Larz Anderson Auto Museum
Larz Anderson Auto Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Just ten minutes from downtown Boston and nestled inside the 64 beautiful acres of Larz Anderson Park, the Museum is home to “America’s Oldest Car Collection”. These automobiles form the Museum’s permanent collection and are housed within the Carriage House, built in 1888 and designed by the city architect of Boston, Edmund M. Wheelwright, who was also responsible for several notable Boston structures like the Boston Public Library. The Larz Anderson Auto Museum also offers enjoyable and informative tours, with varied and in-depth discussions on the automobile and its impact on society. Aside from the tour, we offer four different educational programs that range from kindergarten to high school and cover a variety of topics from early transportation to automotive design. Each tour offers hands on artifacts and real life observational tools. Visit the Larz Anderson Auto Museum for a day of exploration and fun that will create lasting memories for you and your group that is guaranteed to stay with you long after you leave.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
84 reviews
Excellent
44
Very good
30
Average
8
Poor
1
Terrible
1
Gene R J
Silver Spring, MD10,539 contributions
Jun 2021
We stopped here today at this beautiful 1888 Carriage House but unfortunately it was closed with no sign of activity. A note on the entry door said to reopen on June 21 after an exhibit change.
Next door we saw the pretty 1768 Putterham Schoolhouse, then drove through some of the 64 acre park which offered long views into the city.
Next door we saw the pretty 1768 Putterham Schoolhouse, then drove through some of the 64 acre park which offered long views into the city.
Written June 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Susan P
Putnam, CT949 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
In a museum of unique and beautiful things, I took no photos. For that reason, and the fact that many of the exhibits were forgettable, I cannot give five stars. This museum is relatively small as vehicles are housed in what was the carriage house. The upstairs showcases rotating exhibits as well as permanent, whereas the ground level houses, the family autos. Sadly, the one of a kind family autos are left to rot, and there is no intention of restoring them to their original beauty. I realize there are different schools of thought when it comes to vehicle restoration, but I found the state of these once beautiful and historically significant automobiles upsetting. The museum is in a park-like setting with some parking close to the carriage house. There is an admission charge, though there are discounts for seniors. It is handicap accessible. The staff is helpful and kind. It is very clean. I would suggest allowing up to two hours for antique automobile enthusiast, and an hour for others. Bring your reading glasses.
Written May 23, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mabellnyc
nyc24 contributions
Jun 2019 • Friends
As beautiful as the cars on the main floor were the cars downstairs amazed me. Upstairs all the cars were restored and breathtaking. Downstairs the cars were in the original condition and not restored. it shows that if a car is taken care of it will last a very long time. Not to say there wasnt torn upholstery or a wear and tear on the vehicles downstairs but it actually made them more interesting. A worthwhile trip for men and women and young and old.
Written July 2, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
limedish
fun state39 contributions
Jul 2014 • Friends
While visiting from Florida we were excited to go to this museum. We drove three hours from Maine. Checked their website for hours, pricing.... When arrived we were met by a very rude staff lady. Who very rudely informed us that we were to leave because they would be closing in 5 mins. I told her that according to their hours of operations I still had 3 hours. She told me that today was a "private function" again rudely and short (on the front lawn that had nothing to do with the cars in the museum). And I was only asking in hopes it was some kind of car related event. As I read they were known for... And I went on to tell her that nothing was stated on the website about early closings as it did for the week before. She said "I don't know what to tell you, but you have to go." I said well I drove for hours to come here and you said I still have 5 mins, so I am going to look around for 5 mins. So she walked away and we did.
There is not really much to see here. Maybe about 12 -15 cars total. A few bikes, some signs. The place its self is very pretty. But if you are a car person,,, take a pass. Not worth your time. And seeing that they close the place when ever they feel, don't take the chance. They don't value their patrons and fellow car people.
I told her I would be writing a report on tripadvisor, she ignored me and told us our 5 mins were up.
There is not really much to see here. Maybe about 12 -15 cars total. A few bikes, some signs. The place its self is very pretty. But if you are a car person,,, take a pass. Not worth your time. And seeing that they close the place when ever they feel, don't take the chance. They don't value their patrons and fellow car people.
I told her I would be writing a report on tripadvisor, she ignored me and told us our 5 mins were up.
Written July 28, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maurene_K
Dover, NH12,283 contributions
Jun 2018 • Friends
After driving around Larz Anderson Park and having a picnic lunch under the pavilion, we drove over to the Larz Anderson Auto Museum.
This is an attraction that had been on my list of places to visit for many years. My friend and I finally found the time to devote most of a day to visit the park and the auto museum. We were glad that we fit this into Week #1 of our vacation together with daytrips from her house in the South Shore Region of Massachusetts.
The antique auto museum is housed in The Andersons’ former carriage house. The mansion has long since been torn down.
