We were up in Provo for a football game and the in laws were staying at the Lakeside RV Park out by Utah Lake. When I was looking at the map for directions, I saw somewhere called the Petroliana Museum right across the street from the RV Park and it looked like it was in the same location as AAA Lakeside Storage. Needless to say, I was confused at what kind of museum was at a storage yard.
As I drove up to the RV Park, I got a good glimpse at where the Petoliana Museum was and confirmed it was actually inside the storage yard. The signs were quite impressive as there were a ton of them and they were in good shape, but I was a little disappointed thinking that the museum was just going to be a handful of signs.
I walked over from the RV Park and learned there was a lot more to the museum than just old signs.
The storage yard is on both sides of the street and the side next to the RV Park featured more signs alongside some interesting old cars and a statue of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe.
Crossing the street, we found some more old cars along the road, but caught a glimpse of some more interesting things inside the main storage yard.
We walked over and there were no indication of being able to enter beyond the gates, but we entered the office to inquire and learned that anyone is welcome to enter and that usually the pedestrian gate is open for visitors to get free access.
Inside, we found lots of new items, primarily a huge collection of old gas pumps. Having watched a few episodes of American Pickers, I knew that we were looking at some pretty cool and highly collectible pieces.
As we wondered around the site, we wondered who owned this place and how it ended up as a museum. I did a little digging online and found the website of the couple who owns both the storage yard and the RV Park and it explains how they just started collecting and tracking down pieces very similar to what you see on American Pickers. They now have the biggest pole sign collection in the world!
As it had been raining quite a bit, I found some puddles to try and create some more interesting shots than otherwise available.
In addition to the pumps you see at a lot of similar museums and on tv shows, we saw some interesting older pieces of equipment that were fun to figure out.
In addition to signs and pumps, there are some other unique pieces in the collection. The P-51 mustang pictured below is a pretty cool model of the famous WWII plane.
I believe this little jet came from a James Bond movie.
I thought this big Bob’s Big Boy statue was cool, but it was way better when we got there and there was a whole little diner that went with it. Too bad the diner wasn’t operating because I could have gone for a good burger and shake.
Inside the fence, there were some way cooler cars than those outside by the road. This old military vehicle was pretty fun.
I couldn’t pass up shooting the famous grill on an old Studebaker.
An old Pierce Arrow vehicle was pretty unique to see.
If you happen to be staying at the Lakeside RV Park or are headed out to the lake, or just need something interesting to see in Provo, I recommend making a quick stop at the Petroliana Museum. You can easily spend a half hour just enjoying a stroll around the museum. Even if you aren’t into old Petroliana, it is interesting for sure.
