International Towing & Recovery Museum

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People having enjoyed driving cars in the USA for over 100 years.

For just as long, those cars have been getting stuck in the mud, breaking down on the road, crashing into things, getting a flat, and needing to be rescued by somebody who could HELP to pull them OUT of the mud, fix things, and get their car home or to a repair shop. In 1916, that "Someone" was Ernest Holmes in Chattanooga Tennessee, who invented the first Tow Truck to help drivers get their cars out of a ditch, or pull it to his repair shop when it would not run.  Since then, there have been over 300,000 people who have make their living helping people fix or move cars, trucks, and many of other kinds of vehicles. The International Towing Museum & Recovery Hall Of Fame opened in 1995, just a few miles from Ernie's first tow truck, and is dedicated to those people who have carried on his legacy across over six generations.  Our museum showcases the profession that these people have developed, the equipment that has grown & changed with them... the history of their craft... and helps the general public understand the service provided for over 100 years. You can bring the kids along to get an "Up close look" at the big trucks, or invite Grandpa to see some of the restored antiques that were rolling down the highway back when he was just a kid himself.  If you "ask real nice" they might even let you sit in one for a minute, and see what it look like in the cab. ( Just don't honk the horn and scare your sister ) This museum is open to the general public, and can be an enjoyable 3hr tour for all ages, whether you have ever been around a tow truck before or not... Of course, if your family is one of thousands who DO drive wreckers for a living, the museum takes on extra meaning... almost like a family reunion where you can "walk down memory lane" with other people who share some of the same experiences --and understand what it's like to be "On Call" at 3am, then go help people out of a ditch in the driving rain, with other traffic going past at 60mph when you step out the door. Some Interesting Exhibits: We have tow trucks that rush to get smashed race cars off the track (and put out fires to save the driver)... tow trucks from the 1930s to pull a Model-T... a US-Army Tow truck that can pull a Sherman tank, and the "Big Boy" that can pull a loaded Semi Truck home.   We also have great people at the museum, who really KNOW how it's done, and the history of this profession.  Men+Women who can tell you how a 6000-lb tow truck from 1955 could pull a loaded 40,000-lb truck out of a ditch !!  Hint: It helps to have extra long chains & hook to a BIG tree first. Visit our Museum in Chattanooga TN, to see this and more.   Go to our Web-Site, https://InternationalTowingMuseum.org/visit-the-museum/ for more details, including hours & admission. We Hope to See you There soon..!  (Tell them Tow-Joe Sent you )