Motor Transport Museum
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Hello everyone! This is a friendly reminder that any of these fun places we may visit, we are a guest at. Please treat both businesses and trails with the utmost respect. We here at Hidden San Diego follow the 'Leave no Trace' mantra, meaning whatever you bring with you comes back with you. If you see trash on a trail, please do your part to help remove it. Remember, we are not picking up trash from another person but instead cleaning up for Mother Nature. Happy adventures!
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About the Motor Transport Museum
The Motor Transport Museum in Campo sits as a crumbling testimony to days long past. Here you will find a collection of automotive vehicles dating back over a century. In their own words “We supply physical evidence of what once was, for the tourist and the young, a glimpse into the too soon forgotten past.”
Located in the historic Feldspar Mill, this museum is the final home for over 200 transport vehicles. They range from old belt drive machinery, single cylinder engines, electric generators, quarry mining equipment, rain makers, olive presses, anti-aircraft searchlight and even a custom built Model A log splitter.
Beyond viewing the vehicles, visitors also get a glimpse into the history as well as preservation and restoration methods used. Volunteers have collectively spent over 30 years accumulating historical pieces that would have otherwise been discarded for scrap metal a long time ago.
One of their great restoration efforts was restoring the Julian Stages, which were used from 1912 to 1915 to carry passengers and cargo between Lakeside and Julian. The Stage now resides for viewing at the Julian Carriage House Museum and is driven in their annual 4th of July parade.
While you’re in the area, make sure to explore the Campo Stone Store Museum nearby!
The location itself, the old Feldspar Mill, is reason enough to visit this tucked away gem. Feldspar has been used in ceramics in China since the Tang Dynasty (621-945 AD) and in Europe since the 18th century. United States first mined Feldspar in 1825 in Connecticut and was shipped to England for use in ceramics.
Make sure to visit the Pacific Railway Museum while you’re out here! And also check out the Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum in Vista if you’re into these types of places!
Some of the sweet volunteers:
