For our first feature of Beyond the South we are going to showcase Larz Anderson Auto Museum.
Few places in America can claim to have witnessed the birth of the automobile, but the Larz Anderson Auto Museum comes close. Nestled within the rolling hills of Larz Anderson Park in Brookline, just outside downtown Boston, the museum is home to what is recognized as America’s oldest collection of automobiles. Housed inside the Anderson family’s magnificent carriage house. The Larz Anderson Carriage House stands in what’s now Larz Anderson Park in Brookline, Massachusetts. It was built in 1888 and designed by Boston architect Edmund M. Wheelwright, with its design heavily influenced by the Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire in France. The building originally served the summer estate of William Fletcher Weld II, with a luxurious stable room featuring a suspended ceiling and marble-lined stalls. Isabel Anderson inherited the property from her grandfather, and in 1899, shortly after their marriage, Larz and Isabel Anderson purchased the 64 acres of land in Brookline, naming their new estate “Weld.”
The Andersons fascination with the automobile started in 1899 with the purchase of a Winton Phaeton. Rather than trading in their cars as newer models appeared, the Andersons preserved them, creating a remarkable timeline of automotive progress. When Isabel Anderson died in 1948, she bequeathed the entire Brookline estate, mansion, carriage house, and land to the Town of Brookline, stipulating that the car collection be known as the “Larz Anderson Collection” and placed under the stewardship of a nonprofit. The Veteran Motor Car Club of America took charge and opened the museum in October 1948. The mansion itself did not survive it suffered vandalism and fire damage in the 1950s and was eventually demolished by the town in 1955. By 1948, the couple had amassed thirty-two automobiles, bicycles and numerous horse-drawn carriages, ensuring that future generations could witness the rapid evolution from horseless carriage to modern motorcar.
The permanent collection is complemented by rotating exhibits that highlight everything from brass-era classics to modern performance cars, when we visited the exhibit was Poster Cars: Icons of the Road and the Wall, my postercar was a Ferrari 288 GTO! Here’s a gallery of the Poster Cars.
Outside, the museum’s expansive lawn hosts marque-specific gatherings throughout the summer, drawing enthusiasts of Porsche, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, British sports cars, Italian exotics, and countless other automotive communities. The day we visited the local Miata Club had a Cars and Coffee event. The relaxed setting creates a great atmosphere were car owners and visitors enjoy the grounds as much as the cars and comradery.
For Southern Motoring Society, the Larz Anderson Auto Museum represents more than a destination, it’s about preservation of automotive heritage and sharing that history with enthusiasts.
Whether you’re planning a New England road trip or simply searching for a place where history and the birth of the automobile in America meet, this Boston landmark deserves a place on every enthusiast’s itinerary.
For more info of events and to plan your visit check out their website