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The Selena Museum Corpus Christi, United States

The Selena Museum is the only official museum to honor the life and legacy of Selena Quintanilla (1971-1995), one of the most celebrated Mexican-American artists and entertainers in history and often named the "Queen of Tejano Music." The museum was established by the Quintanilla family in 1998 in response to fans expressing their desire to have Selena's memorabilia shared with the public. It is currently housed in the main building of their company Q productions. The Quintanilla family offers the museum as a memorial to the achievements and life of their beloved daughter & sister.

Located in Selena's hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas, the museum has become one of the top tourist attractions in South Texas and attracts visitors from throughout the country and around the globe. The museum gives fans and visitors a rich and unique glimpse into the life of the Tejano icon, including her most prized posessions, iconic stage outfits, awards, photos, fan art, and other memorabilia.

Celebrating Selena: Fotos y Recuerdos

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The Awkward Traveller

The Selena Museum: The Best Way to Visit pre-1994 Corpus Christi

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If I’m being honest, my entire two week Texas roadtrip was planned around visiting the Selena Museum in the gulf town of Corpus Christi. While Corpus Christi felt really small and sleepy to me, I was just there for a day, and there’s surprisingly more to do there than meets the eye. So I’ll have to make a return visit to see more of the city, but this time, I was just there for the Selena Museum.

Yes, I plan entire vacations around visiting one seemingly irrelevant attraction that was actually pretty fundamental in my upbringing. In Cuba, it was eating at the original Sloppy Joe restaurant in Havana . In Idaho, it was staying in a giant potato hotel. If you’re new here, hi, I’m Kay. It’s just a thing I do.

Although I was too young to know to Selena’s music in real time, I grew up knowing Selena Quintanilla. After waking up to gospel songs and the vacuum on weekend mornings, we would settle into lunch with Entre A Mi Mundo in the background. I watched Disney movies with completely dry eyes, but bawled to the 1997 Selena movie when I wasn’t even in elementary school yet. To me, there will ever only be ONE Selena first-name-only, so when I found out there was there was an entire museum dedicated to her legacy, I knew I had to visit.

Table of Contents

Getting to the Selena Museum

While I personally visited the Selena Museum as a day trip from San Antonio, which was far enough already (2 hours each way), it’s a little far for a day trip from Austin or Houston, the two other closest big cities. So, if you don’t want to stay IN Corpus Christi, the next best would be San Antonio (in my opinion), and just heading down for the day. Or a long weekend, depending on what you want to do in town.

• Address : 5410 Leopard St, Corpus Christi, TX 78408
• Hours : 10am-4pm, closed Saturday & Sunday
• Phone Number: (361) 289-9013
• Admission Costs: $5 adults (13+), $3 kids (4-12)

It’s important to note that The Selena Museum is CLOSED on “standard” weekends, Saturday and Sunday. So…please keep that in mind. It is also a very small museum, but knowing that it is run by the Quintanilla family, it makes sense. Thankfully, the price is also reflective of that, at only $5 USD. I’ve been to smaller and by far less interesting museums that were $10-$20 USD, so I’m grateful that the museum kept their prices largely accessible to those wanting to visit and pay tribute to the queen of Tejano music.

When you pull up to the Selena Museum, you’ll see the large sign first, then a small parking lot. Parking is free (or rather included), so park wherever there is space. I do want to note that there is a step to get into the museum, so that’s something to be aware of if you use a wheelchair or walking aid. I didn’t immediately see an alternative ADA accessible entrance, so I’d recommend calling ahead to ask.

Touring the Selena Museum

So, they don’t really tell you this on the website, but when you visit the Selena Museum, it’s not like a free-range go wherever typa museum. There are only guided tours. It wasn’t clear to me if they are set up at specific times like every hour/half-hour, but I don’t think so. It seemed like it was just based on how many people showed up, but also I wasn’t paying attention to the time so don’t quote me on that.

