The cars are no longer the only stars at the San Diego Automotive Museum in Balboa Park and while it has no wheels or motor — it can definitely take you places.
The museum just opened a new library featuring the largest collection of automotive documents on the west coast.
The Berg Family Trust Library and Skeets Dunn Research Center officially opened on Tuesday and features an impressive collection.
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“This is just one of the treasures that the San Diego Automotive Museum has,” said museum CEO Lenny Leszczynski. “Nobody knew, really, that we had a library, let alone that it's the largest automotive collection on the west coast with over 6,500 books, 35,000 magazines, over 1,500 manuals. I mean, the list goes on and on.”
Leszczynski said some of the material dates back more than 100 years!
“The oldest book in the library right now is from 1870, before cars were even invented. And it's not really a car book, but it has some really cool maps in it. But our oldest automotive book is from 1901, so there's some deep history here,” Leszczynski said.
Renovations to the 3,200-square-foot library began in late 2022. Leszczynski said instead of just two days a week, it will now be open whenever the museum is to help visitors extend their learning.
Keeping up with Balboa Park
“Our narratives out there are only going to give you so much information,” he said. “We might not have the Ferrari you want out there, but the model might be in here or the book might exist, and you can still have a little bit of that experience while you're here.”
The San Diego Automotive Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
