Marshall Steam Museum /Friends of Auburn Heights
Cause Area
- Arts & Culture
- Children & Youth
- Community
- Seniors
- Sports & Recreation
Location
3000 Creek RdP. O. Box 61Yorklyn, DE 19736 United StatesWebsite:
http://www.AuburnHeights.orgOrganization Information
Mission Statement
The mission of the Friends of Auburn Heights is to connect generations to foster excitement for Auburn Valley State Park, steam-era technology and American life at the dawn of the automotive age. The Auburn Heights estate (within Auburn Valley State Park, formerly Auburn Heights Preserve) includes the Marshall family home and carriage house listed on the National Register of Historic Places, site of the first Stanley automobile dealership in Delaware; the Marshall Steam Museum, housing a world-class collection of vintage automobiles; a 1/8-size live steam railroad operating on the property; and approximately 456 acres of surrounding park land.
Description
Less than five minutes from the center of Hockessin, the Marshall Steam Museum at Auburn Heights offers visitors a chance to step back in time and experience life at the dawn of the automotive age. The now-museum was built by T. Clarence Marshall in 1947 to house his growing collection of antique automobiles. Today, visitors can enjoy the many treasures at Auburn Heights thanks to the generosity and vision of Clarence’s son, Tom, and his wife, Ruth. In 2008, they gifted to Delaware State Parks the estate land and buildings, including a beautiful 1897 Queen Anne mansion that was the Marshall home, while donating to the Friends of Auburn Heights, a 501(c)3 charitable organization, the extraordinary vehicles of the Marshall collection. The museum features the world’s largest operating collection of Stanley steam cars, a 1916 electric car, and two 1930s Packards, in addition to the Auburn Valley Railroad with its 1/8th-size coal-fired steam and diesel trains that circle the property.