LA Fridays with Bob and Tom: Petersen Automotive Museum

LA Fridays with Bob and Tom

 Week 22.  Petersen Automotive Museum

Does this place look cool or not? The Petersen Automotive Museum, for our car enthusiasts, is located on Wilshire Blvd along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile neighborhood of Los Angeles. The museum specializes in automobile history and educationally related programs. It was founded in 1994 by magazine publisher Robert E. Petersen and his wife, Margie. The museum has over 100 vehicles on display in its 25 galleries. The remaining half of the collection is kept in a vault, located on the basement level of the building. Age restrictions and an admission premium over the cost to enter the museum are in effect to view the vault collection.

The ground floor focuses on automotive artistry, showcasing an array of extravagant automobiles. The second floor is principally concerned with industrial engineering-industrial designs, performance, and a collection of interactive teaching exhibits.  Special displays on the industry floor cover racing motorcycles, hot rods and custom-designed cars. The third floor chronicles the history of the automobile with an emphasis on the car culture of Southern California.

If you like cars, this place is a “must see”.

The museum is very children friendly, with lots of interactive exhibits for youngsters. Parking is available on site connected to the museum.

 

ROBERT BLAUNSTEIN, PhD BIO

 

Robert (Bob) is a PhD physicist whose career has spanned academia, government and private industry. As a faculty member of the Department of Physics at the University of Tennessee, a Branch Chief at the United States Department of Energy and Vice President of an American International Group Company, his scientific endeavors include radiation physics, environmental research, environmental insurance and nanotechnology.

Originally from the East Coast, Bob was seduced by his sons and their families (and the California weather) to leave Washington, DC after retiring in 2010. While recovering from culture shock, Bob found many outlets to reconcile his eclectic interests. As a member of Senior Scholars for over six years he continues to take courses in a myriad of subjects ranging from film to art history to brain science and finds great intellectual and social rewards in Senior Scholars and the Plato Society.

As a latent artist, he sketches scenes about town once a week with an artist friend from his college days and is attempting to learn to play the electric guitar.

On moving to Los Angeles, he found Tom Jacobson, another recent transplant. They became great friends and decided to explore their new town together leading to over 113 sites in our city. Dubbed “LA Fridays with Bob and Tom” they are happy to share their experiences with others.

Bob lives in Brentwood with Phyllis, his wife of 56 years, an education policy executive. They have two sons and four grandchildren, one of whom plays a guitar a lot better than Bob.

 

THOMAS JACOBSON BIO

 

Thomas (Tom) is an attorney who practiced trial and constitutional law in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Born in 1938 in Bamberg Germany, he was one of the youngest passengers on the ill-fated voyage of the Damned, the SS St. Louis, turned away from Cuba in 1939.

Tom represented local civil rights activists and Dick Gregory and twice argued cases successfully in the United States Supreme Court. In 1970 he was the Democratic candidate for Wisconsin Attorney General.

Retiring in 2008, he and wife, Peggy, moved to California to join their two sons and four grandchildren, and enjoy the warm weather.

Tom has kept busy as a member of Senior Scholars and Plato for the last six years keeping his brain stimulated and active. Yoga and swimming have kept his body in shape.