When you first enter, you pay at the front desk (card accepted!) and then you’ll wait in a little lounge area until the tour starts. We waited bout ten or fifteen minutes, and by the time the tour started, two other small groups (2-4 people each) had joined. In all, our tour had about 10 guests.

I usually hate museum tours, but perhaps because this one was small, or because I was already extremely interested in the content, I quite enjoyed this tour. The Selena Museum is actually situated in Selena’s old studio – like where she actually recorded music and everything! You’ll move through each room and the guide will give more in-depth information about Selena’s childhood to her early music career to her family dynamics and marriage, and lastly her murder. It’s really a whirlwind of emotions. I didn’t know I could feel awe, hope, and heartbreak all at the same time.

I’ll save all the juicy details so you can enjoy them on your own visit, but I will say that my favorite room was the recording studio. It’s so surreal to be standing in the exact same spot as her. In the Selena movie starring Jennifer Lopez, they actually used the same studio for filming. In fact, it’s STILL an operational recording studio. I lowkey wanted to touch the microphone but…I didn’t know if that would be like weird or anything.

Would that have been weird??? Let me know in the comments hahah.

You’ll end the tour in a giant showroom of all of Selena’s costumes she used on tour, awards, figurines, and even her CAR. You have as much time as you want in this room, so take your time studying the intricate details of her most notable belongings. The costumes were by far my favorite, and I basically spent most of my time imagining myself in them haha. There is also a small gift shop, which had a few t-shirts and CDs, but not much else. And then…that’s it! The Selena Museum will only maybe take you an hour TOPS for the whole thing.

I lowkey wish they would have Selena’s clothing line (to shop) and whatnot, but I get that it’s a recording studio first and foremost.

Other Selena Memorials and Sites in Corpus Christi

Since I had driven all the way out to Corpus Christi and only spent 45 minutes at the Selena Museum, I figured I might as well explore the city a bit. And, unsurprisingly, there are a few other Selena memorials and sites to see around town.

Selena’s Gravesite

The first I went to was Selena’s Gravesite. Chris Perez and the Quintanilla family buried Selena Quintanilla in a private ceremony at Seaside Memorial Cemetery in Corpus Christi on April 3rd, 1995. Still, hundreds of thousands of people held memorials across the country during the same time.

The cemetery is open 24 hours a day, and unless you visit near Selena Day (April 16th, her birthday), Fiesta de la Flor, or another festival that would bring people to Corpus Christi, then there most likely will not be crowds. Like most things in the city, the cemetery isn’t huge, and finding Selena’s gravesite is pretty simple. The gravesite has an iron gate around it to protect from vandalism.

Though modest (for what you might expect anyway), her gravesite is very beautiful, adorned with white a purple flowers. There wasn’t anyone else there when I visited.

Mirador del la Flor

Mirador del la Flor is a life-sized monument of the late singer, sculpted by H.W. “Buddy” Tatum , a Corpus Christi artist. Loved that they commissioned a local artist. She is leaning against a concrete pillar looking towards the Corpus Christi Bay. I love that there is always music playing at the monument.

“City of Corpus Christi Selena Memorial

Dedicated May 25, 1997 Selena Quintanilla Perez 1971-1995

Selena was referred to as La Flor (the Flower) and identified with La Rosa Blanca (the White Rose). When you view La Rosa Blanca, you feel her presence nearby. Selena’s stage is now silent Yet her persona enriched the lives of those she touched And her music lives on.”

It’s quite a peaceful little monument, overlooking the boats that are docked in the bay. When I visited Corpus Christi, it was cloudy and a little cold (it started raining on our way out), but I imagine it’s really nice when there’s good weather. Just down the Bay walkway, there are five painted white rose murals dedicated to Selena.

Swantner Park

There’s nothing inherently special about this park, and it’s not fenced at all so I wouldn’t necessarily recommend bringing your dog, but it is a nice little green space. Most importantly though, you’ll recognize it as one of the movie scenes! Yup, Swantner Park was a filming location!

