The American Treasure Tour is a 100,000 square foot collection of Americana spanning five decades that is so large visitors must take a tram to see it all. The tour begins with an impressive collection of antique musical instruments, including nickelodeons and player pianos. Visitors then board the tram to view displays hanging from the ceiling and along the sides, including 800 pieces of old store animation and a life-sized Steiff elephant. The collection also includes a vast assortment of classic cars, signs, and other pop culture memorabilia. Because the collection continues to grow, visitors often return for new discoveries.

1. Americana Treasure Trove
A collection that is so big, you’ll have to ride a tram to view it all
by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger, photographs by Mark Van Scyoc
I
f you drive by the old Goodrich tire plant
off Route 422 on your way to the Valley Forge
National Historical Park, you would probably
not think twice about this repurposed, nondescript
building. But step inside, and you will be amazed at
the eye-popping, eclectic collection ofAmericana
awaiting you.
AmericanTreasureTour, a unique assemblage of
antiques, kitsch and pop culture, currently spans
100,000 square feet and features a tram ride so
visitors can see all of it. The collection took five
decadestoacquire,anditsowner,tothisday,remains
anonymous.
“He would rather the collection take the spotlight,”
explains DirectorVirginia Frey.
Music Extravaganza
The 90-minute tour begins on the second
floor where a guide leads you through a collection
that promises to be a sometimes strange but always
interesting experience.
“And if you’re not careful, you might learn some-
thing,” historian and lead guide Ross Brakman cau-
tions with a smile.
One of the first stops on the tour, an impressive
collection of musical instruments, is also the most
popular, Brakman tells us.
“Car clubs that come in to view the automobiles
will tell me how much they love the nickelodeons
becauseofthemechanicalengineeringbehindthem,”
he says. “They are truly mechanical masterpieces.”
The collection, reportedly one of the largest in
the world, features an array of antique,
early20thcenturyautomaticmechanical
music machines that spring to life via a
modern-dayiPadthatBrakmanoperates.
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(above) The first stop on
the American Treasure
Tour is the collection of
musical instruments that
includes many nickel-
odeons and the popular
Mills Violano Virtuoso
double violin player.
(far right) Car clubs
come to the museum to
see the large collection
of automobiles, includ-
ing this 1914 Liberty
Brush with wooden
axles. The collection is
so vast, tours are given
on electric trams.
When you Go:
AmericanTreasureTouris
locatedat122MillRoadin
Oaks,MontgomeryCounty.
Thefacilityishandicapped
accessibleandopenyear-
round.
Toviewtheeclectic
collectiontakesabitof
preplanningsincewalk-in
toursarenotavailableuntil
thetownshipgrantsmodifi-
cationapproval,something
expectedtobecompleted
bythespring.Untilthen,
advancedreservationsfor
groupsofanysizecanbe
madebycalling866-970-
8687(TOUR)9a.m.to4p.m.,
MondaythroughThursday,
or9a.m.to1p.m.Friday.
Forthosewhowantto
makeadayofit,acatered
buffetisavailablefor
groupsof20ormore,and
restaurant-stylemealscan
bearrangedforsmaller
gatherings.
americantreasuretour.com
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Pennsylvania Magazine | November/December 2015 1312 Vol. 38, No. 6 | www.pa-mag.com
Montgomery County
Joiningthenickelodeonsarecalliopes,PianOrchestras,
dancehall organs, player pianos and massive band
organswithcolorfulblinkinglightdisplaysmadeeven
more dramatic when the room lights are dimmed.
Many guests express amazement at the pristine
condition of all of the antique machines, including
one of the oldest, the “Encore Automatic Banjo,”
which dates back to 1897, and the Mills Violano
Virtuoso double violin, deemed one of the eight
great inventions of the decade by the U.S. Patent
Office at theWorld’s Fair in Seattle in 1909. Back in
the day, music lovers willing to part with five cents
could observe the two violins in action as small,
electric-powered rollers manipulated their strings.
Another curiosity is the two-tiered arranger’s piano
once owned by J. Lawrence Cook, the most prolific
piano roll artist in history.The instrument was used
to compose approximately 20,000 roll recordings.
Movie buffs, in particular, will enjoy the rare, 1924
photo player on display among the musical instru-
ments. The 2,500-pound machine is capable of
producing 35 sounds, from train whistles to horns
to bird tweets, when piano-like pedals located on
the bottom of the device are operated.
“Onlyaround100ofthesesurvive,andwehave12of
them,” says Frey. “They were pretty much destroyed
overnight when talkies came out.”
Towards the end of the music tour, guests can walk
among and closely inspect a beautiful collection of
antique, handmade music boxes on loan from the
Music Box Society International.
A Tram Ride through History
For the second half of the tour, we board a tram,
which will whisk us through a warehouse filled with
displays hanging from the ceiling and flanking both
sides of the car. Blinking is barely an option for those
who want to view it all.
Approximately 800 pieces of old store animation
come to life when the tram rolls by, and guests de-
light at a life-sized Steiff elephant with automated
waving ears and a collection of animated clowns who
entertain with their flips, jumps and rolls.
Among the modern pop culture memorabilia on
display are movie posters, a 20-foot-tall shoe from
a promotion for the now-defunct cable network
“Wedding Central” and a castle constructed with
400,000 Popsicle sticks. More recent acquisitions
include a five-foot-tall head ofAlbert Einstein and
a full-size painted cow named Cowlamity Jane.
Brakman describes another newly acquired collec-
tion, a quirky and fun display that emerged from the
imagination of local teacher and artist Bob Omrod.
“He creates his pieces using ‘found’ objects and
specializes in miniature dioramas on pop culture,”
Brakman says.
Many curious visitors come to theAmericanTrea-
sureTour for the car collection alone. Some of the
oldest models on display include a 1905 Franklin, a
1909 Sears motorbuggy, a 1907ABC, a 1905 curved-
dash Oldsmobile, a 1914 Woods Mobilette, a 1914
Liberty Brush with wooden axles and a 1922 Stanley
Steamer.Brakmantellsusthe1909ABCisoneofonly
three known to exist. Early ads describe the car as “a
fine hill climber with speeds up to 35 miles per hour.
Air or water cooled, with solid, or pneumatic tires.”
“There is so much cool stuff housed here,” says
Tom Clarke of Princeton, N.J., who is touring the
collection with his wife. The couple often visits
vintage “retro” locations as part of a group they
belong to called Retro Roadmap. “I really enjoyed
the collection of vintage signs and classic cars and
delivery trucks.
“And I just didn’t think I’d be as impressed with the
player-piano collection as I actually was,” he adds.
Because items continue to be added to the vast
collection, visitors often return to take another tour.
“Theytellmeitfeelslikeadifferentexperienceeach
timebecausethereisjustsomuchtosee,”saysFrey .
—Stephanie Kalina-Metzger writes from Camp Hill in Cumberland County.