Really amazing place, amazing cars, and truly amazing staff. Don't miss out on this place seriously. Don't listen to that guy Grigor with the bad review he sounds like a real loser. I will be back to the Cobra Experience forsure! read more

The Cobra Experience - Just wow. - Museums Near Me - Martinez, California

This is one of the coolest car-related things I've ever done. The Cobra Experience (which is a non-profit) periodically has an event called "What's That Third Pedal For?" This event which happens bi-monthly provides an eclectic group of cars with a variety of transmissions to learn on. I had not driven a manual transmission car for at least 9 years (when I had parked a vintage Porsche 911 during a previous job - BOY that had a heavy clutch) and for $30.50 ($15.50 if you're between 15-20), this was an absolute no brainer! The cars provided today were a Nissan Pathfinder Northwest Edition, 2005 Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z51 package, 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350 289 HiPo, and a Superformance Shelby Cobra reproduction - not just any reproduction but the one that was used on-screen in Ford Vs. Ferrari(!!!). The course is designed to have participants get the chance to drive each car around a designated area surrounding the museum for 2 laps after receiving an initial ride-along lap with the instructor beforehand and parking in the designated 'pit' area to swap seats. This included multiple stop/starts to practice clutch release, upshifting and downshifting. All the cars appeared to be well-cared for and the instructors were super patient and helpful. My goal for this was to see if I could get through it without stalling. Not only did I manage this goal even with the GT350 and Cobra having no power brakes/power steering and super-heavy clutches, but all 4 instructors gave me high marks. What an absolute treat, and on top of that they gave each participant schwag bags filled to the brim and even a poster! WOW! I highly recommend this event alone as if you are looking to practice stick-shift. It's a fantastic way to do so in a safe, controlled environment as well as potentially drive special cars as a bonus for a very reasonable price. I'll definitely go back to the museum soon for a visit. Thank you to everyone the Cobra Experience, this was AWESOME! read more

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Great museum. Had a fun 18 minute video in a movie theater to watch. Had a variety of ways to "see" the cars. Models, paper clippings, patches.... Car enthusiast "show off" their cars outside with donuts before 10 in the days it's open. That added to the museum. Docents were very friendly and knowledgeable. $15 for adults and $12 for seniors. Great value for 2 hours. read more

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A great day out with my Dad. Located in an office building with a private parking lot. This is the perfect place for a Cobra Enthusiast. Very historical. There is a story board that tells you the history of the Cobra. If you are lucky there will be a car show out front. I learned a lot and highly suggest you visit. read more

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Fun Father's Day activity! Nice and clean facility. Friendly staff. Amazing history in a very unassuming location.

The Northern California Mothers of Twins Club Spring meeting was held at The Cobra Experience and Event Space, a museum filled with beautiful cars and exhibits, and the staff and crew were fantastic and friendly. We had an amazing time and truly a one of a kind experience!! If you get a chance stop by and check it out!! read more

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We held an event at the Cobra Experience and it was an amazing experience!! You are surrounded by beautiful expensive unique sports cars and the whole museum is decorated so well with so many details. I'm not even a huge car lover and I loved it!! The staff were so friendly and catered to our every need. I am so excited to bring my family back in the future to check out this wonderful place! read more

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Exciting place. Took my 17 y/o grandson who knew most if not all of the cars. Well displayed and our hostess added details even he didn't know. A great way to spend an afternoon read more

Although the Cobra Experience is a great place for all Cobra and Mustang auto enthusiasts, it's a great place to hold your venue at too! The staff are great to work with, very accommodating and super friendly! If you're thinking about hosting a small event, check this place out! read more

I attended a gathering of mother's of twins on Saturday at the Cobra Experience. It is a super venue for a meeting but I plan to go back often with my husband. We had a tour of the amazing cars and leaned so much about their history. The museum is clean and has plenty of parking. The workers treated us with care. If you are close to the Martinez area, check out the Cobra Experience! You will be glad you did! read more

Excellent museum experience. We took an impromptu tour of the building and it was very interesting and informative. It's certainly a relaxed atmosphere with very helpful staff. Additionally, the building is very clean. You will find the vast majority of the vehicles on display are original with many garnering historical significance. During our visit there were cobra's, gt350's, gt500's, Daytona's, and a GT40-P. Overall worth the visit. read more

First visit today. Fun car show in the parking lot. The museum was much bigger than i expected. So SO much to see inside. Excellent gift shop too. There is way too much to see in just 1 visit. Beautiful cars, super nice people, it was an excellent time had by all. We'll be back soon! read more

What a hidden gem. You literally can hear the roar of the history the moment you set foot inside

I have been there twice and would go back again. The complete showing of Cobras and Mustangs is worth it plus the machine shop from the Cobra plant in LA and of course the great movie in their theater. Don't forget to look at the two cars from the movie Ford vers Ferrari. read more

This was the most unique and highest value for event space I've ever encountered for a corporate event. The planning was seamless and execution flawless- they took all of the heavy lifting out of the planning and the food offering was by far above anyone's expectations. read more

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The museum itself is great - 5 stars for that. However, this place gets 0 stars for not following public health guidance. None of the employees were wearing a mask and most customers weren't either. This is during the highest peak of covid so far. This is also in direct violation of the California indoor mask mandate. When asked, one of the employees mentioned something about the museum being privately owned (so are all the restaurants who enforce a mask and vaccine mandate). Another employee said that they were just following the director's guidance. As much as I wanted to enjoy the beautiful cars I couldn't have a nice time because I was constantly trying to stay away from unmasked people. read more

Rare cars! Very friendly staff. Great opportunity to see and learn about the rare cars!

We didn't know what to expect -- free tickets were available through the local library's discover and go program. Our five-year-old twin boys had a lot of fun, looking at all the shiny muscle cars, the model cars, and then watching the 18 minute movie which made me want to go back to the swinging 60s. Now I know more than I ever thought possible about a car I've never heard about, and it was great fun. read more

I had a client appreciation party for 50+ people. Everyone enjoyed it. The food, the venue, the service all get rave reviews. I would recommend it to anyone who is having an event. And a lot of times it is easier getting women to come to a party than the men. Not so in this case. The men thoroughly enjoyed it! read more

The Cobra Experience is a great place to experience everything about Shelby Cobras. They have a large museum of the classic cars and a great movie theater for viewing the history of Shelby. Great event spaces you can rent, a chef is even included with the kitchen. Also available are actual original parts of the classic car with an on location store. For fans of the Cobra it is a great place to spend a Sunday. read more