Start your engines, the Dwarf Car Museum is going to have you revving up for some tiny fun! I actually can't believe it took me this long to visit this place, I've had it on my bucket list for years and it's not far from Phoenix. For decades, Ernie Adams has been meticulously handcrafting these pint-sized, fully-operational replicas of classic American cars. They're tiny but mighty - all fully street-legal, and he does take them for rides on the regular road. Every model is built entirely from scratch, from the original vision, through all the raw sheet metal, tubing, and tiny details. It's truly fascinating. My friend and I were lucky to meet Ernie during our visit. He's got a good sense of humor (which you will see in the museum exhibits) and a few stories up his sleeve. He was also kind enough to let us climb inside one of his dwarf cars, so we could experience life in miniature first-hand. The museum is a charming time capsule filled with vintage memorabilia, lots of retro vibes and enough personality to fill a full-sized showroom. There's a little bit of something for everyone there - you don't even have to be a true car enthusiast to appreciate the artistry and fun of the whole place! Just bring a sense of wonder (and maybe a flexible spine). 100% recommend! read more

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What an experience of Americana! One man's vision to do something out of the ordinary turned into something extraordinary!

I've wanted to get to this museum for several years, and I finally made it today. And it was well worth the wait as well as the drive to get there. The is a great place to visit. The work he has done to build these dwarf cars, all of which actually run like real cars, is crazy amazing. Ginger made a great introduction to the place to get our visit started. You get to see the cars, but also all the equipment he developed so he could build the original cars. He made the body of the first car he built from old refrigerators! Plus he has all his old collections of model cars, Hot Wheels, etc. read more

Dwarf Car Museum - Museums Near Me - Maricopa, Arizona

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Fun experience and wonderful history. Worth the drive out. We really enjoyed all the cars and the whole property is just incredible. You can see the love and care they put in. read more

If you like excellent craftsmanship or if you're a gearhead or car enthusiast, this is a must see place to visit. You're free to roam around and check out all the cars, I would guess about a dozen. All scratch built inside and out!!!!!!!!!! They have Toyota drive trains and can be driven anywhere. Ernie is really cool to talk to. I can't say enough about this place. TWO THUMBS UP!!!!!!!!! read more

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A diamond in the rough after 2 lane roads. Ernie Adam's took an idea and drove with it. Multiple cars dwarfed from 1910's delivery truck to 1954 Chevrolet Bel Air. A definite stop for your imagination to run wild and enjoy all automobile memorabilia. read more

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Took a friend of mine to the Dwarf Car Museum today on our first date. Ernie, the creator of the museum and the cars, kept flirting with her, kissing her, hugging on her in front of me after he was informed multiple times that it was our first date. He kept making very inappropriate comments about wanting to date her and have sex with her. The museum itself is great, and the cars are fantastic, but the way he treats the female guests is outrageously bad. I will never take another female with me to this museum if that's the way he's going to treat his female guests. read more

What an amazing place To experience the fellas who started this business are so kind and friendly and approachable I love the fact they share stories and it's like they welcome you with open arms into their space. It's great to hear their stories and watch them work I take every one who comes to visit me in Az here and constantly tell people about this place and the people read more

We met Ginger and Ernie. My husband was so happy to find this place and he and our son were able to speak with Ernie about his creations. The girls and I spoke with Ginger, his daughter in-law and she was delightful and very knowledgeable about every car. There are things to view inside and outside. There is a gift shop. Not sure if it was added after the review from 3 years ago, but the gift shop has t-shirts, books and a variety of nostalgia type things and toys you may remember from your youth and visiting a five and dime. Plan to spend about an hour to an hour and a half if you are super interested. We went on a super hot day and it was not bad temperature wise inside. If you are a car enthusiast and love interesting cars, every car in this collection is just amazing when you realize that every car is scaled down, working/drivable, and very detailed. Ernie's first car was made out of refrigerators!! There is a video to watch and you can see how he was able to scale down the tires and rims. read more

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No charge for entry but they'll gladly take your donations. I had no trouble donating, buying a cold bottle of water and even getting a few post cards because this is pretty darned awesome. Great to meet the builder and his son who gave a great tour and explanation even though he's probably done it a million times. Ernie Adams built his first car in 1965, a 28 Chevy two-door sedan made from old refrigerators. Yes, I said refrigerators. It just went on from there and now he's bending and shaping steel and all sorts to make these FULLY FUNCTIONAL vehicles that are all just a little bit smaller than stock. You really have to make the journey to see this for yourself. It's amazing. [Review 17509 overall - 95 in Arizona - 1027 of 2022.] read more

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Lovely little museum, family owned and operated. Fun day trip with the kids! Lots of antiques and interesting bits!

The amazing part was learning that all the cars were made by hand by one man w brains, talent and skill! Plenty of other stuff to look at also. It is a long way off of 347 tho. read more

A random stop I made during my travels in the desert. Pros: + Its a purely donation based stop. Leave what you feel is appropriate + All cars are built in house + A documentary video is on display which can burn some time during leisure travel + Almost all cars on display are completely functional + Friendly folks Cons: - It can be a little hot. You are in the desert Bottom line: More details are in my profile link, but totally worth a stop when exploring read more

Dwarf Car Museum - Fun random stop - Museums Near Me - Maricopa, Arizona

May 2, 2024 - it is located in the middle of nowhere and was about 1 3/4 hours from where we are staying. As you drive up, you can definitely tell it is a car persons dream come true... building small copies of iconic cars. Plenty of close parking. Only $5 per person for entry. Thank you, Ginger for providing us with so much information! Ernie's cars are works of art and we are able to watch him work on one while we were there. There is also a lot more to see than just the miniature cars, such as, old gas station pumps, farming equipment, vehicles used for parts, old refrigerators, oil cans, collector toy vehicles, machine shop equipment, a collection of license plates (bring one from your state/country for displaying), and much more!! There is AC in some of building(s), but not in the bathrooms (won't be in there for much time anyway...very clean - help keep them that way). So glad we made the trip! read more

This place is great. Very great place to visit to see the skill and craftsmanship that is put into the cars.

