Sylmar, California: Nethercutt Collection: Rare Cars And Music Machines

There are two related but separate museums. The Nethercutt Museum has mostly cars and is open for walk-in traffic for a self-guided tour. The Nethercutt Collection is across the street and is a two-hour guided tour where reservations are required and tours are not done every day. The Collections finale is a music room with rare mechanical music. The theme of the museum is functional art. All cars work and are taken out on the road at least once a year. The musical instruments are mechanized and can play music. A very detailed and high quality museum.

Definitely worth seeking out a reservation to tour the connection. Free.

This is a collection like no other. A train, vintage automobiles and vast on-site library. There are hood ornaments as far as the eye can see. If your are within a 50 mile radius you must stop in.

The Nethercutt Museum is spectacular! The museum is filled with gorgeous, extremely rare vintage cars restored to pristine condition.

Make sure you view the Nethercutt "Collection" as well -- this is where all the rare antique music machines are kept. These machines are extremely fascinating. To view the Collection you must take the 2-hour long guided tour, which is scheduled twice a day. Advance reservations are recommended for this tour.

The large music room contains several band organs, as well as the second-largest theatre pipe organ -- all meticulously cared for and in perfect working condition. Free concerts are given on the theatre organ by the world's best theatre organists. The car museum has many large "gangster cars" from the 1920's -- also free. Very worthwhile to see, better than LA's Peterson Car Museum, and a lot less expensive!

The Nethercutt Collection features rare collectibles ranging from mechanical musical instruments and antique furniture to the true heart of the collection: over 250 American and European automobiles dating from 1898 to 1997.

It's the Largest Collection of Concourse De Elegance winners in the world.

Museum, tour and concerts are free. Reservations are required for the tour and for the concerts. Concerts are on a 5000 pipe Wurlitzer Organ - and are sometimes used as accompaniments for silent movies. Large collection of hood ornaments and a beautifully restored 1937 Canadian Pacific Royal Hudson Locomotive And 1912 Pullman Private Car. Along with fully functional nickelodeons and orchestriums. All supported by a trust from Merle Norman Cosmetics.