Admissions were:
$10.00 - Adults
$5.00 - Seniors, Military, Students & Children 6-12
Free - Children under 6
Just inside the entrance was the special exhibit “Lookin' East: Art and Imagination of the American Hod Rod.” The exhibit had several hot rods on display. All were in great condition. I liked all of them. The exhibit will show through April 2019.
The 1936 Ford 3-Window Coupe was painted a beautiful shade of red. It had a ZZ3 Chevy 350 Crate engine with Edelbrock aluminum valve covers.
Another as a 1951 Ford Shoebox 2-Door Custom Sedan with a rebuilt flathead engine. The body had been customized extensively with several inches chopped from both the front and the rear.
A third was a classic 1950 Ford Woodie Sleeper with a Chevy 350 engine.
A fourth was a 1924 Ford Track Speedster with a 1933 Ford Model C 4-cylinder engine with dual Winfield carburetors. It, too, had been highly customized.
On the other side of the entrance was a small gift shop.
In the next room, displays of the Anderson collection began. There were about 14 surviving automobiles from the collection of 32 automobiles assembled by Larz and Isabel Anderson over the years from 1899 to 1948.
The 1899 Winton Phaeton, the first automobile in their collection, was in great condition for a car 119 years old. I thought it was interesting because of its construction. It was a horseless carriage with buggy springs, a small-cylinder engine under the rear body, and a steering tiller instead of a steering wheel. The Winton Motor Carriage Company was in Cleveland, Ohio.
Other automobiles of interest included a 1900 Rochet-Schneider with a fringed top from France, a 1905 Electro mobile from London, a 1907 Fiat with a powerful 11-liter, 6-cylinder, and 65 horsepower engine from Turin, Italy, and a 1926 Lincoln Seven, an imposing-looking, boxy four door sedan much unlike the sleeker newer Lincolns.
We thought that the automobiles in the lower level exhibit weren’t as nice as the ones on the main floor.
Overall, the collection was small but worthwhile seeing. We were glad that we set aside most of a day to visit the Larz Anderson Park and the Larz Anderson Auto Museum.
We’d like to return for one of those special outdoor lawn events.
We rate the Larz Anderson Auto Museum at 4.5.
This is a must-see collection for all fans of antique automobiles.
If you found this review helpful, please click THANK below.
This is an attraction that had been on my list of places to visit for many years. My friend and I finally found the time to devote most of a day to visit the park and the auto museum. We were glad that we fit this into Week #1 of our vacation together with daytrips from her house in the South Shore Region of Massachusetts.
The antique auto museum is housed in The Andersons’ former carriage house. The mansion has long since been torn down.
Admissions were:
$10.00 - Adults
$5.00 - Seniors, Military, Students & Children 6-12
Free - Children under 6
Just inside the entrance was the special exhibit “Lookin' East: Art and Imagination of the American Hod Rod.” The exhibit had several hot rods on display. All were in great condition. I liked all of them. The exhibit will show through April 2019.
The 1936 Ford 3-Window Coupe was painted a beautiful shade of red. It had a ZZ3 Chevy 350 Crate engine with Edelbrock aluminum valve covers.
Another as a 1951 Ford Shoebox 2-Door Custom Sedan with a rebuilt flathead engine. The body had been customized extensively with several inches chopped from both the front and the rear.
A third was a classic 1950 Ford Woodie Sleeper with a Chevy 350 engine.
A fourth was a 1924 Ford Track Speedster with a 1933 Ford Model C 4-cylinder engine with dual Winfield carburetors. It, too, had been highly customized.
On the other side of the entrance was a small gift shop.
In the next room, displays of the Anderson collection began. There were about 14 surviving automobiles from the collection of 32 automobiles assembled by Larz and Isabel Anderson over the years from 1899 to 1948.
The 1899 Winton Phaeton, the first automobile in their collection, was in great condition for a car 119 years old. I thought it was interesting because of its construction. It was a horseless carriage with buggy springs, a small-cylinder engine under the rear body, and a steering tiller instead of a steering wheel. The Winton Motor Carriage Company was in Cleveland, Ohio.
Other automobiles of interest included a 1900 Rochet-Schneider with a fringed top from France, a 1905 Electro mobile from London, a 1907 Fiat with a powerful 11-liter, 6-cylinder, and 65 horsepower engine from Turin, Italy, and a 1926 Lincoln Seven, an imposing-looking, boxy four door sedan much unlike the sleeker newer Lincolns.
We thought that the automobiles in the lower level exhibit weren’t as nice as the ones on the main floor.
Overall, the collection was small but worthwhile seeing. We were glad that we set aside most of a day to visit the Larz Anderson Park and the Larz Anderson Auto Museum.
We’d like to return for one of those special outdoor lawn events.
We rate the Larz Anderson Auto Museum at 4.5.
This is a must-see collection for all fans of antique automobiles.
If you found this review helpful, please click THANK below.
