A video about the Newport Car Museum went viral. Now visitors are driving hours to see it.
PORTSMOUTH – What happens when a car enthusiast's video about his trip to your museum goes viral? Your museum gets more popular, of course!
The Newport Car Museum, which has steadily grown its collection and reputation since opening in 2017, has been averaging 1,000 visitors a week, with more and more of those visitors traveling impressive distances specifically to see the museum, according to a news release.
In fact, Michael Beard, Yurcel Paredes and Jose Rojas drove almost five hours from Patterson, New Jersey, to enjoy the museum after viewing Andrew Raudabaugh's TikTok video, which went viral (1.8 million views) last month and brought hundreds more young car enthusiasts through the museum’s doors.
Though self-proclaimed car fanatics, the New Jersey trio had never visited a car museum. "It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Paredes said in the release. "We thought if we were going to go see one, we might as well go big!"
What's in the Newport Car Museum?
With over 95 iconic, rare and exotic cars − almost twice as many as when it opened)− the Newport Car Museum boasts automotive wonders from the mid-1950s through to current times. Seven galleries tell the stories of World Cars, Porsches, Fin Cars, Corvettes, Ford/Shelby, Mopars and American Muscle, plus there are historic videos, artwork, an eclectic collection of mid-century modern furniture and, of course, a gift shop.
What's it like to be trending on TikTok?
“We love that we’re trending on TikTok and have reached a younger generation of car aficionados,” said Newport Car Museum Head Docent Vincent Moretti, “however, we’ve pretty much always attracted an equal mix of men, women, and children of all ages, from all over the world as well as driving distance away. We are constantly evolving and growing, and there are plenty of reasons to come visit for the first time or return to enjoy something new.”
The new Porsche gallery
What once was a pop-up exhibit, the Porche gallery is now permanent as the museum's seventh gallery, according to the release.The latest addition to the marque’s 15-car tribute is a coveted 1987 Porsche 959, still considered an engineering masterpiece full of game-changing technology. The museum’s Porsche collection also includes every Speedster developed to date, starting with a 1956 Porsche 356a Speedster.
The museum, located at 1947 West Main Road, Portsmouth, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Learn more at newportcarmuseum.org.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Newport Car Museum goes viral on TikTok, visitors flock to Portsmouth