Wow the amazing detail that is put into these cars. Very cool to talk to Earl the guy who builds them. A lot of cool items and features hung all over. It is a little bit of a distance out of town but well worth the trip if you into cars. read more

This museum was a surprise! This is a not-for-profit venue, so it is no-charge for entry but accepts donations. Recommendation: Once inside the building, move to the back room and take a seat to watch the documentary. You will gain a new level of appreciation for Ernie's craftsmanship, and it's pretty entertaining. Not only are there a number of the Dwarf cars on display, the entire building is a display of nostalgia! Even the bathrooms have nostalgic decor. Other items of note - there is a working barber shop. There is no gift shop, but they do have a small fridge with beverages available on the honor system. Ernie and his friends are available for questions and storytelling. It was a very interesting day. read more

We visited this place about a year ago. It's out in the sticks, but we'll worth a visit. The owner has built some outstanding scaled down street legal replicas of assorted cars, a boat, etc. We have referred quite a few friends to go and see it, and none of them were disappointed. read more

The dwarf car museum is absolutely worth the drive. Ernie's cars are immaculate and so fun to see. You can also see his workshop and projects in progress. His sons were very informative and friendly. The museum area also contains antiques and vintage toys. There is a "rust room" for visitors and also plenty to see outside the museum on the property. If you like cars or metal fabrication, you should visit! read more

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So much History and thank you to Ginger and Rick for telling us the history today. For anyone interested admission is 5.00. read more

Dwarf Car Museum - Museums Near Me - Maricopa, Arizona

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I first saw this on YouTube a couple of years ago. I immediately added it to my bucket list of places to go. I finally had the opportunity as I was working in Phoenix this week. We arrived at 9 am and were the first ones there, which was great because we were treated like old friends when we walked in the door. The garage is a walk through automotive history, and feels like you are on site for an episode of American Pickers. The gentleman who build the cars Jean and Ernie, will share every aspect of what went I to building them with a knowledge of cars that leaves me feeling humble. Each dwarf car is not only an amazing piece of art, they are also functional road legal pieces of art. You soon realize when walking the garage and property that they are not running a museum. They are sharing acres of art with you. A quick walk around the property will introduce you to the Ernie's Garden, The pet cemetery and historic vehicles displayed in natural state of decay...which I find amazing. Keep in mind there is no store, or memorabilia to purchase, just simply a visitor log to sign and a donation box for donations to keep the place going. (They do have a small refrigerator with sodas for $.75.). Bring cash for donations and sodas. Take pictures, but I recommend talking and asking questions as that is where your real memories will be acquired. I give this a 5 out of 5 as it is a great detour from the freeway. If you are ever I the Phoenix area looking for a place to spend some time, swing down to Maricopa and be amazed at the art these men have created. read more

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Doesn't look like much when you past by this place but, what a great surprise. This is totally a hidden gem. Dwarf repica cars made from scratch by 2 true artists Ernie Adams and Gene Tweedy. I wished I had more time to spend but we will be coming back to see the finished products. Gene was so friendly and welcoming and was explaining and answering all of questions. Thank you so much. Really enjoyed your place! read more

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Very fun. We had fun trip to Maricopa. The family that runs this place is delightful read more

Dwarf Car Museum - Actually, very fun - Museums Near Me - Maricopa, Arizona

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Now this is not your average museum, but if your a car lover you may want to check it out. Yup, hand crafted dwarf cars. They're all fully operational and drivable. Built with Toyota drivetrains. Family run, with a small town country feel. In fact, there is no admission fee, just donations accepted. That should tell you, it's just a labor of love. read more

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Really cool place owner builds car himself very different than what you would typically see going down the road!

Always love going to the museum! Erinie Adams is a wonderful host and an amazing artist and custom car builder! Out of the way, but well worth the detour to pay them a visit. read more

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This is so awesome the beautiful craftsmanship of the cars are impressive to say the least

What a lovely place. Ernie the owner and his family are wonderful people. Ernie has such talent in building these cars. This is an entertaining nostalgic place. Well worth the drive out there. read more

This place is a must see if you're in the area. We visited the museum while visiting family in Maricopa. I don't know what I actually expected but this certainly was not it. This was something to see. Coming from a family of car enthusiasts and an upholsterer for a dad, this was right up our alley. It reminds me of my dad's shop at home with all of the memorabilia. Ernie is truly a craftsman and very talented. They were very eager to tell us about what they do and provide us the backstory behind everything. They also have a video that plays and Ernie tells his story through it. You could spend the entire day looking at everything inside the garage and outside. Entry is free but you should definitely bring cash to donate as they could easily charge a lot of money and it would be worth it. read more

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Super cool place!! The guy who owns it is really nice and he has some videos playing in the back on how he makes the cars.

It's a drive, out in the middle of nowhere; BUT... Worth it to see the amazing cars and meet the artist that created them. Nothing fancy, but unbelievable detail and scale. AMAZING craftsmanship and an interesting guy. If you're a car guy... It's a MUST SEE! read more

Worth the stop! Great place with lots of history! Good parking. Ernie is still working in the shop!