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Historic Auto Attractions to Grow in Size By Peggy Werner alk through the doors of Historic Auto Attractions, 13825 Metric Road, Roscoe, Ill., and you will experience local entrepreneur Wayne Lensing’s love of collecting and history that he shares with the world. At 71, Lensing is as driven as ever. He is dreaming, planning and building with no plans to slow down. From his desk, he pulls a drawing of plans for a second museum building that will nearly triple display space. He wants to create themed rooms featuring individual historical figures and eras. He also wants to open the museum year-round. He envisions the museum as a destination for school field trips and educational seminars for adults. He will include a banquet facility for fundraising parties, special events, and more. If all goes well, he will break ground next summer and
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Smart Living Weekly
complete the addition in about a year. “I want to take this museum to the next level and make it a destination point for people from all over the world,” says Lensing. “Unlike other museums people race through, I want to set the stage so people will slow down and focus in on one historical person or era at a time and feel they are actually there.” The museum is already home to more than 75 historic autos displayed in 36,000 square feet of space. Lensing has the world’s largest collection of presidential and world leaders’ limousines, plus John Dillinger’s getaway care, Elvis Presley’s personal car, Indy cars, TV Land cars and movie cars such as the Batmobile and the Ghostbusters vehicle. He also has one of the most extensive collections of John F. Kennedy and Kennedy Family artifacts and memorabilia in
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the country. It includes all of the items from JFK’s desk in the Oval Office at the time of his assassination; the flag draped over JFK’s casket when he lay in state in the East Room; a Secret Service car that followed Kennedy the day he was shot in Dallas; the ambulance that transported Lee Harvey Oswald to the hospital after he was shot by Jack Ruby; clothing belonging to Kennedy and a display of more than 20 outfits and gowns designed
