Independent transportation museum

Lane Motor Museum

About 1.5 miles straight-line southeast on Murfreesboro Pike

Add a substantial independent transportation museum with more than 200 unusual vehicles on display, strong access guidance, free parking and weekend demonstrations.

The place

About Lane Motor Museum

Lane Motor Museum is a Nashville nonprofit transportation museum at 702 Murfreesboro Pike, about 1.5 straight-line miles from Tennessee Central Railway Museum. Founded in 2002 and opened to the public in 2003, it occupies the former Sunbeam Bakery and focuses on unusual vehicles, engineering solutions and transportation design rather than a single make or country.

The official collection page describes more than 550 vehicles in the collection and more than 200 on display at a time. Displays rotate, so a licensed gallery image establishes exact-place context but does not guarantee a specific microcar, monowheel or exhibit on the day of travel.

Current 2026 visitor information lists public hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with Tuesday and Wednesday closed. Adult admission is $15, seniors 65 and older $10, youth ages 6-17 $3, and children five and younger free. Recheck the live page for holidays and special programs.

The official accessibility page provides unusually detailed guidance: public exhibit areas are wheelchair-accessible, designated parking and accessible restrooms are available, manual wheelchairs are first-come, service animals are welcome and touch tours may be arranged. The Vault is excluded from touch tours, so contact staff before travel for a specific sensory, mobility or group plan.

What stands out

Compare unusual engineering

Move beyond familiar cars to microcars, prototypes, alternative layouts and vehicles built around different transportation constraints.

Use the former bakery floor

The broad Sunbeam Bakery building supports a rotating open display of more than 200 vehicles rather than a fixed one-room gallery.

Watch a vehicle demonstration

On weekends, target the current 11 a.m. demonstration while accepting that weather, maintenance or programming can change the vehicle.

Plan from published access detail

Use the museum's wheelchair, parking, restroom, service-animal and touch-tour guidance, then call for needs the page does not resolve.

Pair it with the train

Why it belongs in a Tennessee Central Railway Museum trip

Lane Motor Museum is the closest substantial promoted companion at about 1.5 miles straight-line southeast of the excursion depot. It ranks after Union Station because rail-specific relevance controls the first position. Use Lane for a separate half-day, a non-excursion morning or a shorter visit around museum hours; do not compress it into a full-day Watertown excursion window.

Before you go

Plan your visit

  • 2026 hoursMonday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday closed
  • 2026 admissionAdults 18-64 $15; seniors 65+ $10; youth 6-17 $3; children 5 and younger free; members free
  • Holiday closuresClosed New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day under the current visitor page
  • ParkingFree onsite parking with designated accessible spaces
  • Weekend demonstrationsVehicle demonstrations normally begin at 11:00 a.m. on weekends and are free with admission; verify live schedule
  • Collection scaleMore than 550 vehicles in the collection and more than 200 displayed at a time; exhibits rotate
  • Mobility accessPublic exhibit areas wheelchair-accessible; manual wheelchairs first-come; designated parking and accessible restrooms
  • Sensory accessService animals welcome and touch tours available by request, except in the Vault; contact staff in advance

Extend the rail story overnight

Add The Union Station Nashville Yards

Use Nashville's preserved L&N terminal as a booked hotel, meal or bar stop before or after the Tennessee Central excursion.

View the guide →

Useful answers

Frequently asked questions

When is Lane Motor Museum open?

The 2026 visitor page lists Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with Tuesday and Wednesday closed.

How much is admission?

Current 2026 prices are $15 for adults 18-64, $10 for seniors 65+, $3 for youth 6-17, and free for children five and younger and members.

Is parking free?

Yes. The official visitor page publishes free onsite parking, and the accessibility page identifies designated accessible spaces.

Is the museum wheelchair-accessible?

The official access page says all public exhibit areas are accessible and manual wheelchairs are available first-come. Call for a route-specific need.

Are touch tours available?

Yes, by request. The official page excludes the Vault from touch tours, so arrange the format with museum staff before travel.

When are vehicle demonstrations?

The current visitor page lists weekend demonstrations at 11 a.m., free with admission. Verify the date because the operating vehicle and program may change.

Can I see the exact vehicles in the photographs?

Not guaranteed. More than 200 vehicles are displayed, but the 550-plus collection rotates and special exhibits change.

Trust and accuracy

Sources

Source checked 2026-08-15. This free guide has not yet been confirmed by the venue. Current hours, prices, services, and accessibility can change; confirm time-sensitive details directly.