You may not know how to do the washing machine dance, but no one will fault you for trying! The Quintanilla family frequently visited the park, especially when Selena was a child. If you’re not a fan of recreating dance moves, it’s still a nice spot for a picnic!

South Texas Walk of Fame

Similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame or even the Walk of Fame in Tijuana , the South Texas Walk of Fame immortalizes famous musicians hailing from South Texas (or had a big impact on South Texas). OF COURSE, you have to visit to see Selena’s star!

It’s small, but very lovingly done. You’ll find the stars outside of the Texas Surf Museum. I’d personally recommend starting outside of Water Street Oyster Bar & Sushi Bar. I wish the area had a little more to it, like live music or vendors or just…yanno, MORE, but alas, it’s still a cute spot. Along with Selena, you’ll also see the stars for Michael Nesmith, Freddy Fender, and George Strait.

Hi-Ho Restaurant

As a favorite restaurant of the Quintanilla family, the famous Hi-Ho Restaurant is basically an extension of the Selena Museum. In fact, her father is still a regular! You’ll see dozens of pictures of Selena and the fam, as well as signed photographs from Eva Longoria and other South Texas stars.

Since you’re there already, you might as well pick up some food too! Hi-Ho serves some of the best Tex-Mex in the area, and the prices are all super affordable. There’s not a single item on the menu over $10! The staff is perhaps the best part, and you’ll feel like family by the time you leave! It’s the perfect add-on to your trip with the Selena Museum.

Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History

Yes. Selena is even in the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History. You didn’t think her excellence would only be in the Selena Museum did you?? The museum has a small exhibit on the late-singer, Selena Remembered, and offers deeper insight to the different methods that the city remembers Selena. If you’re interested in more info on her monument, Mirador del la Flor, you’ll definitely want to check this out!

Selena Auditorium

Okay, okay, it’s not like….THAT much of a must-see, especially compared to the Selena Museum, buuut this auditorium was named after the late singer and features a ton of live music performances and shows. So if you are looking to spend a few hours in Corpus Christi, be sure to check out their event page to see if your trip overlaps with any shows. The auditorium itself is beautifully done, and the fact that Selena’s name is on it is just icing on the cake!

Ermmm, this one is more for the dark tourism enthusiasts, but you can visit the hotel where Yolanda Saldívar fatally shot Selena. I personally didn’t visit, and the hotel didn’t “memorialize” the incident, so you won’t see remnants of the shooting or anything – but there’s still that surreal feeling of knowing what went down. Kinda like when people drive by Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated. Or the walking tour in Dallas, Texas that points out where JFK was assassinated.

The Selena Museum: Conclusion

In my soul, there is only one-name Selena, and that’s Selena Quintanilla. Her impact on the music industry was incredible, and having the opportunity to witness such an amazing tribute to her legacy at the Selena Museum will always hold a place in my heart.

In fact, I will go as far as to name the Selena Museum, and exploring her other monuments around Corpus Christi, as the highlight of my entire Texas trip. If you’re in South Texas, I cannot recommend enough stopping by the Selena Museum. And if you’ve never seen the movie – FIX THAT IMMEDIATELY!!!

Are you a Selena fan? What’s your favorite song? Let me know in the comments below so we can bond over music! Is the Selena Museum on your bucket list? If not, it should be! But if you’ve already been to the Selena Museum, I’d love to hear about your experience!

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20 comments.

This is so cool! I recently watched the Netflix show on Selena so I would love to check this out if I was in Corpus Christi. The Hi Ho restaurant sounds awesome too and I see why its almost an “extension” of the museum.

I still have to watch that show! Hopefully this summer once work slows down a bit!

So cool! I had no idea that there was a Selena museum – but it seems like a wonderful place to visit. Sometimes little, family-run museums can be the absolute best!

