New Exhibit Gives an Inside Look at The Henry Ford’s Mobility Collection

’Collecting Mobility: New Objects, New Stories’ opens Oct. 23
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MCity's autonomous shuttle - collecting mobility
Mcity’s autonomous shuttle will be highlighted in Collecting Mobility: New Objects, New Stories. // Photograph courtesy of University of Michigan

The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation is home to more than 26 million artifacts. With its new exhibition — Collecting Mobility: New Objects, New Stories — visitors will get the opportunity to learn how over 30 of those items were selected and added to the Dearborn-based museum’s mobility collection.

The mobility collection includes items from the late 1800s to the 2010s. The exhibit will feature new auto acquisitions like the 2017 “Autonom” Driverless Shuttle Bus, which was used at the Mcity test facility at the University of Michigan; a 2020 Ford Transit Van that was modified for COVID-19 mobile testing; and a Lincoln Continental stretch limo that’s been used by both the late Pope Paul VI and the Apollo 13 astronauts. Collecting Mobility will also highlight items from The Henry Ford’s latest permanent exhibit, Driven to Win: Racing in America.   

It’s through these pieces that the museum gives a behind-the-scenes look at its acquisition process. Visitors will learn how new items are collected, numbered, cataloged, and more.

Collecting Mobility provides a true insider’s look at the work our team does to grow our collections for both the guests of today and those in the future,” says Patricia Mooradian, president & CEO of The Henry Ford, in a press release. “Our ongoing work reflects our longstanding philosophy of collecting the stories of innovation that have changed our world.”

The exhibit will be open from Oct. 23 to Jan. 2. Admittance to Collecting Mobility is free with membership or admission to the museum.

For more information, visit thehenryford.org.