A New Cultural Engine

Why Whatcom County?

This is where creativity, craftsmanship, and the open road converge.

Whatcom County already attracts millions of visitors with its mountains, waterways, trails, scenic drives, music festivals, beer scene and easy access to both Seattle and British Columbia. In 2024, nearly 3.5 million visitors spent $775.9 million locally, demonstrating that tourism is already a powerful economic engine. Yet the region has an opportunity to broaden its appeal with more year-round arts and cultural destinations. A transportation museum would complement Whatcom County’s celebrated outdoor recreation while offering residents and visitors an engaging indoor experience in every season.


One capable of becoming a year-round destination in its own right.


The museum would  grow from an active local community of collectors, enthusiasts, craftspeople, restoration specialists, and transportation businesses. Its appeal, however, would extend far beyond cars. Through design, engineering, history, art, education, and regional storytelling, it could connect generations and welcome people with many different interests. By attracting visitors, creating permanent jobs, supporting nearby restaurants, hotels, and retailers, and providing new educational and community programs, as well as hub for the regions thriving car culture scene, the museum and its supporting events and facilities would strengthen the regional economy while remaining rooted in Whatcom County’s identity.


How Transportation Museums Impact Community

These examples illustrate the economic benefit of similar centers

Museum Location Scale and visitation Direct museum activity Visitor and community impact Destination effect Source
National Corvette Museum Bowling Green, Kentucky 238,000 museum visitors in 2023; 116 school groups representing 4,570 students. The museum campus, Motorsports Park, and insurance operation employed more than 200 people in 2023 across collections, maintenance, design, marketing, retail, events, administration, and other roles. A 2022 impact study found $33.9 million in off-site visitor spending. Combined with museum operating expenditures, direct local spending reached $52.6 million; total business sales reached $85.4 million. Identified by Bowling Green tourism officials as a leading regional attraction and a major driver of visitor activity. https://www.corvettemuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2023-National-Corvette-Museum-Annual-Report-PDF.pdf
LeMay – America’s Car Museum Tacoma, Washington Approximately 90,000 visitors in 2024; also serves thousands of students through school and STEM/STEAM programming. Recent tax filings show annual expenses of roughly $7 million, including nearly $2 million in nonexecutive salaries and wages in one reporting year. Supports additional spending through lodging, dining, fuel, retail, private events, and visits to neighboring Tacoma attractions; no museum-specific visitor-spending study was identified. Strengthens Tacoma’s regional tourism offer and provides the closest large-scale Washington comparison for a Whatcom County transportation museum. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/lemay-americas-car-museum%2C911867848/
Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum and Park Birmingham, Alabama More than 250,000 annual visitors, with a recent figure of approximately 270,000; museum size is about 228,650 square feet. Supports museum operations, collections, events, grounds, hospitality, education, race operations, vendors, and contractors. Its Vintage Festival has attracted more than 70,000 attendees. The museum and associated motorsports development have been reported to generate more than $2.5 billion in economic activity since inception. Functions as an internationally recognized motorsports destination that draws visitors for the museum, races, festivals, and driving programs. https://www.barbermuseum.org/collection/facts-about-the-collections/
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum Indianapolis, Indiana More than 190,000 annual visitors; over 150,000 guests visited during the months following its 2025 reopening. A $60.5 million renovation expanded the museum and created construction, design, fabrication, technology, and museum-sector work. The broader Speedway ecosystem generates approximately $1.058 billion in annual economic activity, supports about 8,440 direct and indirect full-time-equivalent jobs, and produces roughly $360 million in labor income. Extends Indianapolis’s motorsports identity into a year-round tourism experience beyond major race dates. https://imsmuseum.org/about-us/
Petersen Automotive Museum Los Angeles, California One of the largest and most internationally recognized automotive museums in the United States. Its 2024 IRS filing reports approximately $28 million in annual revenue, $28.1 million in annual expenses, and roughly 249 employees. Museum operations support payroll, exhibit fabrication, professional services, security, hospitality, retail, maintenance, marketing, education, and local purchasing. Helps make Los Angeles’s Museum Row a destination and demonstrates the appeal of automotive culture across art, design, education, events, retail, and hospitality. https://philanthropy.org/990/report/954739699/petersen-automotive-museum
The Henry Ford Dearborn, Michigan Major transportation, industrial-history, and innovation destination encompassing multiple attractions and programs. In 2024, the institution reported approximately $92.8 million in operating support and revenue and $92.7 million in operating expenses. Revenue included about $16 million from admissions, $19.2 million from restaurants and catering, $9.2 million from memberships, and $1.5 million from retail. Operates as a destination complex that supports repeat visits through museums, immersive history, food, events, transportation, technology, and education. https://www.thehenryford.org/docs/thehenryfordlibraries/annual-reports/2024-annual-report.pdf

A Whatcom County transportation museum would not need to match the scale of the Petersen, Barber, or The Henry Ford to create meaningful economic impact. The National Corvette Museum shows how a transportation attraction in a midsize community can generate substantial off-site spending, with visitors spending nearly $34 million in one year at hotels, restaurants, retailers, and other attractions. LeMay – America’s Car Museum offers the closest regional comparison, drawing about 90,000 annual visitors while supporting education, events, tourism, museum employment, and millions of dollars in operations. Even at a smaller scale, a Whatcom County museum could create direct jobs, increase business for local hospitality and retail providers, and complement the region’s outdoor tourism with a dependable year-round destination that encourages longer stays and attracts visitors during rainy and shoulder-season months.