Yes exactly!! Thanks for reading!

Selena Museum is sure in my bucket list! I enjoyed reading all the details about visiting the museum. Visiting the Selena auditorium and having Tex-mex food in Hi-Ho restaurant is the best thing at the end. I am bookmarking your blog post to refer to when I am in Texas next. 🙂

yesss I hope you have a great time! Thanks for reading!

I honestly didn’t know about Selena until the movie came out. Such a tragic story. It’s great that there is a museum and all these memorial places around Corpus Christi. I make pilgrimages to strange and interesting places when I travel too!

Sooooo tragic! I love that the city loves her so much

That is so funny, I do the same thing. I get fixated on one thing I really need to visit and the rest of the itinerary is built around that. This is such a beautiful tribute to her. I remember when the story was breaking news but before that I had never heard of Selena. I’m glad her story lives on.

me too!! Thank you so much for reading 🙂

I’ve been wanting to visit Padre Island for a while and you’ve more than convinced me to make a stop in Corpus Christi on the way – this is a little known story for me, thank you for the rec!

Oh yayy!! I hope you have a good visit!

This is exactly what I needed to read!! My sister has always been obsessed with Selena and we are planning a trip in April. I throughly enjoy this blog post and thank you for the insight. I’m excited to go now!!

OMG AHHH!!! That makes me so insanely happy to read! Thank you so much! I hope you and your sister have a fantastic experience, let me know how it goes 🙂

I’m so glad I found your page!! I’ve been wanting to visit the Selena Q Museum for years and I finally will be able to go this upcoming May. I was searching online to see if I needed to purchase tickets in advance but it doesn’t seem like it.

Also I low-key would want to touch the microphone too 👀😂 so I don’t think it’s weird. Thanks for all the extra information on what else to see in the area 🙂

omg yyayyyyy that makes me so happy to hear!!!! I’m super excited for your trip – and happy my lil blog could help a little! Yeah, you won’t need tickets in advance, I also went in May! Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you again! 🙂

I follow her music being that my cousin was Emilio Navaira and I just thought she was so talented and anything that she did was just fabulous when I visited the museum or when I hear her music it just brings tears to my eyes that’s such a wonderful talented young life was taken so tragically and what I’ll say to anybody else you need to go and visit the Selena museum and her monument but I do feel that the city of corpus Christie needs to upkeep it a little bit better being that she was the queen of the Hana and although corpus is a well-known city she did bring a lot to that city

SO AGREED!! They really need to upkeep it better – she’s the whole reason I visited!!

I mean I def wouldn’t call Corpus Christi a “sleepy gulf town” when there are so many festivals, concerts, events, the beach, watersports etc….. It’s a real city, with a 400K population, an art scene, a downtown going through a renaissance, development happening, etc.

Mm, I mean, I’m a big city gal, so Corpus Christi did indeed feel sleepy /to ME/, but I see what you’re saying and there’s definitely a better way to phrase what I meant! I’ve edited to give Corpus Christi a more well-rounded description, and it’s awesome to hear about all the things I missed out on – I’ll have to revisit for sure!

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THE SELENA MUSEUM

WE ARE OPEN! Monday - Friday 10am - 4pm (CST) Saturday - CLOSED Sunday - CLOSED  ----------------------------- Admission: Ages 3 & Up: $5.00 Ages 2 & Under - FREE Effective April 3, 2023

5410 Leopard St. Corpus Christi, TX  78408 USA 1 (361) 289-9013

Selena Museum

Price & Hours

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• Atmosphere 3.0

Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, known as Selena, was a Latin pop artist who was regularly called the "Queen of Tejano music." During her career, Selena recorded four albums, earned a Grammy Award for Best Mexican American album and designed all of her own costumes. Selena's career was cut tragically short when she was murdered in 1995 in Corpus by the former president of her fan club.

