The U.S. state of Georgia is the largest state eastern United States of America. Its capital city, Atlanta, is known as the ‘Capital of the South’. It is a major hub with one of the busiest airports in the world. It is home to many major businesses like Coca Cola. It is the birthplace and burial site of Martin Luther King Jr. It hosted the 1996 Olympic Games. Then you have the city of Augusta which home to the Augusta National Golf Course, home of ‘The Masters’, one of the biggest golf events in the Professional Golf Association Tour (commonly known as the PGA Tour). The state is known for its major city, Atlanta, and it smaller cities, Savannah, Augusta, and Macon, but you seldom hear about the state’s small towns. In the northern region of the state in the Appalachian Mountains is the town of Clarksville. No. The town is not famous, but it is here where you will find the Miles Through Time Automotive Museum. What is special about the Miles Through Time Automotive Museum? It is very you can find 100 years of automobile history. If you love classic cars, this is a must see museum.
Some of you are saying, “It is nice that you have a museum in a small mountain town that displays old automobiles. The problem is that this is an automobile museum and not a railroad museum. Therefore, I will not spend my miles to visit this museum.”
So, why visit the museum?
The Miles Through Time Museum in Clarksville, Georgia is a classic car museum with cars that have been donated to the museum. Some cars are owned by the museum while other cars are on loan to the museum to be displayed by the owners. As mentioned, the museum features 100 years of automotive history.
Some of you are saying, “This is nice, but most automobile museums feature classic cars.”
That is true, but this museum changes out their exhibits so that every time you visit, you will see something new. As mentioned, this is an automobile museum. Why visit this museum?
As you arrive at the museum, you see a Volkswagen Bug on a pedestal, a decorated bus, a truck and car as part of a fountain, and a fire truck. Be advised that this is just the beginning. You enter the gift shop to pay the admission, and then… you enter the first of four galleries. Yes, the museum has four galleries of classic cars. You see full sized cars from the 1910’s, 1920’s, 1930’s. Of course, many classic car museums feature these cars.
How many classic car museums feature a replica of ‘The General’?
What is ‘The General’? The General was a locomotive that was involved in a locomotive chase during the American Civil War. The classic movie ‘The Locomotive Chase’ tells the story of the General during the chase. Much of the chase took place in the state of Georgia. Even though the locomotive never passed through the town of Clarksville, the Miles Through Time Automotive Museum was chosen as the place to display a wooden one-half scale of this locomotive. Designed by Gary Russeth, you can see this locomotive on display at the museum.
Is that all? No. The area behind the ‘General’ is dedicated to the work of Gary Russeth. Along with the General, he designed a train wooden cars which took him five years to complete. If that is not enough for you, there is a ‘O’ Scale train display featuring the General and the Texan reenacting ‘The Locomotive Chase’. If that is not enough, there is a train display diorama and HO Scale train on display.
So you refuse to visit a classic car museum because it is not a railroad museum. You now have a reason to visit the Miles Through Time Automotive Museum. With exhibits changing constantly, you may need to plan many more visits.
The Miles Through Time Automotive Museum is located at 583 Grant Street (Georgia Route 385) just minutes front the town center of Clarksville, Georgia. It is 85 miles north of Atlanta. It is open seven days a week. The museum is wheelchair accessible. You can purchase tickets at Vintage Garage Antiques, an antique store located next to the museum. You can get information about the museum to include admission and to read more into the history and founding of the museum and museum events to include car shows and other events and changing exhibits at https://milesthroughtime.com/, and you can read more into the model of ‘The General’ and the history of the locomotive at https://milesthroughtime.com/project/1855-the-general/.
Can and see the Miles Through Time Automotive Museum. Go back in time. Make a visit even if it is for a ‘general’ reason.
John Cowgill: Stories of the Railroad 