I almost missed one of the best spots to visit in New Mexico because I was just watching the road. When we first drove past it, and my wife and our friend pointed out the Classical Gas Museum, I thought it had something to do with Mason Williams and the Smothers Brothers.
“No,” she said. “Go back. You want to go there.” As usual, she was right. And so were PortMoresby and George G, who correctly identified our site.
If you ever wondered what a Los Alamos scientist would think up for a second career, this is it. It’s the single-handed project of Johnnie Meier, who has a scientific theory: We all collect things; it’s in our hunter-gatherer genes. And what Johnnie Meier collects is everything to do with cars and especially gas stations.
Halfway between Taos and Santa Fe, he bought two acres in Embudo and by 1997, the Classical Gas Museum was open. It’s on Highway 68, by the way, not Route 66. Oh, well.
Despite its out-of-the-way location, it’s not unknown in the wider world. It has frequently been called on to provide vintage pumps for movie scenes, and was a stop along the way for a publicity tour a few years ago for VW’s first hybrid.
Not everything is explicitly gas station, but everything’s somehow connected to the road.
That’s Johnnie Meier, above. Despite what seems like an endless state of disrepair, Meier actually does some restoration… but there’s so little time, and so much to collect before it’s lost or destroyed.
And in a way, the charm is much greater as is; a gleaming display of everything shiny would seem less like a visit to the past than an uncomfortable time warp.
No, the diner isn’t open—but someday, maybe. In the meantime, Bob’s Big Boy stands by, ready to serve.
The museum is free, but takes donations for local causes. The hours are whenever Johnnie is there, which is almost always. Well worth a stop, or even a trip.
Ready for life on the road? Two mini-trailers await new life.
Room for some remnants of domestic life, too…
And for those of you puzzled by the reference at the top, or who remember it fondly, here’s the other Classical Gas…
Author’s apologies: the uploaded version was not the final one (not sure how that happened!), and didn’t contain the credit for Port Moresby and George G, who correctly identified the site. The article has now also been updated.
Classic taste of Americana!
Man, I absolutely drool over these vintage American museum collections. I had one of those metal push pedal cars when I was a kid in the mid 1950’s. My brother had a red metal fire truck and we would race in the dirt. Wonder what happened to that old stuff. I remember my mom wanting my dad to stop at certain gas stations where they would give you a piece of dishware or some kind of collectible item. I’m going to enlarge some of these photos to see hidden treasures of the past.
I still have a few “gas station glasses” among the odds and ends at home…and the gas was around 23.9 at the time…
You MUST have bought something that caught your eye Paul ? – Just like a candy shop !
We like to keep our baggage size and count down (as well as the clutter at home), so I’m mostly living with National Park rules: “Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints…”