Today, Selena is memorialized with her own museum in Corpus Christi. The museum itself is attached to the Q-Productions studio, which is her family's music studio. Here, fans will find numerous portraits of Selena and artifacts from her childhood. Her famous costumes are also on display, along with her platinum and gold albums.

Museumgoers praised the site, saying it's an excellent memorial for the artist and a must-visit for any of her fans. Others lamented its small size. Several patrons cautioned not to ask for photos or acknowledge Selena's family (who still work at the studio), as you may be met with a rude encounter.

The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday only. Admission costs $3 per person ages 2 and older. It's located about 5 miles west of downtown. For more information, visit Q-Productions' website .

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#1 Padre Island National Seashore

This barrier island stretches along the Texas coast for 113 miles, though it's split into two islands. While its southern section, South Padre Island, is a well-known spring break destination, Padre Island offers a calmer seaside getaway near Corpus Christi. In particular, travelers rave about the island's national seashore, a 70-mile stretch of land protected by the National Park Service, for its pristine beaches, calm atmosphere and space to spread out.

At the national seashore, travelers can build sandcastles on the beach, windsurf on Laguna Madre (a small body of water that is saltier than the ocean) or hop on a four-wheeler and cruise down the sands. If you time your trip for a summer visit, you may even be able to catch a sea turtle hatchling release. Remember that these releases have no set schedule as the baby turtles will hatch when they like. And if you're looking to save on accommodations, you can do so here by camping on the beach. Just know that camping is available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

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Tickets & prices Selena Museum

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Admission prices & discounts for tickets to Selena Museum in Corpus Christi

The following overview lists the admission prices and various discounts and discount codes for a visit to Selena Museum in Corpus Christi . All prices are displayed per age group or reduced rate group. You can also directly book your discounted online ticket for the Selena Museum here, if available, or make a reservation to reserve a timeslot if applicable.

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Muscle car collection in Oregon would make even Jay Leno envious

This story originally published Jan. 29, 2022.

Imagine the biggest and best car show you’ve ever been to, or heard of, and multiply that by size and rarity.

Visualize row after row of impeccably restored Camaros, Chevelles, Corvettes, 'Cudas, GTOs and Mustangs, plus entire sections dedicated to Ferraris and Shelby Cobras.

Now picture them displayed in showroom quality on mirrored turntables, tilted platforms and three-high racks, a kaleidoscope of color and shine.

That place exists, and not just in the wildest dreams of car buffs, but right here in Salem.

A local warehouse turned museum is home to the jaw-dropping private collection that is open only to private group tours by reservation, with all proceeds going to charity.

Some 355 cars are meticulously exhibited in the 117,000-square-foot space decorated with original neon car signs and other automobile memorabilia.

All of the cars are rare and valuable. Some are prototypes or one-offs, single cars produced by an automaker. Some are worth multi-millions of dollars.

It’s a collection that could make even Jay Leno drool.

"It boggles my mind what’s here," said Doug Nelson, board chairman of the Northwest Vintage Car & Motorcycle Museum, who recently reserved a tour for its members.

These cars, plus another 250 or so in storage, make up The Brothers Collection.

While the museum may be one of the best-kept secrets in Salem, that name is like royalty in the vintage car hobby and industry.

A video series featuring a muscle car of the week from the collection dates to 2013 with more than 300 episodes, many of them on YouTube.

The Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, a renowned indoor event held annually in Illinois, was staged virtually at the museum in November 2020 because of the pandemic, giving an expanded audience a behind-the-scenes look at The Brothers Collection.

The museum opened for its first private tour around the same time.

An estimated 2,170 people have since seen the collection, all making a pinky promise to not reveal who the owners are and where the museum is located because of privacy and security concerns.

Mystery owners

The owners of The Brothers Collection are brothers, that much we can confirm. But they value their privacy almost as much as their cars.

"It's not about them, it's about the cars," said Doug Dwyer, who was on-site for the most recent private tour. "That's how they like it. That's how they want to keep it."

