BOISE, Idaho — There's a museum in Boise you may have never heard of, probably because it's tucked away in an industrial park and it's open by appointment only.
The Yanke Motor Museum is a taste of Americana created by the late Ron Yanke, who was a successful Boise businessman.
Ron loved his cars and trucks. When visitors enter the museum,they're not greeted by the sounds of engines, but the melodies of a playing piano. Fast forward to the early 1950's by dropping a coin into the slot of a classic jukebox box.
"They were great collectors. The old man was a collector of big cars. You will see the Rolls Royce out here and things like that," said Jim Schwager with the Yanke Motor Museum.
This trip through Americana really starts in the huge warehouse, where Yanke has a collection of around 150 antique cars and trucks. The first one visitors see is Yanke's collection of Henry Ford's Model T's and Model N's.
Ford wanted the Model T to be afforable and durable. It was one of the first mass production vehicles that rolled off the lines in Detroit. There's a 37 Olds, a 31 Green Nash sedan, and a pink Cadillac. Then visitors see a fire truck pulled by a team of horses, classics with a lot of horsepower and a Paddy Wagon that horse collared bad guys and took them to the big house on the hill.
But before piling everyone in the car, make sure to call and make an appointment as it is the only way to get into the museum.
Whether you're a motor head or not, it'll be easy to get revved up remembering or imagining what those days were like.
