I can assure you. So much fun and history. Do yourself a favor and go.

Edward Sicinski III

If you're a fan of old antique race cars and old cars in general then this place is pretty cool. All of the cars in the museum actually run. They have events, special race events where they bring the cars out they fire them up, they drive them around you get to see automotive history.

CarExclusive

Awesome spot great cars and history please come visit also they do alot of car events!

Sarah Anello

Love this place. Free parking and great exhibit.

Tony Santana

Great place

wnoswar

Fantastic, fantastic collection of amazing cars, a must-see for all in Philadelphia!!

Peter Griffith

Need 11 stars for this collection!!

Derek B Sheldon

Great collection of historic cars. Great for a rainy day.

Gregory Funk

Easy to find. Some very nice historic vehicles. A little expensive.

Kevin Roldan

Awesome collection of classic racing cars. Definitely worth going to see

Greg Harris

A great place to get an education about vintage race cars. Many unique and famous cars on display. Scheduled events are well done. No snobs here.

Stephanie McKeown

Has a lot of old fashion cars

Rojyar Ghavami

Great collection

Agent 74

Beautiful

Alvin Ho

This is a place any petrol head should go to! This is the first time I was able to see a GT40, a Shelby Daytona coupe and a Porsche 917 all under the same roof! Although one shortcoming is that they really don't do Japanese cars, which is something I wish they would fix in the future. The day I went, Bonham's was doing an auction there so there were other cars there in various states of repair being sold.

John Thompson

Wow! What an awesome place. I would recommend if you go to look up when their next demo day is. Nearly all of the cars in the museum are in running order as evidenced by their demo days. It is quite an amazing collection of historic cars. Not just historic in that it was a car that was made in low numbers. But the cars here have individual acclaim. Upon walking in they were moving their Porsche 917 into place for the days events. Just hearing the engine and the smell of race fuel and oil were enough to get me excited. My son and I had some time to browse before the first event of the day. A Scrutineering session. They detailed the engineering feats of each of the cars on their demo day agenda in wonderful detail. Next was the equally interesting history talk. Then moved the cars to the demo area. Was really cool to see historic Le Mans cars driving around albeit in a pretty small area. My only complaint is it was really hard for my son to see. Unfortunately old men with cameras don’t have any manners. Overall it was a wonderful time and we will be making the trek from Baltimore again soon. Thank you for the great time.

Steve Mccarty

What a collection of beautiful cars. And very nicely displayed. Love it.

Tom Sweeney

My first demo day it was awesome!

Ian Tomlinson

Awsome visit highly recommend a visit if in the area !!! Take a trip back in time !!!!

Keith Hickam

Initiate look at important, historic race cars. Not many road cars, though there are a few. Lots of historic Alfa Romeo though- a must see for an Alfisti I would think. Seemed s.bit out of the way (in a mixed industrial/automotive sales/salvage yard area. Not too expensive.

Karl Slingsby

Amazing collection of cars. When you think museum quality one of a kind stuff this is it.

Seth Brown

Amazing collection and very well set up

Erin Guard

Went here with my 12-year-old son today. Why are you guys keeping yourselves a secret?? I'm not a car racing enthusiast, but I've worked in Southwest Philly for 11 years and didn't know you were here! We had a good time learning about the cars and deciding which were our favorites. I suggest considering interactive exhibits to attract more families with young children and field trips. I also agree with the person who said upgraded lighting would help visitors enjoy the beautiful cars. Thank you for giving us a fun and unique outing!

Tony du Preez

awesome collection - thanks for allowing us to share!

Kenny

Great collection of Europen race cars

Kevin Wallace

Best car museum I've ever been to anywhere in the world. The cars are actually driven, get on the email list for a schedule of which cars and when, you will not be disappointed.

Contessa Davis

I love this place and the cars, it is not well know but worth the trip.

Kat

Many different types of race cars from the last 100 years.

Gene lefevre

Probably the cool car museum in the country. The history of sport racing.

Soap Lady

Cats used to be beautiful! This place had then all it seems!

Robert Schoeffling

Awesome collection of rare cars

Josh Wismer

Great place to have a banquet and party’s... amazing cars to see while your there

Jake Steinerman

A great automotive museum, packed with all kinds of antique and historic cars. Come on Demo Days, and watch some of these amazing cars get driven around the lot in the back, including an explanation and history of the cars.

Bill Holt

Fantastic! A unique collection of automobiles with the most knowlegable donor and staff imagineable

Alessandro J chiaro

True preservation treasure

Reyna Nichols

I love cars and these are great!

Gary Joseph

Magnificent collection of vintage race cars

Raj Ghule

Excellent Exceptional collection. Must see for all

craig halpern

A great look at history through cars

Bryan Ruff

Amazing collection of race cars.

