A One-of-a-Kind Collection at the Pierce-Arrow Museum

By Karen Fashana

Published on | Last Updated

Gearhead or not, the Buffalo Transportation Pierce-Arrow Museum is ridiculously cool!  Be it standing next to a 1964 apple red custom Corvette, envisioning a ride with the top down in their 1948 Playboy, or reliving automobile history gazing upon the Original Thomas Flyer that won the 1908 “Great Race” from New York to Paris – a brand new exhibit opening May 19, 2023. There’s just something about the allure of a beautiful automobile.  In fact owners, Jim and Mary Ann Sandoro, have plenty of those for you to gawk over.

But what makes the Museum even cooler is the addition of a vintage bike collection, rich with Western New York history.  Believe it or not, the museum boasts 10 highly-coveted bicycles from former premier & local bicycle manufacturer, George N. Pierce Company. The highlights of this two-wheeled collection are endless, with 60 bicycles dating back from the 1860s-1920s.  The oldest of which is a Civil War-era “Bone Shaker” bicycle (sounds like I’d need an extra thick bike seat for that one!)

Photo by Rhea Anna

Ok so let’s see – automobiles, bicycles, what else are we missing? Ah yes, the Frank Lloyd Wright Filling Station. Designed in the 1920s, the filling station was planned for a Buffalo oil company, but was never built. Today, this posthumously design of legendary architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, stands as a separate exhibit inside the Museum.

The Original Thomas Flyer “Great Race” winner

And brand new for 2023, on Friday, May 19th at 11am, The Buffalo Transportation Pierce-Arrow Museum will officially open their Thomas Flyer Exhibition of automobile memorabilia, photographs, videos, car parts and company artifacts from Buffalo’s own Thomas Motor Company, a major force in the American automobile industry from 1900-1913. The highlight of the exhibition will be the Made in Buffalo, Original Thomas Flyer Car, World Champion Winner of the 1908 New York Times-Sponsored “Great Race”, which covered more than 13,000 miles in 169 days on a legendary journey from New York to Paris.

So, there you have it! Pay a visit to the Buffalo Transportation / Pierce-Arrow Museum any Thursday to Saturday, 11am-4pm (special hours on Sunday, May 21, 2023 for the Thomas Flyer grand opening weekend event) to experience this one-of-a-kind/only-in-Buffalo collection.

The Buffalo Transportation Pierce-Arrow Museum
263 Michigan Ave, Buffalo, NY
pierce-arrow.com / (716) 853-0084

Karen Fashana headshot

Karen Fashana

Lifelong Buffalonian with a crazy passion for this city. My job as the Vice President of Marketing at Visit Buffalo Niagara is a match made in heaven. Go Bills!