Larz Anderson Auto Museum

Located slightly northwest of Harvard's Arnold Arboretum and within a residential area is Larz Anderson Park. A relatively small park compared to others in the area, but within this park contains a grand carriage house built during the Victorian era and housed within is the oldest automotive collection in the United States dating back to before the 20th century. 

The park and the auto museum are named after French born American diplomat Larz Anderson. He had a long diplomatic career serving as secretary to the United Kingdom, Italy, and later ambassador to Belgium and Japan. He also served briefly in the Spanish-American War and had family members that fought in the American Revolution and Civil War. In 1896, he met Isabel Weld Perkins from Boston who in 1881 had inherited around $5 million from her grandfather, shipping magnate William Fletcher Weld after his death. Anderson and Perkins were married in 1897, and one of the properties they owned was a large carriage house in Brookline built in 1889. 

To celebrate his long diplomatic career, Anderson enjoyed living lavishly and in particular enjoyed spending money on cars and carriages. From 1899 until his death in 1937, the couple owned 32 cars, 24 carriages, and 6 horse drawn sleighs. They aimed to buy a new vehicle every year and much of the collection was auctioned off by Isabel after her husband's death but 14 cars still remain in their original untouched collection. They are:

• 1899 Winton Phaeton

• 1900 Rochet-Schneider

• 1901 Winton Bullet

• 1903 Gardner-Serpollet

• 1905 Electromobile

• 1906 Charron-Girodot et Voigt

• 1907 Fiat

• 1908 Bailey Electric

• 1910 Panhard et Levassor

• 1912 Renault 

• 1916 Packard Twin Six

• 1924 Renault Torpedo

• 1925 Luxor Taxi

• 1926 Lincoln Limousine

The majority of the surviving cars were made prior to World War I and offer a very rare close-up look into automotives during the early 20th century, several of which are the last surviving examples anywhere in the world. Because none of them have been restored, they are like time capsules and relics frozen in time. The Andersons began showing their collection to the public in 1927 and the museum was formally established after Isabel's death in 1948. To the present day, the museum continues to acquire new vehicles for their collection which are displayed and rotated frequently. 

The Larz Auto Museum may not be the largest automotive museum, but their continuously maintained collection dating back to 1899 makes it the oldest in the United States. The carriage house also has a grand and magnificent interior which has the perfect ambience for viewing historical automobiles. If you have an interest in vintage and antique cars, the museum is definitely worth visiting.