Shaun Martin

Came here simply because they had a twin turbo 2 seater 300zx on display. Really good museum with a great selection of cars. Well presented. Some cars still need restoration, including the 300zx I came to see. Very big complex with plenty of room to grow.

Ronnie D

Where do you even start when trying to describe this place? There really aren't words that can accurately explain the magnificence of this museum. If there is one thing that will keep me coming back to Philadelphia from Florida this is it! There are cars here that formed auto racing as we know it today and laid the groundwork for the evolution of performance engineering. Dr. Simeone has built a collection second to none and has a great way of putting it on display. The cars for the most part are preserved instead of restored...every chip and scratch tells a story about how these cars were used they way they were designed to be. At first you are amazed at the value of these incredibly rare cars in one collection but as you walk around and study that becomes much less important. It is the Races they have won, the records they have set, the teams that built them and how they influenced future race cars. There are several that have great stories of how they were obtained for this collection, I'm not going to tell you and spoil it so you will just have to go see for yourself.

Tim B

Incredible collection of historic early race vehicles. Each is a work of art.

Abby Smith

Great experience, well kept!

Howard Lewis

Probably the best automobile museum in North America. They have two cars that set land speed records, the Bugatti tank, and the Shelby Daytona Coupe. They also have a complete collection of Alfa Romeo 8Cs. Great stuff from brass era up and they often drive the cars in their parking lot.

Robert Lambert

Amazing car collection, worth a trip for any car fan

Mike Brennan

Awesome Museum

Rick LeDuc

Fantastic place! A must for car lovers!

Walter Wujcik

Great collection of sport and racing autos!

Mike Lachs

Fun place if you love old cars.

Brooks Donahue

Great Automotive Museum - Right in So Philly. Well worth the trip.

pat n colagreco

So fun that I get an annual membership

Michael Pearson

By far one of the best car museums I have been to. The focus around race chronology rather than car chronology made the museum much more exciting as adjacent cars were vastly different and you could see the progression.

Karen McBride

I was hired to do airbrush tattoos tonight for a bat mitzvah. This place is so awesome! You have to check it out. #ExpressYourselfBodyArt

Griffin Ripley

Literally perfection.

Anthony DeLuca

Very amazing cars, some very iconic cars and the volunteers are very nice. Would visit again.

Steven Bossman

One of a kind

Stephen Malyszka

We ditched our plans to see the Philly Car Show and went here instead, wow what a good decision. Great experience! Definitely coming back, especially for Fathers Day.

Nancy F

Exceptional collection

James Vigorito

ABSOLUTELY a must see for the automotive enthusiast and racing history buff. LOVED IT.

Tom Chan

A great collection of antique and legendary race cars. 1 to 1.5 hours was all it takes to cover the entire place. Great setup for car lovers.

Wyatt Collins

Amazing how well it was put together and the cars are very well cared for. And the car are incredible. And it's just a all around amazing museum.

cliff wolff

Member for over 3 years To see, hear, and smell these rare cars in action is an unforgettable experience

Brad J

There is something to interest everyone at the Simeone Automotive Museum. Visitors who may not consider themselves automotive enthusiasts may marvel at cars from over a century ago. Kerosene headlamps, horns that were actually brass tubes, trunks that are actually rectangular boxes--all automotive features that have disappeared from modern cars. Perhaps they will behold the radical shape and color of the Porsche 917LH. Perhaps they will consider the fearlessness of the racers who drove cars that had absolutely no element of safety. Anyone can appreciate the timeless beauty and art of cars such as the 1933 Auburn V12 Speedster or the two Mercedes Gullwings. Fans of motorsports will be happy to know that the theme of the museum is “The Spirit of Competition.” There are sports cars, Grand Prix cars, rally cars, Le Mans cars, speed record holders, NASCARs and everything in between. Among those are original race winners, such as the 1937 Bugatti 57G that came first overall in the 1937 24 Hours of Le Mans. There are cars from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. Besides the cars that are on regular museum display, feature exhibits occur regularly throughout the year, keeping things that much more interesting. There have been exhibits featuring the cars of Britain, Italy, Japan, Saab, Ford and even motorcycles. To refer to the Simeone Automotive Museum as just a 'museum' would be a grand understatement. The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum is living history. The cars are kept in immaculate condition. Running condition. This is no small undertaking. Nearly every single one of the approximately 70 cars at the museum is in running condition. From the 1909 American Underslung to the 1975 Alfa Romeo 33 TT, the cars run. Many of the cars look fast just sitting still in their museum exhibits. Some may think that that is insufficient proof of speed. This is not a problem, for twice a month, on average, the museum takes three or four cars out to the back lot for their Demonstration Days. These events allow museum patrons to experience the sight, sound, smell (and feel) of the cars driving around the lot. Further, the Demonstration Days are an opportunity for Dr. Simeone to discuss the cars in greater detail. Whether it is hearing the smooth purr of the Ferrari V12's, whether it is smelling the exhaust of the Bentley 4.5 Litre, whether it is watching the race-winning and now award-winning Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, or feeling the bone-rattling roar of the 1963 Corvette Grand Sport, every Demonstration Day is both a history lesson and a spectacle. The Grand Sport, featured at my first Demo Day visit, was the car that rekindled my passion for automobiles after years focused purely on aviation. Dr. Simeone's passion for automobiles and attention to detail are evident during every visit to the museum. His philosophy of preserving cars rather than restoring them, if possible, is clearly visible. You can see the original wear in the leather seats, the nicks in the original paint of century-old cars, the original tires on the 1937 Cord, and so on. While many other automotive collectors strive to return everything to factory-fresh, Dr. Simeone lets the history show. Dr. Simeone is always approachable and amiable, happy to share his passion with museum visitors on Demonstration Days. Whether it is your first visit or hundredth visit, you will learn something new or notice something you had never seen before. If you come on a Demonstration Day, you will have a chance at experiencing the living history that makes the museum so great. Philadelphia is a very historic city. Everybody knows that it is home to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. However, it is also home to nearly 70 historic automobiles in this incredible museum, located minutes from the airport. If you have even the slightest interest in automobiles, art, or history, there is something for you at the museum. A visit to Philadelphia is incomplete without a stop at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum.