Dwyer has worked for the brothers for 13 years. He is one of two paid employees for the museum and wears many hats, including spokesman, caretaker and mechanic.

He described the brothers as private businessmen with Salem roots and said they were talking about opening a museum when he was hired in 2009.

The brothers acquired the warehouse in 2016 to house their growing collection. Significant rehabilitation was done on the building, including seismic upgrades.

Creating a proper environment for storing the cars was paramount because protecting the paint and shine on the outside is as important as preserving what's under the hood.

One visitor was impressed that he didn't see a speck of dust, which brings up the question, 'Who keeps the cars so polished?'

"This building is very sealed," Dwyer said, "so they don't need that much cleaning that often."

Heart of the collection

Classic cars from the 1940s and '50s are scarce in The Brothers Collection, a contention for some visitors. But substantial sections of Corvettes, Cobras, Ferraris and other sports cars and exotics provide more than enough variety for most.

The heart of the collection, though, is from 1964 to 1971, the golden age of muscle cars.

Muscle cars were American-made with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving. Pontiac set the standard with its 1964 GTO, other manufacturers followed, and muscle cars became mainstream until federal safety and emissions rules and soaring gas prices put the brakes on the era. 

The Brothers Collection is considered the most comprehensive muscle car collection in the country — if not the world — with Hemis and Yenkos as far as the eye can see.

Narrowing down a list of the most noteworthy is a futile exercise. They're all noteworthy.

ZL1 Camaros are on display, including the first convertible built by Chevrolet in 1969. It was a Super Stock drag racer, setting a 1971 world record of 9.63 seconds at 143 mph, and is emblazoned with sponsor names and logos.

A Plum Crazy-colored 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T is one of 12 built with an automatic transmission.

Vertical racks of 1970 Plymouth AAR 'Cudas are on display at the back of the museum, looking more like a Hot Wheels collection than an exhibit of rare street rods. AAR stands for All American Racer and 'Cuda is short for Barracudas, manufactured by Plymouth from 1964 through 1974.

A redesign of the body and engine was unveiled in 1970, and 2,724 cars were built in the single production year. The AAR package included a unique stripe along the length of the vehicle called a strobe stripe and a flat black hood made of lightweight fiberglass. Unlike the standard 'Cuda, AAR's exhaust came out the sides near the back wheels.

The AAR 'Cuda was available in 20 colors, and The Brothers Collection has examples of 13, with names like Jamaica Blue, Lemon Twist, Sassy-Grass Green and Black Velvet. The colors they're on the lookout for are Ice Blue, Lime Green, Lime Light, Vitamin C Orange, Sandpebble Beige, Yellow Gold and Citron Mist.

Under the neon lights

The stacks and rows of cars stretch for more than two acres, and the only thing marring their high-gloss glory is the reflection of neon.

Countless neon car signs are hung from the warehouse ceiling, walls and posts. In one camera frame focused on an orange 1971 Dodge Charger Super Bee, one of nine with a 426 Hemi four-speed, more than a dozen neon car signs can be seen in the background. What makes this Super Bee super rare is its electric sunroof and power windows.

All the neon signs are originals and vary in size and detail. Multiple examples of Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Oldsmobile and Pontiac signs, to name just a few, can be spotted throughout the museum.

"It's as much a neon sign museum as it is a car museum," Dwyer said.

Original car posters and other car memorabilia help provide an authentic backdrop, such as the large wooden statue in the Ferrari section of a "Prancing Horse." The horse is a trademark of the Italian sports car manufacturer, and the statue was displayed behind founder Enzo Ferrari's desk in his personal office for 25 years.

The museum's most valuable car is nearby, a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder. Only 50 were built.

This one, No. 23, was sold new from the factory to the prince of Bologna, who sold it six months later to a racing driver and car dealer. The deep-blue car with silver hardtop has had several owners since and today is valued at $8 million.

