Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing

Recently got to visit the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing in Marion County Florida. Super interesting museum which has a combination of collector cars and drag racing cars many of which were owned by Don himself. Each car seemed to have an interesting back story. The museum is spread across two buildings. Once contains the "antique" cars which includes stock antiques as well as period hot rods. The other contains the drag racing cars including super cool variations back into the earliest days of the sport.

Oct 21, 2026

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Replies (24)

· 1w

Broader view of the antique building with a mockup garage.

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· 1w

Octane tester from when they would make their own fuel.

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· 1w

A nice Cadillac convertible coupe. Wheel color is a factory color believe it or not.

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· 1w

Super cool all original 300B with race history.

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· 1w

Always loved the early letter cars when they still had the hemi.

· 1w

Nothing sounds like a HEMI.

· 1w

Really nice HEMI cars.

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· 1w

We’ve stopped there a couple of times years ago on our way to Florida for spring training. Super varied and interesting museum, one I highly recommend. One time we actually met Don who was in and out that day. What a thrill to meet a hero from my wild and impetuous youth!

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· 1w

I didn't know the Moon had the pantheon radiator. Will need to remember that next time we are trying to identifya car.

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· 1w

Moon was good at copying more expensive cars. The Diana had a grille that looked like a Minerva.

· 1w

Seems like we are trying to identify a pantheon radiator car regularly. Never thought of Moon before. There are a couple of the Windsor White Prince cars around which I think was the high end model for the Moon Motor company.

· 1w

😂

· 1w

This is the other building which has the drag racing cars.

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· 1w

This thing looked coachbuilt. All of the dragsters were unique in some way.

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· 1w

I'm a huge 40-42 Wills Gas fan.

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· 1w

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· 1w

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· 1w

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· 1w

Rocket powered? Did they run these on quarter mile strips?

· 1w

I think the rocket powered cars were used mostly for exhibition and to generate ticket sales .

· 1w

One of my favorites.

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· 1w

I went through the museum before the expansion to two buildings. WELL worth the travel time and time spent inside. Must be awesome now for anyone with breath of appreciation of motoring!

· 1w

When I was a kid this was a big deal on Saturday afternoons. I never completley understood what was going on but enjoyed the spectacle. Don, Shirley Muldownne, Don "The Snake" Prudhomme were house hold names in the 1970s.