The National Motorcycle Museum In Iowa To Close in 2023!

Original Article Here: https://www.advrider.com/get-to-the-national-motorcycle-museum-while-you-can/?ute_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter-01-31-2023

Got your summer riding trips planned? You might want to think about a trip to the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa, while you still can—the museum’s owners plan to cease operations on September 5, 2023, unless something changes.

A press release from the museum says visitation has been low in recent years, which could cut hard into the institution’s income. While museums often rely heavily on private donations to pay the bills, in our current world of financial turbulence and rising costs, any income available would have been a big help in keeping the lights on, and COVID-19’s impact over the past three years didn’t help things.

If you haven’t been to the museum, and you really want to go, there’s still time. The museum’s leadership wants to remain open until September to give riders a last chance to visit, and perhaps spur interest from other parties in keeping the doors open. If that doesn’t happen, then the museum’s collection will be auctioned off and the bikes sent to the museum on loan will be returned to their owners. The museum’s inventory includes many machines from the Parnham’s personal collection, which would be included in the sale.

This news should come as no surprise, as the museum has been experiencing tough times for a while now, particularly since 2020. While this museum, situated to the northeast of Cedar Rapids, does not have the same size and reputation as the Barber museum in Alabama, it is most certainly a worthwhile place to visit.