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    Motte Historical Museum

    4.8 (38 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

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    1960s
    Tania T.

    What a gem! This place is amazing!!! My husband and I took our 21 month old toddler here because he loves car and we were somewhat curious about this place. And let me te you, we were not disappointed. It's kinda located in the middle of nowhere, but there's plenty of parking space! They close pretty early, so make sure to check the hours before going. The whole museum is open to public, and is FREE. They do accept donations though. The whole experience probably would take you about 30 to 45 mins, maybe longer if you like to linger around, taking pics, or just staring at these beauties. They have a guestbook that you can sign and they are open as a venue for weddings, party, etc. Our toddler loves this place and were really enjoying the cars on display. He was kicking and screaming when it was time to go. Definitely recommend this place, super family friendly, and just a cool place for those that are into cars from the olden days.

    Large barn structure houses the classic cars.
    Lianne K.

    Imagine a giant barn structure, with a historic vibe and cool architecture, filled with lovingly restored cars. You can not only imagine it, you can visit it in Menifee. The Motte family, area farming pioneers, started collecting cars decades ago. They graciously share their acquisitions with the public, free of charge. Inside the barn, there's also a gift shop, plus a mini soda fountain. On the second level, there's a series of display boards depicting history of the valley. The cars span the birth of the horseless carriage era to the 50s. The paint jobs are so shiny and substantial. Very impressive! Love the gleaming chrome and general excellent condition of these classics. Each vehicle has a placard describing the significance of its manufacturing, and the tie to the Motte family. A number of the collection's cars and trucks took decades to restore. The labor-of-love vibe is evident in this sweet venue. It was worth the long drive to visit the site. Many weddings and other special events take place at the barn. It's a great spot for a milestone birthday celebration. The hostess told us all the cars are drive-able, and move out of the barn for large events. I enjoyed browsing through several photo books with past events. The building and collection offer a great backdrop for unique photos. Dear Hubby just reminded me to report how friendly and informative the hostess was. She was really welcoming. When she learned we drive out from Ventura County for the afternoon, she recommended checking out the Orange Empire Railroad Museum. Great suggestion, so that we doubled our experience in the area.

    Wayne S.

    The Motte Historical Museum of classic automobiles is a must see for any motor enthusias,car fan,historical fan as well as familys, couples,and so cal visitors and travelers! The museum,located in the historical Southern California community of Menifee,features a terrific collection of classic automobiles! The Motte Historical Museum was the dream of the Motte Brothers for the community as well as car fans alike.Open Wed-Sundays,the staff is a terrific group of knowlegdeable historical car enthusiasts! The friendly team offers great information for all its visitors!Be sure bring your camera,mobile,or pad fully charged because the Motte lets you capture all the pictures you like-lots of Instagram and selfie postables here! The museum is also available for special events,receptions,weddings and business events. Plenty of free parking and I-215 freeway close you'll have a great time at The Motte Historical Museum! . . . . #motte #mottehistoricalmuseum #seetheusa #menifee #menifeecalifornia #classiccars #carcollections #seetheusa #ilovecars #greatoldcars #museums #360photography #waynesalvatti #carphotography #automuseums #california #cars #ricohpentax #instagram #selfies #photografxworldwide #mobilephone #social #family #placestosee #socal

    Jenita P.

    Wow I cannot believe I've never been here before! I've lived in the area for years and always saw this barn looking place but never knew what was inside it! There's a small coffee truck outside of this place that I've been wanting to try also for years so when I finally had a chance to go there I decided to stop here and was in for a surprise! This place is awesome if you love cars! Great place to bring the kids and teach them some history on cars! I got there a little after opening and the lady didn't have the greatest attitude but I helped myself to seeing the cars and it was a good stop to kill some time! They also have car shows every so often! They rent out the space for events also!

    Louise C.

    We went here for the first time. We came here two other times but it was closed. It's a fun place if you are into old cars. You can also rent the place for parties and receptions. They let you take photos of the cars. Admission is free..which is nice. We moved from San Diego a year ago and nothing in San Diego is free! It's a perfect place to bring family and friends from out of town.

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    6 months ago

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    1 month ago

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    6 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    7 months ago

    I love this landmark. Its a hidden jewel. I love the cars, the people and the entire building. Go and take your family!!!!

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    8 months ago

    What a treasure this place is. The people who work there are so kind as well. We will go back many times.

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    4 years ago

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    9 months ago

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    2 years ago

    Great Museum with a lot of nice cars! Free entry. They also do stuff for kids like Easter Egg Hunts. Great place and a great family.

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    8 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    My dad who is 86 loved seeing some of the cars from back in his day. I did not not know this place existed and right in my neighborhood.

