A brief history of the Petersen Automotive Museum.

The automobile and Los Angeles, inseparable or a century, have been linked together in a historical experience that has led to the creation of one of the world's largest and most innovative automotive museums. It is the Petersen Automotive Museum, located in the heart of Los Angeles' famed Miracle Mile district.

Take a walk through the Petersen Automotive Museum and experience a 20th Century "road map," depicting the evolution of a culture that has influenced life throughout Southern California. The Museum tells a story that can be told and appreciated in Los Angeles, the only major city that was entirely shaped by the automobile. The city's growth has been, and continues to be influenced by the motorcar.

Three floors of automotive history take the Museum visitor through time and trace the development of the automobile and its influence on the culture of Los Angeles. Exhibits on the first floor follow the history of the automobile. Lifelike dioramas and settings allow visitors to experience the automobile as it relates to everyday life.

The $40 million Museum, which is owned and operated by the Petersen Automotive Museum Foundation, a non-profit organization, opened to the public on June 11, 1994. The Museum is located at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, where 70 years ago the world's first linear shopping district dedicated to the emerging auto age was developed--the Miracle Mile--with its wide store windows set close to the sidewalk and street, and large rear entrances to accommodate the traffic.

The second floor is devoted to five large, rotating exhibition galleries with state-of-the-art presentations of racecars, classic cars, hot rods, motorcycles, movie and celebrity cars, and automotive technology and design.

The May Family Children's Discovery Center is located on the third floor. Designed to spark children's interest in science by way of the automobile, the 6,500 square-foot, "hands-on" learning center teaches basic scientific principles using the fundamental elements of a car.

A dazzling all-glass penthouse conference center, Founder's Lounge and catering kitchen constitute the fourth floor, which is available for corporate or private functions.

The Petersen Automotive Museum is ideally located to handle both Southern California families and out-of-town tourists. The site on the Miracle Mile is central to Downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood, Beverly Hills and the Los Angeles International Airport and offers four floors of secured, off-street parking.

Information for this article was provided by the Petersen Automotive Museum. For general Museum information, call 323/930-CARS or visit the Museum's website address at www.petersen.org.