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Larz Anderson Auto Museum
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9 reviews for Larz Anderson Auto Museum
7/26/2009
Last Sunday, we were at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum for the Ford Taurus event. When we went upstairs to get a few shots of the crowd from above, one of the organizer of the event asked if we wanted to something "really cool." He didn't have to ask twice!
Our guide led us to a non-descrip door at the top of the stairs. The door opened in to a sun-drenched attic. It took our eyes a moment to adjust to the brightness. When they did... well, just click the link to see. Click on any of the images for a larger version.
http://www.rainydaymag...
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7/19/2009
We try to go to as many of their lawn events as possible. There is always something interesting at all of them. The LAAM is really one of the hidden gems of Boston!
Here is our coverage of the opening night of their new internal exhibit:
http://www.rainydaymag...
Click on any of the images for a larger version.
Sincerely,
RainyDayInterns
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/17/2009
We try to go to as many of their lawn events as possible. There is always something interesting at… Read more »
I met the love of my life here tonight. He's beautiful, gorgeous brown skin, perfect curves, glows in the right light. I'll bet he rides like a dream, with just enough oomph when you need it. Ohhh yeah, mmm. I call him baby, but to the rest of the world he's known as a Maserati Ghibli Spyder. I'll never see another one like him in my lifetime. Tis a sad truth, I know.
He's been waiting for me for years, since 1966, in fact. With his other suave, powerful Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and fellow Maserati cousins. There's only a few of them left, but the ones there will make you positively swoon.
Beneath the rustic wood floors, his grandfathers sit at attention. LBJ's Continental beside its ancestors. Remember the steamy scene in Titantic with the hand print sliding down the window? One of those cars is at the bottom of the sea. The other, the only one on land, is parked at this grand carriage house - toilet, tufted seats and all.
A visit here transports you away from the city bustle. The lawns are verdant, with glorious views of the land below. But from this castle, it feels like you're in another kingdom entirely. While it may not warrant a dedicated perusal unless you're a serious auto buff, its a splendid place for any occasion.
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I thought I'd be clever make an interesting and witty wisecrack about the old car with a toilet in it, but it looks like many Yelpers beat me to the punch. Shucks.
I got to go to the Auto Museum for my husband's work holiday party. It was really a nice venue for a party, aside from the room where we dined being a little cold for a chilly December evening. But other than that, I recommend this place for events.
The cars are super fun to look at, especially the really old ones. Until April there's a display of Italian cars AND Italian clothes. So check it out.
It's a cool old building too, so enjoy enjoy enjoy.
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One of my favorite spots in the world. The Museum itself is a work of art. They simply don't make buildings like this anymore. The core collection of cars is one of the oldest in the world. The rotating exhibits are always interesting. Lawn Event season brings the finest cars in New England to the Great Lawn. Every Sunday is something different. When done at the Museum, the view of Boston from the top of the hill is not to be missed.
Phenomena: A Bless by Bless Charity Ball brought me to the Larz Anderson Auto Museum for an evening of music, fashion, food and of course, all the rum and wine I could drink, in honor of supporting two very worthy causes: the Boston Jimmy Fund Charity and Mother Of Peace Aids Orphanage in Zimbabwe.
My first glimpse of the venue was rain-soaked and dark, but i could make out a castle atop a hill, beautiful and commanding on the skyline. The interior was a cavernous three floors, lined with balconies and full of bad-ass vintage and classic cars. I'll take the black caddy on the ground floor with the suicide doors, please.
The details included exposed brick and wood beams, stone archways and alcoves filled with race cars, motorcycles and amazing milestones of the automotive world. An interesting venue, for large-scale parties and weddings alike...especially for those looking for a unique experience.
The only complaint: no air conditioning! On one of the most balmy nights of the year, everyone at the ball was dressed in black tie and sweating their butts off! We are glistening in all the photos! Aside from the temperature, the museum is definitely a cool spot that I'm glad I got the chance to check out.
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Russ & I got a personal tour of the Larz Anderson Auto Museum when investigating Wedding Venues. I had already done tons & tons of research and let me tell you, in Boston, it's very hard to find the following things in a wedding venue.
1.) A spacious, cool venue where you can enjoy an outdoor wedding
2.) A unique location that has a bit of personality or flair -- that's not too.... tucked in.
3.) A location where you can have an Open Bar (without a fine)
3.) A location without a package deal (one flat rate and you have to get their cake, their caterer, etc -- these usually cost thousands of dollars)
5.) A location that is available only 9 months in advance
6.) A location that overlooks the city but also has ample parking and private bathrooms.
7.) A place where you can have your wedding & reception all in the same place.
Larz Anderson Auto Museum was a perfect choice for Russ & l. The Museum is castle-like on the outside, and lodge-like on the inside with its almond colored wood, lofty ceilings, dusty/old but unique decor. It's filled with beautiful, beautiful automobiles. There is no need to "dress up" the space with too much bridal flare since the area is already filled with beautiful cars to enjoy. They also have a caterer's kitchen which means that your caterers will have a nice place to get your meal ready for your guests before arrival.
