Owls Head Transportation Museum

The Owls Head Transportation Museum is the place to go in Owls Head, Maine to get your fill of antique automobiles, bicycles, motorcycles, and aircraft, all in one place. It is located on Route 73 at the Knox County Airport and is open to the public all year round, from 10AM to 5PM, except for Christmas day, New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and the museum’s annual Volunteer Day.

The museum is a non-profit organization and was founded in 1974 to collect, preserve, and increase the appreciation of the evolution of transportation through the ages. It has an impressive collection of antique modes of transportation that span from the 1800s to the 1980s. It spans over 100,000 square feet of exhibit and storage space, with its displays arranged in an airplane like hangar which allows for maximum appreciation and vantage points for visitors.

Horseless Carriage

One of the museum’s impressive collections is over 25 different types of engines produced from the years 1880 to 1946, ranging from steam to gasoline engines, automobile, marine, and aircraft engines. Bicycles made from 1868 to 1935 are also available for public viewing in the museum. The Orient Ladies Bicycle made in 1900 is one fine example of a bicycle type still being based on bicycle types today.

The largest collection in the museum is the automobile collection, with over fifty models from 1885 to 1980. See the 1885 Benz, the first automobile that had an internal gasoline engine. It was the brainchild of Karl Benz, a German engine designer and founder of Mercedes-Benz. Visitors can also see the first ever mini-van, invented by William B. Stout in 1936 called the Stout Scarab, one of only six ever produced.

There are about 13 examples of carriages made from 1849 to 1910, nine motorcycles produced from 1913 to 1953, and 28 different types of aircraft from 1804 to 1946, with a combination of originals and replicas in the collection. One notable aircraft is the 1917 Fokker Dr. I triplane, flown by Manfred Von Richthofen, the German fighter pilot during World War known as the Red Baron.

1917 Fokker Dr.I Triplane

Aside from the collection, the Owls Head Transportation Museum also holds annual educational events, like aviation shows and demonstrations, workshops and lectures. The museum also offers guided tours, free of charge for groups like families and other non-profit groups. Details of scheduled events and other information may be viewed at their website at www.ohtm.org or you can also send an email to: info@ohtm.org or call 207-594-4418.