I know this subject is going to generate a wide range of answers, but looking for some advice. Just signed up for the March Barber weekend and excited to make the southern trip and the chance to experience a great track. I will have my father-in-law in tow and we both would like to spend a little time at the museum as well. My initial thoughts are to arrive on Friday to go through the museum prior to riding on Saturday and Sunday. In your opinions, how much time should I allocate to make it worth our while? With a 10+ hour drive that morning I would rather not allocate 4 hours if 2 hours is sufficient, but also don't want to cut our time too short either. I appreciate your opinions and look forward to meeting some the southern members.
Really depends on how much you feel like gawking at the merchandise. We spent a couple hours in there. I could have probably spent about 4 hours total. I want to look in detail but not at everything. so I'd say split the difference and I'd be happy with 3 hours.
It all depends on how much of a motorcycle enthusiast you both are. When I went, I rode all day Saturday and half day Sunday then went to the Musuem with my wife. We were there for about 4 hours and I was wishing I would have not signed up for the Sunday ride! One thing I will say, it was way cool to be looking at all of the history of motorcycles while a track day is going on at the same time! Being able to hear and see motorcycles screaming around a racetrack while you're at the biggest motorcycle Musuem in the world is worth the 10 hour drive all by itself! Well, that's just my opinion anyway. Enjoy....
A lifetime...... Going in there the last 12 years I always tell myself leaving I should have stayed longer...
I would love to go back again sometime and see it again. That being said..... everyone had told me to plan on staying at least 3 or 4 hours. I was in and out in an hour. I am just not one to stand there and stare at something for 20 straight minutes. Ymmv
thanks for responses so far. I enjoy the history but couldn't do more than four hours without losing my mind. Sounds like we will shoot to arrive around 2:00 and if my father in law wants more time in there he can always go while I am riding!! without knowing the paddock is there a preferred side to set up?
Really I think you would need to hussle to get through there in two hours. My wife and I were in the 4 hour range maybe another half in the gift shop we went on a Monday after a track weekend and had the place pretty much to our selves. There is a Lot to see! I have only been at barber for two track days lower in the paddock the better. but tier two have food and gas
Will be in same boat with my three year old. He is counting the days. He doesnt like that he can't bring his scooter or bike but going to race track trumps all. Come to think of it things haven't changed for me in thirty five years either!
If you want to make it interesting, get there when it opens and sign up for the guided tour (first one at 11 I think). They will take you through the workshops in the basement and into the storage area where there are hundreds of bikes waiting for attention. Here's just one example. Check the number of exhaust pipes, check the numbers on the side cover. Where else could you see this kind of stuff? And outboard motors. And tank engines. And Lotus cars. Unbelievable place. To just wander around upstairs is to miss the best parts.
If you are a enthusiast (I am) the longer the better. My wife & kids may spend half the day there while I ride...
I learned that the business proposal for the museum came from the embarrassment or bad press Birmingham received from the world community out of the 50's civil rights problems. Maybe people world wide looked up Birmingham on the world map when they had learned that those Birmingham people would not let specific people on a bus. No one could believe it. I guess good comes from everything. Thus having a race track may have successfully shifted world wide negativity that Birmingham received away from prejudices directing it towards motorcycles. A racetrack + motorcycle museum was born. http://design-engine.com/barber-motorcycle-museum/
Marc...... Hmmmm... expanded? i didn't know. My favorite bikes were the Navy Harley's with Rifle holsters. I hope to race WERA down south at Barber this Fall if the dates don't coincide with Daytona. I built 30+ days with STT over the past 10 years at Barber tho have never raced there. My dad loved it in there. I specifically remember him looking at the BSA motocrosser from 1969 and telling me that bike did not come stock with DID rims. LOL
Yep its twice as big as it was last year..... They might still be working on it..... They were adding on a new part that's 5 stories and 84,650 sq. ft