You get to choose from 15 pre-approved caterers (a really good list, mind you) and pick your own cake vendor.
We're going to have our wedding on the hill at Larz Anderson, then have our guests enjoy a cocktail hour and tour of the Larz Anderson Museum. Then they will go outside to the tent for dinner & dancing. The cost to rent the venue is $4400 from 6pm-12pm -- nothing else is included, but for Boston, it's a reasonable price. That way you can negotiate with your vendors and decide how expensive you want all the extras to be. The max amount of people inside the museum is 250 Standing Cocktails and 125 sitting. In the event of rain, they sit your guests inside the museum and open the doors so you can see the rain falling.
The Museum is a little long and skinny, but the ceilings are incredibly tall. The long/skinny aspects is one of the main reasons we decided to have the wedding outside. However, the wedding would be great for a smaller group that needs less tables.
We had a weird thing happen with the wedding planner that gave us the tour of the museum. After we signed the contract, we found out that she would no longer be working at the museum. We thought she was helpful, but eh, these things happen, right? She seemed kinda high maintenance, but was very nice.
The new wedding planner at the museum has been helpful with answering questions but has been mostly hands-off (which isn't a problem for me at all, actually I kind of prefer it.)
If you're the kind of bride who needs someone more hands-on -- this venue won't be the place to you -- if you don't like to be bothered with high-maintenance planners, then this venue is great, I just quickly give a call or email and Karen answers my questions quickly. No muss, no fuss.
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I never thought I would have any interest in an auto museum. However! The woman who worked there a few years ago (and hopefully still does), tells the best stories about the museum and the autos. I have no interest in cars whatsoever, but her talent at weaving a tale makes you interested--whether you want to be or not.
The oldest automotive museum in the USA is not really very large, it's a little dark inside and doesn't really feature very many "sexy" cars, but it's a rare gem for anyone truly obsessed with antique automobiles. Larz Anderson was a wealthy diplomat at the turn of the century. He and his wife developed a fascination for the automobile and began to purchase at least one new machine per year from about 1899 thru the early 30's. They also did a funny thing; they never sold any of them. When a car was retired, they just parked it in the carriage house.
Today, those cars are preserved in their original, unrestored state and are on display to the public. In most cases they are no longer shiny and the upholstery is a little shabby, but the focus is on preservation for posterity rather than refurbishment for maximum flashiness. Many, however, are in remarkably pristine condition. It's a little dark in the museum because light is hard on these fragile machines. Flash photography is forbidden for the same reason.
But what grand old automobiles they are! An eight-foot-tall SGV limousine which was the Anderson's favorite for long range travel. The passenger seat converted to a bed and underneath one of the jumpseats was a functional toilet! There's a spidery Winton race car that the driver sat "on" rather than "in"... an impressive Renault victoria, a sporty Bugatti and a rather plain-Jane Citroen. And about three dozen others.
Complimenting the display is a collection of lamps, horns and period accessories... and the occasional "guest vehicle" to give a little variety to the display.
The 1880's carriage house in which the collection is displayed is fascinating in it's own right. The Anderson horses, frankly, probably lived better that you or I.
This isn't a museum for everybody. If you really aren't a fan of early cars, you likely will be bored. If you are a fan, however, you will never forget it.
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This museum was featured on a list that my university put together called "The Best Museums You Haven't Been To," and it was totally sweet! The only tricky part was finding it from Google Maps directions. The directions on the website are much better, but sadly I couldn't access them from my boyfriend's house because their Flash-based website is not compatible with Linux, boo! (Um... we're nerds.)
Once you actually get there, you find yourself at Larz Anderson Park, which is a fairly nice little grassy area with a pond, and ducks, and kids playing. The museum is housed in the former carriage house of the Anderson estate. The Andersons were this insanely wealthy couple that became infatuated with cars around the turn of the century, so they bought a whole ton of them. (To give you an idea of how wealthy they were, Mrs. Anderson inherited about $17 million at the age of five, which translates to over a billion of today's dollars.) The cars from the original Anderson estate are unrestored, weathered, and a little beat up, but still look awesome. Other vehicles belong to private owners in New England who loan them out for museum exhibits. Some highlights included:
1) a very early model of automobile that hadn't advanced as far as a "roof" or "steering wheel" -- you sat on two bench seats facing each other and the driver steered with some kind of lever
2) a steam-powered car
3) an old school "limo" that contained all the comforts of home for long trips... including a TOILET!
4) an antique car enthusiast tooling around in his Bugatti outside
They're in the middle of changing exhibits right now, so some things were out of place or unlabeled, but it was a cool way to pass an hour on a fall afternoon. And don't miss the downstairs, which has more penny-farthing bicycles than you ever dreamed of!
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