--- title: "California’s Zimmerman Auto Museum Closes After Post-Pandemic Struggles" description: "The Zimmerman museum in El Segundo opened in 2002 and kept an eclectic collection, but began facing funding issues in 2020." date: "2024-10-30" modified: "2024-10-30" authors: - name: "Ronan Glon" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/ronan-glon" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/zimmerman-automotive-museum-california-closes" categories: - "Culture" - "History" - "News" --- # California’s Zimmerman Auto Museum Closes After Post-Pandemic Struggles ![Zimmermann Automobile Driving Museum]() *\Zimmerman Automobile Driving Museum\* The fascinating Zimmerman Automobile Driving [Museum]() located in El Segundo, California, has closed after 22 years. Posting on [Facebook](), the museum explained that it shut down due to deep-rooted financial problems. The issues began in 2020, when it was forced to close and cancel the events it had planned due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It consequently lost a substantial amount of money. Its founder and sole sponsor, Stanley Zimmerman, [died]() in July 2020 and his monthly donations proved difficult to replace. The museum explored other ways to make money, such as organizing car shows, renting vehicles, and hosting special events, but the money that flowed in wasn't enough. Other factors compounded the museum's financial problems, including "complicated property and car collection issues" and "an increase in local competition." The weight of these issues made it impossible for the museum to stay afloat. Its last day was October 27. The events, car shows, and cruise-ins scheduled for November and December 2024 will be held as planned, however, and the Bayside Cafe will remain open on the weekends until December 29. > [View this post on Instagram]() > [A post shared by The Zimmerman ADM (@theadmorg)]() None of the 130-plus cars that were displayed in the museum are for sale. The ones that were on loan will be returned to their owners, and we don't yet know what will happen to those that the museum owns. The collection included a diverse selection of cars from just about every era. The usual suspects were accounted for, including a Ford Model T, a Volkswagen Beetle, and a DeLorean DMC-12, but there were also quite a few oddities on display. When did you last see a 1975 Sebring Vanguard CitiCar? Have you ever heard of the wild-looking Arex Roadster? Our thoughts go out to the museum's staff, and we hope that at least part of the collection will bask under the spotlights of another museum. ![Zimmermann Automobile Driving Museum]() **Zimmerman Automobile Driving Museum** *Got tips? Send ’em to [tips@thedrive.com]()* ## Author Ronan is a contributing writer for The Drive. He draws on over 15 years of experience to cover breaking industry news, cool one-off builds, and anything in between. He began writing for The Drive in 2021 and stepped into his current role in 2024. His obsession with cars started when a relative gave him a Majorette die-cast shortly after his first birthday. It hasn't flickered since. Ronan lives in France; He swapped Utah's Rocky Mountains, where he grew up, for the Alps. He's an avid hiker, mountain biker, and musician. He also restores classic European cars and mopeds, including a 1978 Citroen 2CV that he's rebuilding from the ground up. ### Author social links [Twitter]()