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Barber Motorsports Museum

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MGN54

MGN54

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Looking like I will be making a trip out to Atlanta area to visit my sister in June. Will be caging it this trip. Figure I have to take in the Barber Museum on the way. Anyone have a good recommendation on where to stay close by that is reasonable yet nice?

Thanks!
 
Barber's is just south of I-20, exit 140. That is just east of Birmingham, and a little west of Talladega speedway, so there are motels at most of the exits between Birmingham and Atlanta; mostly national chains with prices according to what you want to spend. No reservations needed, unless it is race weekend at Barber's or Talladega. Plan to spend 3-4 hours at the museum. A must see if you are anywhere near.
 
yep, there are several right at the exit and a few before and after
if you were on the bike you could stay at my buddy Tim's place

www.29dreams.com but he is ride in or trailer in only for motorcyclist
 
Been wanting to see it for some time. Should work out. Glad to know about how much time to allow too, so thanks, ChuckyChief!
 
I planned part of my vacation to Florida (to visit relatives) around the museum.
It was $15 to get in and not worth it, I mean there are lots of great bikes but many are in the stanchions holding up the building and you really can't get close to them, lots of vintage stuff and some bikes you probably have never seen before, too much dedicated in the racing area, sure it is history but I always thought this place had examples of about every bike on the planet, especially 80's eras stuff, but again it was all in the stanchions, honestly I am a bike freak and was really kind of disappointed, I think I spent more time watching the Porsche s racing on the track thru the plate glass windows than looking at bikes...nice area to visit as it is very scenic and plenty of affordable hotels and food places.

I hope your experience is better, but better to go and know than to never go and not know!
 
Personally, I thought it was fantastic. I could have spent the whole day there.(maybe leave for lunch and return later) Also be sure and see The Wheels of Time meuseum in Maggie Valley, N.C. as it has a totally different prospective on bikes. Go and enjoy. Hardy
 
We went for the second Vintage Rally and it was incredible! The Rally is a really good time to go because there are a ton of bikes outside as well as inside, both the "vendors" and the visitors.

The auction is really interesting as well. I would love to go back with 5k in my pocket and the spousal unit's knowledge, and approval, that it was not coming back in the same form.

I'm thinking of going again this fall.
 
motobobintexas said:
I planned part of my vacation to Florida (to visit relatives) around the museum.
It was $15 to get in and not worth it, I mean there are lots of great bikes but many are in the stanchions holding up the building and you really can't get close to them, lots of vintage stuff and some bikes you probably have never seen before, too much dedicated in the racing area, sure it is history but I always thought this place had examples of about every bike on the planet, especially 80's eras stuff, but again it was all in the stanchions, honestly I am a bike freak and was really kind of disappointed, I think I spent more time watching the Porsche s racing on the track thru the plate glass windows than looking at bikes...nice area to visit as it is very scenic and plenty of affordable hotels and food places.

I hope your experience is better, but better to go and know than to never go and not know!
Click to expand...

unbelievable! :eek2:
 
motobobintexas said:
I planned part of my vacation to Florida (to visit relatives) around the museum.
It was $15 to get in and not worth it, I mean there are lots of great bikes but many are in the stanchions holding up the building and you really can't get close to them, lots of vintage stuff and some bikes you probably have never seen before, too much dedicated in the racing area, sure it is history but I always thought this place had examples of about every bike on the planet, especially 80's eras stuff, but again it was all in the stanchions, honestly I am a bike freak and was really kind of disappointed, I think I spent more time watching the Porsche s racing on the track thru the plate glass windows than looking at bikes...nice area to visit as it is very scenic and plenty of affordable hotels and food places.

I hope your experience is better, but better to go and know than to never go and not know!
Click to expand...

YOU are the only one I have ever heard of who did not rave about the museum.
****, my neighbor who is not even into bikes, came back all goo goo about it and couldn't wait to tell me how I had to go visit it.
 
Ditto on the ONLY one I have ever heard of who rides not thinking Barber is fantastic. No sense of history? Appreciation of hand made bikes from way back? By far, the majority of bikes there are NOT race bikes.
 
I went to lunch last wek with two motorcycle junkies that raved about Barber. One had a quick tour on his I phone. It looked awesome from what I could see and I started thinking about a ride out there this Spring. Both agreed it's a must-see for any cycle buff.
 
The fun thing was wandering around looking for the old bikes I had owned. Found all of them. It really is amazing. I can't imagine how a moto enthusiast would not enjoy it.
 
My wife and I went there to see the AMA Superbike races in 2005. We both thought the museum was incredible. You can see from the attached photos that you can get up close and really inspect the bikes.