Written August 6, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nick M
Holmes Beach, Florida, United States28 contributions
Oct 2014 • Family
This place is indescribable! It has some of the very earliest cars in their original location and in original condition. No restoration to these cars but in a state of preservation. Weekly car shows there on the weekend featuring a vast variety of collecter cars!
Written December 6, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rogerl53
Guilderland, NY280 contributions
Aug 2012 • Friends
The Lars Anderson Auto Museum describes itself as being the home to America's oldest car collection. There are any number of museums that are larger, but you would be hard pressed to find one with a better selection. Consider this a true gem worth visiting. Many visitors make this a destination, and it is easy to see why.
The museum itself is in the carriage house of the Larz Anderson estate. The carriage house is in what is now Larz Anderson Park, and that makes for a special visit, too.
On the day our visit the main gallery featured superbly restored and preserved cars that included a Allard and several rarely seen MGs. There were cars on display that we see in books, but rarely in real life. Tucked away in an alcove near the bookstore was a 2002 Ferrari F1 car that was driven by Michael Schumacher. The lower gallery featured a Winton, two Packards, and lots more. There are even classic bicycles on display!
If you are lucky you might discover that on the day of your visit there will be a lawn event. We missed by one day a Ferrari meeting.
The only drawback to our visit was that we went on a very hot day and the carriage house was a bit toasty. But I would expect this to be a rare experience.
If you are in Brookline, MA you should not miss this museum.
The museum itself is in the carriage house of the Larz Anderson estate. The carriage house is in what is now Larz Anderson Park, and that makes for a special visit, too.
On the day our visit the main gallery featured superbly restored and preserved cars that included a Allard and several rarely seen MGs. There were cars on display that we see in books, but rarely in real life. Tucked away in an alcove near the bookstore was a 2002 Ferrari F1 car that was driven by Michael Schumacher. The lower gallery featured a Winton, two Packards, and lots more. There are even classic bicycles on display!
If you are lucky you might discover that on the day of your visit there will be a lawn event. We missed by one day a Ferrari meeting.
The only drawback to our visit was that we went on a very hot day and the carriage house was a bit toasty. But I would expect this to be a rare experience.
If you are in Brookline, MA you should not miss this museum.
Written August 13, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DevorahLeah
Quincy, MA140 contributions
May 2019
If you are a fan of automobiles and want to see the way they used to look, you will be as fascinated as I was by this museum. It's a little hard to find, but worth the effort: room after room of rare autos, all located on a beautiful estate that makes you feel as if you've stepped back into time. I'm a media historian, and while I had seen photographs of autos from the early 1900s, it's very different to be right there, looking at the autos themselves. The museum has some from as far back as 1899, various brands-- some long defunct, and a couple still around. If you want to take a trip back in time and see how automobiles developed, you will find this unique museum as interesting and educational as I did.
Written October 19, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Glenna W
Old Town, ME134 contributions
Feb 2019 • Couples
My husband was turning 50 and I was on the hunt to find something he would enjoy. The Anderson auto museum is a gem. The best vehicles could be found in the basement. It was wonderful to see personal transport from the gilded age. The carriage house gave a glimpse at the estate in its previous life. The hot rods upstairs were interesting but not in line with our expectations of what we were going to experience. Don’t go if you want to chat with anyone as the service was non existent. I would recommend reading about the Andersons and the estate prior to going.
Written February 9, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karen Z
Zurich, Switzerland106 contributions
Oct 2017 • Couples
The Larz Anderson Auto Museum is located about 20 minutes from downtown Boston in the town of Brookline. The Museum is situated in the Larz Anderson Park, which has over 60 acres of woodland as well as an skating rink, walking trails and barbecue areas. Larz Anderson, and his wife, Isabel, were wealthy Americans and the park was their Massachusetts home.
The Museum is based in the original Anderson carriage house and holds around 20 vehicles - both cars and horse-drawn carriages. These vehicles, which were originally bought and used by the Andersons, help to tell the story of this couple's life and give insight into this era of history. Each year, they would purchase another vehicle - which are predominantly American and French. All of the vehicles are still in their original form - yet are still predominantly in excellent condition.
The information about the couple and their life is well documented and some of this is reflected throughout the collection. We felt though that the museum could be further improved by the addition of further information about each of the cars. It would also be great if the collection could be shown in chronological order so that one can see the progress in automative innovation.
Definitely worth a visit if you are a car and/or history fan.
The Museum is based in the original Anderson carriage house and holds around 20 vehicles - both cars and horse-drawn carriages. These vehicles, which were originally bought and used by the Andersons, help to tell the story of this couple's life and give insight into this era of history. Each year, they would purchase another vehicle - which are predominantly American and French. All of the vehicles are still in their original form - yet are still predominantly in excellent condition.
The information about the couple and their life is well documented and some of this is reflected throughout the collection. We felt though that the museum could be further improved by the addition of further information about each of the cars. It would also be great if the collection could be shown in chronological order so that one can see the progress in automative innovation.
Definitely worth a visit if you are a car and/or history fan.
Written October 30, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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