GTO Man,

Correct, this is the show that Iola discontinued two years ago. IMHO, it’s a much better location.

The Motorama Auto Museum is only about 40 miles from Iola, but the grounds don’t bear any resemblance to Iola. First off, it’s out in the country, on private land, right along the Eau Claire river, and it’s in the woods. That means SHADE! Plus, if it gets too hot, you can go cool off in the river. Iola never offered kayaking or fishing!

It’s the second year in the new location, and they have continued to improve the grounds. We now have as many swap stalls available as Iola ever used for their Military Show. The Re-enactor’s Encampment is now as large as Iola’s area was. Electricity has been added to 1/2 of the camping space now, with lighting throughout. For campers, the temporary showers were a welcome addition, and a permanent shower building is scheduled for later this summer. In response to visitor requests, this will include outdoor showers too!

There are a few changes, mostly driven by insurance limitations, so no ammunition is for sale at the show. We do allow gun vendors, but only so long as their stock includes vintage military items too. (After all, it’s a Military Show, not a Gun Show.). Also, show-vehicles are prohibited from moving during the event, however they are welcome to explore the miles of trails on the property during the private participants’ party the day before the show.

As an added bonus, nearly the entire Motorama Auto Museum was open during the show. So when things got too hot outside, people went indoors and enjoyed the hundreds of unusual vehicles on display there. When was the last time you saw a Sabra, a Goliath, or a Zaporoget? We’ve even got a 1952 Disco Volante (one of maybe two in the world!!!!) on display.

Is this a “better” location? In my opinion yes. I worked the gate both days, so I had the opportunity to talk with visitors as they left. I did hear a couple critical comments, but by far the vast majority of people said they had a great time. We’re already making plans for a big motorcycle event, and hope to have the museum grounds host 3 or 4 large shows annually. The museum is open May through October, and is available for private events too.

It is, and at less than 3 hrs. from Madison, it makes an easy day trip.

However, if you are lucky enough to get Tom started telling stories, you’ll wish you’d taken a sleeping bag. Whether it’s his years of SCCA racing Alfa Romeos, the weird cars he’s built, or any of the other crazy stunts he’s been involved in, it’s entertaining.

If you haven’t been, GO.