VOLO — The pandemic life has not been an idle one for crews at the Volo Auto Museum.When the doors at 27582 Volo Village Road reopen, fans of the museum will surely marvel at the many transformations. Opening day is set for May 14, rain or shine, as long as the region is in Coronavirus Response Phase 4 or better.Among the monumental upgrades taking root here since March 2020 has been an indoor Jurassic Gardens adventure featuring several dozen lifelike — and many life-size — animatronic dinosaurs, plus a gift shop, arcade, fossil dig an...

"Knight Rider" premiered on NBC in 1982 and would stay on the air for four seasons. The show made David Hasselhoff an international superstar, and it also made a star out of its premiere car, the KITT.Hasselhoff's character, Michael Knight, was the series protagonist and drove KITT, the Knight Rider Pontiac Trans Am, while fighting crime. One of the show's big twists was that the KITT was enabled with artificial intelligence (AI) and could speak. The KITT was loved by audiences tuning in and quickly became one of the most famous TV cars of t...

This blue van, with its iconic orange flowers and groovy green accents, captured the imaginations of many when the "Scooby-Doo" franchise first hit television screens across America. Throughout the franchise's run, the Scooby-Doo van, also known as the Mystery Machine, has almost been a character in itself, starring alongside Scooby-Doo, Shaggy Rogers, Velma Dinkley, Daphne Blake and Fred Jones. This teenage gang of mystery-solvers needed a ride that could help them go on adventures, crossing the country to remote locations to investigate su...

Volo Auto Museum delays reopening Grams family focuses on enhancements, visitor experience VOLO — The wait will be worth it. That is the promise of Volo Auto Museum owners, who’ve chosen to focus on ongoing improvements rather than reopening amidst restrictions that would diminish the guest experience. Brian Grams, director of the museum at 27582 Volo Village Road, noted that several fans have reminded him that Phase 4 of Illinois’ pandemic-prompted Restore Illinois plan allows museums to reopen. “Some folks have let us know they are pre...

It takes the average person a matter of seconds to decide whether or not they like a song. With modern technology, it's easier than ever before to find, listen to and save our favorite music. Most of us would have a difficult time imagining a world devoid of all recorded music. It enhances nearly every area of our lives, including road trips, waiting rooms and even grocery stores.  Of course, this wasn't always the case. Before the evolution of music listening brought us to where we are today, enjoying recorded music required more time an...

A NOTE TO OUR FANS   Here at the Volo Auto Museum, we pride ourselves on offering our visitors a second-to-none experience.   Anything less is unacceptable.   So, while Illinois appears to be on track to enter Phase 4 of its pandemic-prompted Restore Illinois plan in late June or early July, we won’t finalize our strategic reopening plan until we know more about the limitations Phase 4 would impose on a business like ours.   Trust us. We’d like nothing more than to welcome back our many longtime and loyal fans, as well as those new...

The Fast & Furious franchise has captivated movie-going audiences for years with fast cars and death-defying stunts. In addition to the explosive chase sequences and racing that the films offer, the films have produced characters beloved by fans.  One of the main characters is Dominic "Dom" Toretto, played by Vin Diesel, who has appeared in 7 of the 9 movies. As these movies are focused on cars, Dom's character isn't complete without his vehicle. Table of Contents What Car Does Dom Drive? The Car's Origin Common Questions About ...

Human history is filled with warfare between tribes, nations and empires. The equipment used in war has progressed from sharpened sticks and rocks to automatic guns and predator missiles. Each new piece of military technology changes the way people fight and the tactics employed. If you want to know how wars change over time, you have to understand the changes to military equipment. Table of Contents How Has War Developed Over Time? What Was War Like in the Revolutionary War? What Was War Like in the Civil War? What Was War Like in ...

  Bill Grams, co-founder of the Volo Auto Museum, died Tuesday, May 12, 2020, at the age of 77. He was a tremendous father, devoted husband, cherished brother, uncle and grandfather, and generous, caring brother-in-law. Often seen in the front row of the auctions of his longtime friend Dana Mecum, Bill was highly regarded and widely recognized by collectors large and small across the country. Chances are, in fact, if you participated in the collector car auction scene in the past several decades, you shared a laugh with Bill. Friendly, ...

  Here at the Volo Auto Museum, we found the upside to downtime, and we can’t wait to show you. While we’ve been closed to the public, our crews have been hard at work crafting even more magical things to see, upgrading existing exhibits and putting out all-new displays — all with your safety top of mind. Our museum features 33 jaw-dropping, no-touch exhibits spread over 150,000 square feet of indoor space, making social distancing a snap. And, upon our June 1 reopening (or as shortly thereafter as the fates will allow), we’ll feature a ne...