In 1979, two guys had many antique and collector autos stored in various places in the Peoria, Illinois area.  They started thinking about storing them in one place, such as a building on the north edge of the city.  Nothing could be found that suited their needs so they started thinking about erecting a building.  They found a 5 acre tract which looked good, bought it, and started thinking again.  They thought it would be nice if other hobbyists joined them so they could have a larger facility, and then they had their best thought of all--open it to the public and call it a Museum!