More Than a Car Museum—A Journey Through Automotive History
Photography by Dave Mayes
Tucked between a tire shop and a sports bar in a Manhattan strip mall, a hidden utopia of classic cars awaits. From the outside, Midwest Dream Car Collection, 3007 Anderson Ave., looks like an ordinary auto shop. Without the retro mural splashed across its exterior, you would never guess what lies inside. But once the front doors slide open, you know you’re in for something special.
A 1909 Peerless Model 25 Raceabout immediately welcomes you to the museum. Its brilliant apple-green paint and gleaming brass trim entice you to admire the vehicle up close before even reading the placard. When you do, you learn that this vehicle is renowned for its massive engine. Once recognized by the Guinness World Records as the largest engine built for consumer use, it reached nearly 100 mph—an astonishing achievement for its time. Once you reach the front desk for tickets, you’re already hooked.
This is the Midwest Dream Car Collection, a nonprofit museum that takes pride in its expansive display of vehicles spanning the entire history of the automobile. With more than 65 cars, the museum offers something for everyone: a 1963 Volkswagen 23-window Samba Bus, evoking sun-kissed coastal road trips; a cutting-edge 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300-SL Gullwing, ready for high-speed chases; a pair of 1966 Ford Mustangs built for legendary artists Sonny and Cher; and even an 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen—one of the world’s first true automobiles.
Although the museum first opened in 2019, the collection actually began a year earlier when its founders, Ward and Brenda Morgan, got a little carried away at a car auction.
“They went to an auction to buy just a couple of cars,” says operations manager and curator Doug Meloan. “They ended up buying 13.”
What started as a splurge soon became a storage problem. The Morgans needed a place to house their new purchases. A few months later, they bought a former grocery store on Anderson Avenue. But with far more space than they needed, they converted it into a car museum. Over the next six months, they donated about 50 more cars to the collection and opened it to the public.
“We’ve grown a lot since that time,” Meloan says. “We sold about 20 of the original cars and bought some really impressive new stuff. From the very get-go, the vision for the museum was to have an eclectic collection of very rare vehicles that tell stories.”
Among that “eclectic collection of very rare vehicles” sits one of the rarest of all time: a 1948 Tucker. The Tucker Corporation produced only 51 models of this revolutionary American sedan. At the time, critics called it a technological marvel and dubbed it the “car of tomorrow” thanks to its visionary safety and engineering features.
The story behind this car is so fascinating that Francis Ford Coppola directed a film about its creator in 1988. Tucker: The Man and His Dream starred Jeff Bridges and featured the very car on display at the Midwest Dream Car Collection—number 17 of 51. The film’s trailer plays on a loop in a gallery specially created for this car.
Beyond the Tucker exhibit, the rest of the collection sprawls the length of the museum. As visitors wind their way through the exhibits, they can’t help but pinball from one vehicle to the next as something new grabs their attention. Maybe it’s the 1958 BMW 600 covered in 3,000 wine corks. Perhaps it’s the gullwing doors on the 1982 DeLorean DMC-12, modified to look like the time machine from Back to the Future, complete with a flux capacitor. The Cadillac goddess atop the 1930 Cadillac V-16’s chrome radiator also captivates guests.
After seeing so many vehicles, visitors can’t help but wonder what it would be like to drive one of these gems. Luckily, a Midwest Dream Car Collection membership gets people closer to the action. Members pay between $35 and $50 to gain unlimited museum admission, early access to new exhibits and exclusive invitations to members-only events. These include special receptions throughout the year and the annual Amphicar Picnic, where members actually get to take a 1966 Amphicar—a unique land-and-water vehicle—out onto the lake.
On top of a membership, the museum offers year-round public events, including jazz nights, “tread talks” and karaoke parties. Guests can also book the museum’s full event space and catering kitchen for private events.
“Our event space is one of the most unique there is,” says marketing director Jennifer Elliott. “Guests get to use the event space and also have access to the museum.”
Whether visitors are car experts or novices, the museum appeals to both.
“If you walk in, and you’re any kind of car enthusiast, you’re already sold,” Elliott adds. “But for somebody who isn’t, they still come in, look around, learn all the stories, and [leave] as fans.”
And that’s the appeal. No matter the car, there is a story for everyone.
“If [people] connect with a particular type of car, they feel invested in the museum,” Meloan says. “They want to stay, they want to look. That’s why we have all these different types of cars. Although most of the cars on display are in pristine original or restored condition, some are survivors with a scrape or a nick. But boy, they tell a story that touches our hearts.”
midwestdreamcarcollection.org / 785.236.5501
Other Car Collections in Kansas
Graham County Auto and Arts Museum
Hill City
Inside a former service station, this museum displays a rotating selection of about 30 classic cars plus a few vintage motorcycles and tractors. Current standouts include two Ford Model Ts featured in the 1973 film Paper Moon.
Howard’s Toys For Big Boys
Chanute
Lifelong classic car enthusiast Howard Alger and his son Rusty opened this antique car museum in 2017, filling it with his personal collection of vintage cars, toys, motorcycles, gas pumps and other memorabilia. Among the treasures sits a 1925 Cadillac, serial number 001—a holy grail for collectors.
Kansas City Automotive Museum
Olathe
Unlike many static collections, this museum features a rotating display of 40 vehicles on loan from private collectors. Past displays have spotlighted Volkswagens, low-riders, hot rods and military vehicles. In January, the museum welcomes thousands of scouts and their families for their annual Pinewood Derby races.
Kansas Motorcycle Museum
Marquette
“Stan the Man” Engdahl, a dirt track racing legend from Marquette, opened this museum in 2003 with his wife LaVona. It houses a remarkable collection of motorcycles, dirt bikes, drag bikes, scooters and more, drawing in visitors from all over the world. The nonprofit also sponsors the annual Thunder on the Smoky biker rally. Watch for this year’s event September 26.
St. Francis Motorcycle Museum
St. Francis
With more than 150 vintage motorcycles from more than 45 manufacturers, this museum has several standout exhibits. Look for one of only two 1902 Orient motorcycles known to exist, as well as a 1944 Cushman Military Airborne Model 53, designed to be airdropped by Allied paratroopers during World War II.
The Garage Automotive Museum
Salina
This museum in the heart of downtown Salina features a rotating display of cars from regional collectors, interactive experiences and hands-on activities for visitors of all ages. Plus, it is home to the Royal Driving School, where instructors teach private driving course lessons.
