AACA Museum, Inc. receives 5,000 model bus collection
Hershey, PA – The year was 1976, and John Dockendorf was beginning his position as Chief of the Urban Transit Division of PennDot’s Bureau of Public Transportation. Given his job,…
Hershey, PA - The year was 1976, and John Dockendorf was beginning his position as Chief of the Urban Transit Division of PennDot’s Bureau of Public Transportation. Given his job, he thought it would be nice to decorate his office with some model buses, and so began his life-long passion.
What began as an office decorating project turned into a collection of more than 5,000 toy and model buses ranging in age from 1915 – the present. John has become one of the foremost authorities on model buses in the World. His collection includes cast iron, plastic, and die-cast from a variety of manufacturers, including Arcade, Kenton, Marx, Corgi, Dinky, and others. What’s his favorite bus? A 1930 vintage Pickwick Nite Coach. It was the bus industry’s attempt to provide a Pullman-type sleeper service.
John Dockendorf is a member of the AACA Museum Board of Directors and was also a founding member of the Museum of Bus Transportation which began in 1995 and, which recently merged with the AACA Museum. John has decided to donate his full collection to the AACA Museum. While not all of these models can be displayed at one time, there are currently several dozen buses on view in display cases here at the Museum. John will work with the Museum to periodically rotate the pieces on view. He has also committed to providing an annual contribution to help store and maintain the collection.
About the AACA Museum, Inc.
The AACA Museum, Inc., a Smithsonian Affiliate, displays beautifully restored or preserved automobiles, buses, trucks, and motorcycles in unique life-like scenes representing the 1890s through the 1980s on a cross-country journey from New York to San Francisco. As one of the largest automotive museums in the country, AACA Museum, Inc. features special exhibits that change several times a year and focus on a variety of eras and types of vehicles.
The AACA Museum, Inc., has been and remains an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, not affiliated with The Antique Automobile Club of America.
The Museum is in South Hanover Township, just off Route 39 and one mile west of Hersheypark Drive in Hershey, Pa. Regular admission is $12.50; seniors age 61 and older, $11.50; juniors age 4 to 12, $9.50; and children age 3 and under, free. Admission is also free to AACA Museum, Inc., members and Antique Automobile Club of America members with a current membership card.
The Museum is open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The Museum is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. For more information, call 717-566-7100 or visit AACAMuseum.org.
