A 1/8th scale railway for children of all ages encircles the 5-acre property.
Automobiles in The Collection on Palmetto
are chronologically displayed. The oldest is an
1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen, known as the
first modern automobile. Karl Benz patented
the automobile, but it was his wife, Bertha, who
brought attention to it with her round-trip,
120-mile journey. The museum also features a
completely restored and authentic 1928 Ahrens-
Fox NS-4 Piston Pumper fire engine, which was
delivered new to Providence, Rhode Island in that
year and remained in service for six decades. There
also is an award-winning 1913 Pierce-Arrow on
display. Pierce-Arrows, recognized by their builtin
headlights in the fenders, were owned by the
most notable classic automobile collectors and
have been recognized time and again at the most
prestigious Concours events around the country.
46 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021
Pierce-Arrow is a name synonymous with status,
luxury and quality, and is an American automobile
unparalleled among rivals in the early 1900s.
However, the cars that hold the most interest to
the museum’s founders are the Stanley steam
cars. Stanley was a popular steam automobile in
the early 1900s, especially before the invention of
the electric starter that rendered the hand-crank
obsolete and ushered in a renewed interest in
the internal combustion engines. Along with the
steam autos, there is an early electric vehicle. It
was not known in the early 20th century which
method of propulsion would win consumers’
favor. Hundreds of independent carmakers
competed in a market where only years before,
the horse-drawn carriage prevailed as the choice
for personal transportation.
JUSTIN DEMUTIIS