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Outstanding museum and free. They also support the car community - a real gem in Romoland

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    11 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Cool place, get close to really nice classic cars, would recommend this place for anyone who loves classic cars

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    13 years ago

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    Ask the Community - Motte Historical Museum

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    Its FREE the museum is a 501(C) 3 non profit. We accept donations

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    Review Highlights - Motte Historical Museum

    Each vehicle has a placard describing the significance of its manufacturing, and the tie to the Motte family.

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    For my Mom's 82nd birthday, she requested to come here, as she had read about finding prehistoric…read morebones here years ago and subsequent museum being built, but had never made it to visit. She was quite happy about finally seeing the museum! Located on a school campus, the museum sits back a ways from the parking lot across a courtyard from the school building. Parking and walkways are shared between visitors and students alike. The museum is bright and airy, having a nice flow from room to room, through timeline to timeline. The displays are beautifully constructed with thorough yet engaging text to explain each finding or display. The exhibit rooms are large enough to give that gasp that comes with being in the presence of creatures of such size, but cozy enough to linger and read without being overwhelmed. There are hands-on activities for youths and those young at heart, a children's play and explore area, and a theater/presentation area. We really enjoyed the presentation that brought the area to "life" through a realistic, animated depiction. We sat on molded rocks, which was fun. When students came, they sat on the floor. It was cool and quiet. The bathrooms were clean and easily accessible. There's a small gift shop with some eye catching toys, jewelry, snacks, etc.

    Great walk through museum…read more Make sure to get a few pages and crayons to color in the scavenger hunt. They have a mastodon and a mammoth. Never knew the difference until my visit. Check out the most complete giant sloth and juvenile mammoth I've seen.

    Southern California Railway Museum - Old Train and Railroad Equipment.

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    This was my first time at the Southern California Railway Museum. We went for the Thomas & Friends…read more"Day Out with Thomas" event. I have to share how impressed I was with the event from beginning to end. The JROTC or other military program was there volunteering their time to put on this event. When boarding the trains, they asked if I needed assistance with Tristan's wheelchair and getting him on the train. They also asked if we needed a quieter cab because Tristan has Autism. This made us feel extremely welcomed because my son and Godson both have Autism. It was not only inclusive but equitable. There was also plenty of handicap parking when entering. Have your placard up so they know where to direct you. The entrance fee includes a ride with Thomas and is $30.85 per person. If you'd like, you can also ride Percy for an extra $10. Of course we rode both. This event is not super large and it wasn't overly crowded. That could've been due to the rain. They do allow outside food and drinks in which helps with cost. The only suggestions I'd make is to offer more seating areas. Seating seemed to be limited even with the small crowd. Another suggestion would be to have a quiet tent for kiddos to wind down in. They had games, a hay maze, bouncers, dance tent, infant changing tent, access to the museums, opportunities to ride, photo opportunities, the museum guest shop, the Thomas guest shop, and food vendors. If your children love trains, definitely take them. Next week is the last week for Thomas and he won't be back until next year.

    Nice museum sadly some barn was close but it's was awesome to ride those old trolley…read more ------ But some railroad and demo aquipment need maintainace and need to be fixed

    Museum of Make Believe - Much to look at all around

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    A hidden gem (quite literally) in Laguna Beach, the Museum of Make Believe truly lives up to the…read morewhimsy and magic it seeks to bestow upon its travelers. Highly recommend to anyone seeking a trip of puzzle-mystery with a nostalgic edge. Huge shoutout to Sabrina & Sylvan for guiding us along the way and their warm hospitality.

    Super cute, whimsical and magical experience at the Museum of Make Believe…read more After seeing some Instagram posts and reels about the cute space, my friend and I decided to stop by to visit for a day trip. You do choose a time slot to enter, but due to traffic we were going to be a little bit late. We called and let the staff know and it was no biggie. Parking is a bit confusing since it's near a very busy road and residential area, so just make sure you're not parking where you can get fined or towed. After some confusion, we parked in the structure (unclear if allowed or not, but subsequently nothing happened. Phew!). The museum is located at the business plaza building and immediately stands out with it's beautiful storefront and the door that looks like it's out of a fairytale. Immediately we were welcomed by Sabrina, who was not only super informative (but in an easy to understand, not overwhelming way), but super friendly and made our visit that much more amazing. She knows the lore, knew the key and critical points to swoop in to enhance the magic (like when we went to ask the wise wizard some questions), and was very accommodating overall. The people really do make the magic. During your visit, you can opt to do the scavenger hunts and answer the riddles for some prizes and it varies in difficulty from easy to hard, but everything is open to interpretation based on YOUR IMAGINATION. It's the Museum of Make Believe for a reason. The attention to detail is immaculate, from the miniatures and dioramas, the foliage on the ceiling to the ground, and even in the water closet, there's so much to see and you can easily spend a long time just taking everything in. I won't include spoilers but I love that there's not just a lot to see, but to experience through sound and even smell! Lots of thought went into this museum and I'm glad it's getting expanded as well! Can't wait to see what the future holds for such a magical place!

    Motte Historical Museum - museums - Updated June 2026

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