'They've got the holy grail'

The Brothers Collection has more than 600 cars, but not all are in the museum.

"We have cars in storage that are display-worthy," Dwyer said, "but we ran out of room."

He said an expansion should provide space for another 30 cars.

The collection says a lot about the owners. They have a passion for automobiles, an appreciation for nostalgia, a soft spot for muscle cars and, perhaps most importantly, the financial means to support an extravagant hobby.

Only they know how valuable their collection is, but several cars are said to be worth more than a million dollars, several million in some cases . 

The brothers have amassed the collection by buying from private collectors and at auctions, both cars that have been restored and cars in need of restoration. They also have examples of survivor cars, vintage vehicles that haven't been altered in any way since they were built. They have the original paint job, interior and parts.

"As the years go by, they get better and better stuff," Dwyer said. "Their collection is evolving, better, best, more unique, more rare, more historical."

In many cases, they'll never be able to acquire something better.

"They've got the holy grail," Dwyer said.

Take the 1969 Pontiac Trans Am convertible, for example. The Brothers Collection has not just one but four — out of eight produced.

These cars were available only in Cameo Ivory with Tyrol Blue dual stripes on the hood and rear deck. Buyers had a choice of four-speed manual or automatic transmissions, and there were four made of each. The museum has examples of both.

All four are lined up in a row with the outer two on turntables, including one of just three made with a blue convertible top. Among the others are the first and last ones made.

Other rare convertibles in The Brothers Collection include a 1966 Shelby Mustang GT350 and a 1969 Hurst/Olds.

Shelby built just four Mustang GT350 convertibles that year, all in different colors. This one is Sapphire Blue, one of two equipped with optional automatic transmission, and the last one produced. The museum also has one of the four-speeds, in Springtime Yellow.

The 1969 Hurst/Olds convertible is one of three built for promotional purposes and one of two that exists today. It has a giant trunk-mounted shifter and platform the Hurstettes stood on during promotional campaigns at races. Next to this ultra-rare car is the 1969 Hurst/Olds Prototype. Both are Cameo White with Firefrost Gold stripes. 

Sharing the history

Every car in The Brothers Collection has a story behind it.

The museum proudly displays those stories on large placards in front of or next to each vehicle with details such as the year manufactured, number produced, size of the engine, amount of horsepower, and miles driven. Many include specifics about the restoration process and previous owners.

"Serious collectors know that, when they acquire an important car, they are paying not only for the vehicle," begins one placard, "but also for the stories, the history and the folklore that accompanies it."

Some of the cars are time capsules on wheels, such as the Iris-colored 1967 Ford Mustang 2+2 put away by a Nebraska Ford dealer to supplement his retirement.

The one-off special-order car has just 3.5 miles on the odometer. It has never been dealer prepped, as evidenced by the lack of center caps and valve stem extensions on the wheels, and still has the original window sticker. The MSRP was $3,020.14.

A 1970 Chevelle SS LS6 454, Cranberry Red with thick black racing stripes, has 34.2 original miles. It has been touted as the highest horsepower, lowest mileage vintage muscle car in existence. 

Most cars in The Brothers Collection, originally built to be driven hard, are now just showroom pieces. On occasion, they may be driven in parking lots for video and photo purposes.

Some have had famous drivers in the past, appeared in movies, or were simply ahead of their time.

The 1969 Ford Torino that Bobby Unser drove to set a record in the famous Pikes Peak hill climb race is part of The Brothers Collection.

A 1979 10th Anniversary Pontiac Trans Am, one of 1,817 produced with the TA 6.6 400 with a four-speed, is the car Kid Rock drove in the 2001 movie "Joe Dirt." The silver car with a "super bird" hood decal has 111 miles on the odometer.

The 1948 Tucker was one of the most innovative automobiles ever built. The sedan had a rear-mounted engine and a long list of safety features, including an integrated roll bar, padded dash and shatterproof windshield. The light blue version at the museum is the 43rd of 51 produced. 