The Apollo 5

I was able to get out to the museum, and it was a great collection of cool vehicles.

James Hanna

One-of-a-kind collection of approximately 65 of the most significant sports and racing cars of the 20th century. As many commenters have mentioned, select saturdays see a few of the cars circulating the 3 acre pavement behind the building with their sights, sounds and smells; I'm unaware of any car museum with a similar attraction. As for value, there are several cars in the collection of indeterminate value (so valuable that it's difficult to estimate), there are a number of others worth in excess of $30 million, and the majority of the rest are $1 million dollars plus. And many of the cars are intentionally unrestored; cars (like many other historic things) retain more of their value if they are able to be 'preserved' rather than restored. Enjoy the collection, take your time and learn as much as you can while you're there!!

David Perrino

Wonderful... And the staff is very lovely

Tommy Kortman

If you are a petrol head, hen this is a must see collection. There are so many historically significant cars here, it's amazing. Plus, most of them run, and are driven regularly during the monthly demonstration days.

Elias Espinal

Great spot to look at auto history!

Alex Smith

What an incredible place. If you are in the area, GO!

RSP

One of the top automotive collections in the world. A must visit

Tommy K.

If you are a car fan you need to go here! Big collection of pristine vintage cars! You won't find many of these cars at any car shows!

Charles Taylor

This museum is great if you’re into vintage sports cars from the early and mid 20th century.

Heino Fecht

Wonderful place to see the history of beautiful cars. Very good impressions. Amazing cars

Marc Elick

Sweet one of a kinds!!

Jessica White

I am not a car person. My husband is. So when he said let’s take our 2-year-old to a car museum, I was apprehensive: priceless cars + toddler = scary. But no, Simeone is ready for kids. They have large plastic cars the kids can either “drive” around in or a parent can push, kid-friendly activity sheets, and if you are there for the car lectures, the sound system reaches all corners. So if you have an busy kid, you can still listen and even see the giant screen presentation from most angles. And the staff are kid-friendly (and friendly to adults, too)!

Alualca j

Very nice place. Plenty of parking space. Clean and very organized. There was a kids corner that my son loved and a coat room. The racing cars were amazing. We will go back for another exhibition.

Nicholas Gioino

Excellent collection, excellent staff, I would definitely visit again.

Lee Williamson

There is no other place like this I have found. It contains some of the most significant and interesting cars anywhere. The rarity and history of some of the cars is overwhelming. If you like vintage cars, history or racing you need to go.

Martin Dallatore

Great car's

Sean ODonnell

The most incredible collection completely unknown to most. DO NOT miss this place if you come to philly

Tom Johnson

Great night at Take it to the Limit featuring Peter Starr

Rich K.

This is a Hidden Gem of a museum, free parking, close to the airport, and contains some of the actual cars that were in major racing events

Joseph Goldstein

If you like race cars you must visit this museum. Knowledgeable staff and a wide selection of vehicles from the beginning of racing on. Mostly running. Good price too.

Pat Brett

Racing car/auto enthusiasts will go crazy here! What an incredible collection of vehicles throughout the years racing and non-racing. They do demo days, where they pull cars out of the collection and demo them out in their back parking lot

Donald Case

Loved it...cool spot on a Father's day visit!

Laraine Schumacher

This is historically cool

Brad Panaia

awesome

Joe G

Great Place

M R

Not so much for younger kids, unless they are avid antique car enthusiasts.