Dale's Wheels Through Time Museum

by Michael Satterfield

Note: This story was planned last year and scheduled to come out in Mid-March ahead of the museum's April opening. We learned this week that Dale Walksler, the founder of Dale's Wheels Through Time, passes away after a long battle with cancer on February 3rd, 2021. At Dale’s request, in lieu of flowers, please send any donations and condolences to Wheels Through Time, P.O. Box 790, Maggie Valley, NC 28751. All donations will be dedicated to ensuring the continuance of the legacy that Dale created far into the future and to giving museum visitors historical insight into the vital role that transportation has played in American history. We here at TheGentlemanRacer.com share our condolences with his family and friends. 

If you are a gearhead in the US then driving the Blue Ridge Parkway should be on your bucket list, and if you are planning to be out that way anyways taking in the fantastic views and exciting drives, take some time to stop off in Maggie Valley, North Carolina to visit Dale's Wheels Through Time Museum. Open Spring-Fall the 38,000 square foot museum is home to one of the largest collections of motorcycles and motorcycle memorabilia in the world, including some of the most significant motorcycles in history. 

The collection also includes a few very unique cars a pair of ’32 roadsters, Packard and Lincoln from the classic era are surrounded by distinctive “one-off” autos such as the 1949 Veritas and an ultra-cool Austin Seven land speed racing car.

The collection was started by Museum Founder Dale Walksler in 1969 in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. In 1977 the collection moved to Dale's Harley-Davidson dealership in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. As the collection grew it became obvious the potential for a truly incredible museum was at hand. In 2002, the collection moved to its present location in Maggie Valley, North Carolina.

One of the most unique motorcycles in the collection is the 1916 Traub Motorcycle, which was found hidden in a wall in a Chicago suburb after being hidden away for over 50 years. The motorcycle was discovered in 1968 and owned by motorcycle legend Bud Ekins. Ekins eventually sold it to motorcycle collection Richard Morris who eventually sold it to Dale in the mid-1990s. Who made the bike and why it was hidden in a wall? We may never know.

The museum is also home to a collection of helmets, jackets, cuts, and motorcycle club sweaters like this one from the Boozefighters Motorcycle Club. The club first gained notoriety at the Hollister riot of 1947, the event was later portrayed in the 1953 film The Wild One starring Marlon Brando and Lee Marvin. The Boozefighters still have chapters today, making them on the oldest 1% Motorcycle Clubs in existence. Actor Robert Patrick, best known for his role in Terminator 2, is a member and has even served as president of chapter 101. 

This 1935 Austin Seven special has a mostly unknown history, other than that it was restored by collector Dick Greene. The car is similar to the factory streamliner built by Longbridge in 1931, a car would go on to set records with famed racing pioneer Gwenda Stewart in Montlhery, France. 

This bike belonged to AMA Grand National Champion Mert Lawwill, who was also featured in the film On Any Sunday with Steve McQueen and Malcolm Smith. 

You might recognize this Belly Tank Cycle Car from an episode of American Pickers where Mike purchased it from the Pioneer Auto Museum in South Dakota. The cyclecar is powered by an Indian Motorcycle four-cylinder and was allegedly built for a movie starring Mickey Rooney called "The Big Wheel."