John Swanson takes a group to Europe each summer and this year it will be to Italy. As Executive Director of the Iowa Transportation Museum, he decided to create a tour that combined some of the most popular locations with some special experiences rarely found in other tours.
     “I have tried to provide a balance with this tour,” said John. “I was fortunate to be able to arrange a factory tour at Lamborghini, as well as stops at the Ferrari and (surprise-surprise) the Alfa Romeo complex. But I also wanted to insure that everyone experiences ‘the rest of Italy’; the cuisine, the wine culture, the fashion industry, the classic art and the history”.
     The tour starts in Venice on a water taxi and works its way across northern Italy, through Florence, the Tuscany region, beautiful Lake Como, the gateway to the Italian Alps and concludes in Milan. Those who want to add Rome to the experience may do so on an optional basis. The enclosed brochure gives you “the basics”. Tour is open to all Founding Friends of the Iowa Transportation Museum. Give John a call at 319-362-4537 if you want more details.

Clubs & Special Interest Groups

The Spaulding Center will become a very significant resource for all organizations that have a tie to the transportation field. We can host one-day, as well as multi-day convocations for enthusiast groups. Examples include vintage aircraft fly-ins, car shows and area-wide vintage vehicle tours. Other events can draw model railroaders, radio-control airplane modelers, motorcycle and bicycle enthusiasts and others with a special interest in transportation-related themes from across the Midwest.

Approximately 1.25 million people live within a one-hour drive time of Grinnell, and over 2 million live with in a two-hour drive. However by reaching transportation-related organizations from the 300-mile Chicago-St. Louis-Kansas City-Omaha-Minneapolis-Milwaukee radius, this number increases 20-fold.

The Restoration Lab will have programs to meet the needs of all transportation hobbyists. One-day specialty classes will have appeal to restorers and historians. Likewise, topics with broader appeal such as Learn To Drive a Model T Ford will draw audiences of all ages seeking an opportunity to learn about the past, while sharing a fun experience.

There are many ways you or your group can get involved with the Spaulding Center for Transportation. Contact us to find out more information.

LEARN MORE...click on the image above to download and view a brochure