Rendering of the proposed second floor hot rod and custom gallery. Images courtesy Petersen Museum.
Last August, the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles detailed its plans for a complete interior renovation to go with the exterior redesign announced in 2013. On Sunday, October 19, the museum welcomed its last visitors until the renovation is completed, with a hard reopening deadline of December 1, 2015 imposed by Peter Mullin.
That’s not to say that visitors to Southern California will be unable to see any of the Petersen’s impressive collection for the full 13 months. Opening on October 28 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, “Amazing Automobiles: The Ultimate Car Exhibit” will feature key selections from the Petersen Museum’s collection, updated on regular basis to ensure fresh content for frequent visitors. The exhibit is scheduled to run through May 1, 2015, at which time the newly refurbished vault of the Petersen Museum should once again be open for tours.
First floor Mullin Gallery rendering.
During Saturday’s annual “Bold Moves” fundraising gala, Mullin disclosed that the museum’s ongoing capital campaign has so far raised $80 million towards the $125 million needed to fund the interior and exterior renovations. A few key corporate partnerships are expected to be announced in the coming months to further close this gap, but two announcements regarding the renovated museum were made Saturday evening.
Microsoft’s Xbox gaming system will sponsor the Forza Motorsports Experience, a 1,500 square foot gallery that will allow visitors to drive storied racetracks in the latest Forza Motorsports simulators, or to get an up close view of select automobiles via Forza Vista.
Linksys will be providing the Petersen with state-of-the-art networking, Wi-Fi and security for the newly renovated museum. Connectivity will play an ever-increasing role at the “new” Petersen, and the goal is to eventually deliver an “augmented reality” experience to visitors via mobile device. Enhanced connectivity will also ensure that visitors can share their museum experience with friends and relatives via social media.
For the latest information on the museum, visit Petersen.org.
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