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uch like the mechanical masterpieces housed within, the Petersen Automotive Museum has a complex interior of many moving parts surrounded by a shiny, sleek exterior. Since reopening in 2015 after undergoing a $90 million transformation, the museum’s attendance has skyrocketed, recently surpassing 4 million. In homage to founder Robert Petersen’s Hot Rod Magazine and the cars it features, the exterior was painted an eye-catching red and shiny stainless-steel ribbons were affixed. Like the curves and chrome of a custom street machine, the building has an aesthetic that is a tribute to the automobile. “It embodies the essence and look of an automobile moving,” said Deputy Mu-
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seum Director Michael Bodell. “We’ve seen an immediate impact with the public response. It’s driven by the elevated architecture of the building and the exhibits we’re are doing.” “It embodies the essence and look of an automobile moving.” Michael Bodell, Deputy Museum Director
The museum’s mission is to explore and present the history of the automobile and its global impact using Los Angeles as a prime example. It’s location at Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, one of the busiest crossroads in the city,
places it at the heart of local automotive culture. The museum is also an anchor for the Miracle Mile and its vibrant Museum Row, where it keeps company with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, the Craft & Folk Art Museum, and soon, the Academy Museum. If location is everything, then the Petersen is in the driver’s seat. The museum was founded in 1994 by publishing magnate Petersen and his wife Margie, who wanted a location to showcase rare and beautiful automobiles but also to educate people about the automotive industry, its history and milestones. The vehicles and exhibits were always displayed in context with automotive
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE KAHN MEDIA/PETERSEN AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM
The Petersen puts patrons in the driver’s seat.