For sure it's worth the trip...

CBR

DSC01663.jpg


DSC01580.jpg


DSC01602.jpg


DSC01603.jpg
 
If you want to go super cheap college style-

A buddy and I went and slept in our car in the Walmart parking lot of the nearest Walmart...there were 2 Waffle Houses within 200 yards in the adjacent parking lots to choose from for breakfast as well.
 
I went to Yellowstone in 1993 and I was disappointed!! After reading about the park, I was expecting a wilderness experience with gushing geysers, wild bears, bison and elk. What I found was traffic jams and irresponsible parents. Children were feeding chipmonks in front of a large sign, "Do not feed chipmonks." They were throwing rocks into thermal pools beside a sign, "Do not throw rocks into the thermal pools." The icing on the cake was a man urging his 4 or 5 year old son to get closer to a male bison "so daddy can take a picture." Bison injure more people in Yellowstone than all other animals in the park combined. Maybe Motobobintexas' expectations, like mine, were too high. Maybe he expected to take a lap around the track on a matchless. His last sentence implies that he was glad he had gone to Barber, just like I'm glad I went to Yellowstone. I'm going back to Yellowstone, this time to backpack.
 
as I said before, the day I was there, it was cold and nasty, I think I was the only visitor that day, I got there bright and early, waiting for it to open, I was really excited, no one else to share the passion with didn't help, I am a total bike freak, no doubt, I have 8 bikes myself, the collection itself is awesome, bikes you would never see anywhere else...again though, there are so many bikes on the building stanchions and not really on display, couldn't get the real feel me touch me experience with any of those bikes, I was hoping for a retro feeling throwback to the 80's era bikes I started out on and didn't really see any of them, no Suzuki triples, not really any GS's at all, no dual-sports of any types, all bikes I still own actually...it is an awesome place but just not what I expected...vintage stuff is great and I am sure the swap meet is out of this world...I travel all over the USA and get to see a lot of places, I just worked myself up to this place and just came away a little disappointed not viewing any of the bikes I have owned but overall is was a great place to visit and every gear head needs to do a visit for their bucket list
 
Gosh, I hope the bison respect that they are intruding on your habitat. And, that your car is the only one allowed the day you are there so you can enjoy the vistas unencumbered. Good grief.
 
Two650sOne1100 said:
Gosh, I hope the bison respect that they are intruding on your habitat. And, that your car is the only one allowed the day you are there so you can enjoy the vistas unencumbered. Good grief.
Click to expand...

We are intruding on their habitat. If an animal harms a tourist it is usually killed. I just hate to see a bison or a bear killed because of some stupid tourist who thinks that it couldn't be dangerous or THEY wouldn't let us be there. Also, I don't begrudge anyone access to Yellowstone as long as they abide by the rules that are meant to preserve the park for everyone. I just said the crowds in Yellowstone aren't for me just like Moto said Barber isn't for him.
 
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motobobintexas said:
as I said before, the day I was there, it was cold and nasty, I think I was the only visitor that day, I got there bright and early, waiting for it to open, I was really excited, no one else to share the passion with didn't help, I am a total bike freak, no doubt, I have 8 bikes myself, the collection itself is awesome, bikes you would never see anywhere else...again though, there are so many bikes on the building stanchions and not really on display, couldn't get the real feel me touch me experience with any of those bikes, I was hoping for a retro feeling throwback to the 80's era bikes I started out on and didn't really see any of them, no Suzuki triples, not really any GS's at all, no dual-sports of any types, all bikes I still own actually...it is an awesome place but just not what I expected...vintage stuff is great and I am sure the swap meet is out of this world...I travel all over the USA and get to see a lot of places, I just worked myself up to this place and just came away a little disappointed not viewing any of the bikes I have owned but overall is was a great place to visit and every gear head needs to do a visit for their bucket list
Click to expand...

http://www.pbase.com/wingman26/image/63349252

at least one water bufalo
 
MGN54 said:
Looking like I will be making a trip out to Atlanta area to visit my sister in June. Will be caging it this trip. Figure I have to take in the Barber Museum on the way. Anyone have a good recommendation on where to stay close by that is reasonable yet nice?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Camping at Barber Vintage Festival is sold out this year so I'm interested in this too (minus the cage). Other than wal-mart parking lot, or the closed 29Dreams, I see on the map that there is Oak Mountain State Park to the west end, and a few sites near Avondale Lake to the east. Opinions on those, or any other locations?

Better yet, does anyone have a camping pass that they would like to split or sell?
 
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