How to get a tour

Three hours inside the museum, the length of most private tours, is barely enough to see everything, and it's easy to get sensory overload.

The upper level off of the entrance, where the exotic cars are displayed, is more than worth the price of admission, which was $15 a person for a recent tour. But visitors are further wowed as they walk down a ramp that leads to the bulk of the collection.

"Sometimes I still go 'Wow!' when I stand on top of that ramp," Dwyer said.

Photographs and videos don't do it justice. The Brothers Collection should be seen in person to be fully appreciated. 

The museum is not open to the public, though, and may never be. It offers limited private group tours, operating as a fundraiser for local nonprofits.

Capi Lynn is a senior reporter for the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions and tips to her at [email protected] , and follow her work on Twitter @CapiLynn and Facebook @CapiLynnSJ.

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Selena gomez on her first emmy acting nomination, why ‘only murders in the building’ season 4 will be her “favorite”.

Gomez’s Emmy nom comes on the heels of her recently winning best actress at Cannes for her first Spanish-language film 'Emilia Perez.'

By Beatrice Verhoeven

Beatrice Verhoeven

Deputy Awards Editor

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Selena Gomez is, in her own words, having the best year of her life. Not only did she win the best actress award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival for her performance in Emilia Pérez , but she also scored her first Emmy acting nomination for her role in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building .

“Acting has, and will always be, my heart,” she tells THR . “There’s so much that I want to do and that I haven’t even scratched the surface of, and it’s exciting to me.”

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This is your first Emmy acting nomination, for a show in its third season. Congratulations! How did you celebrate with your co-stars?

I received flowers from [Martin Short and Steve Martin]. I’m in L.A., Marty’s always all over the world, and Steve is in New York. So, obviously, we can’t be together, but we’ll celebrate when we get back together again. But it was crazy. I was just honored to be on such a show that was recognized. I feel so lucky, because there are so many great shows, and to even be considered, to have an opportunity like this, is such an honor. In my mind, I feel like I already won.

The show is so contained given its premise of only murders in the building, yet it’s fresh every season. How do you and the rest of the crew make sure it doesn’t become repetitive?

Your character, Mabel, undergoes a very big change this season. Was your preparation different from previous seasons?

The whole process was different because we had so many different facets to this season, in particular with having all the guest stars that we did, which was so much fun, and I can’t even begin to tell you how hard I laughed. We used to shoot everything in order, and that would help me a lot, but because we had so many different things that were happening, and we wanted to make sure everybody was comfortable and we could adjust to people’s schedules, it jumped all over the place [this season], and I found that a bit more worrisome for me , not because of anyone else. I just was like, “Where am I at this point? Am I on episode seven, or are we back at four just to do reshoots?” That was the only tough part. Other than that, it was a blast. I’m glad it was different. 

Tell me about working with Meryl Streep and your favorite scene with her.

You also sing and dance in this season.

I tried to get away with not doing it, but they really wanted a little thing. I just didn’t feel like it was my character. I don’t think it would have made sense unless it was done in a very sarcastic, unprofessional way, for humor reasons, but in my heart, it just didn’t feel like that’s what Mabel would be caring about. I thought it was cute. I loved doing the number. But, yeah, I’m glad that I didn’t have to do a lot of that part of my life, which I already do enough of. Don’t get me wrong, I was like, I might wear this [jazz outfit] to dinner with some cute heels! I thought it was such a look.

What can we expect for season four?

I think this is our most exciting season yet. That’s what I would definitely say with confidence, because it was far too fun. How it came together was so magical. Everyone had a blast. And people are in for a ride, you know. Taking us to L.A. and then doing all the other stuff is exciting. It’s going to be, to date, probably my favorite season. 

You also recently won the best actress award in Cannes for Emilia Pérez , which is your first time acting in Spanish. 

This story first appeared in an August stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe .

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