Wheels Through Time in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, preserves American motorcycle history in sound as well as objects. Historic motorcycles are started for visitors, letting them hear machines they might otherwise understand only through components and descriptions. The collection contains more than 300 rare vehicles, including work by Harley-Davidson, Indian, Henderson and less familiar manufacturers.
Dale Walksler began the collection in Illinois in 1969. The present Maggie Valley museum opened on 4 July 2002. Its displays evoke an old garage, placing motorcycles alongside period artwork, parts and memorabilia. The setting brings the lives surrounding these machines into the story.
The Board Track America exhibition explores racing on wooden circuits. Its exhibits include a 1912 Thor Model SR racer preserved in original condition and a 1914 Harley-Davidson with an A-type racing engine. Alongside running-engine demonstrations, such objects connect racing history with mechanics. The museum’s approach offers a chance to appreciate both the shapes of the past and how the machines operated.