The Motorsports Museum That 'Covid-19' Killed
Photo Courtesy of World of Speed
The Discovery
I haven't written any posts for about a week, but something I learned about really pissed me off, so I share that frustration with you.
I was driving down the I-5 freeway near Wilsonville, in the good ol' state of Oregon, when I passed a building I hadn't noticed before. It might have had something to do with living outside of the country the majority of the past five years. I saw a rather large building with "WORLD of SPEED" emblazoned on the side. I made a mental note to research this place when I got home.
The Research
And research I did. I found it on Google Maps, who had it labeled as Temporarily closed, and I clicked on link for the website to see what I could find out when it would open again. I discovered this was a motorsports museum, and was a mere five years old. It was a baby as far as museums go. You may not know this about me, but I am a huge museum buff! To my utter shock, this particular museum would never be opening again. Why is this do you ask? In a word:
Covid-19
...or was it really?
The Museum
Upon further research, this little museum had a pretty cool collection of cars, even some vintage Ferraris. I wouldn't really call myself a gear head or anything, but I enjoy a beautiful car, and I love me a museum.
They had quite a few videos posted on Youtube, but all of their other social media accounts had been deactivated.
https://www.youtube.com/c/WorldofSpeedUSA/videos
I really enjoyed the Ferrari videos, so I am sharing them below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiQ2iK71RjQ&ab_channel=WorldofSpeedUSA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM6x0IFwVTE&ab_channel=WorldofSpeedUSA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXaR8_1-fEU&ab_channel=WorldofSpeedUSA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSNsvRW0a0M&ab_channel=WorldofSpeedUSA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr_obiqCrlY&ab_channel=WorldofSpeedUSA
There is also a virtual tour you can take here: https://www.worldofspeed.org/look-inside
The Letdown
Their website had the following posted prominently on their website:
It is with heavy hearts we announce the permanent closure of World of Speed Motorsport Museum. The museum has been temporarily closed to the public since March 16, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the Oregon Health Authority’s current guidelines, the museum would fall into Phase Two or Phase Three of the state’s reopening plan, potentially pushing reopening into 2021.
Many of our guests, volunteers, students and docents fall into the category of most vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus, which means efforts to keep everyone safe could push reopening further, even after OHA restrictions are lifted. After much deliberation, our board determined it would be unable to maintain the facility during such an extended closure.
You Tell Me?!
Was this bureaucratic overreach? Were draconian measures such as these really necessary? Does forcing businesses and nonprofits to close permanently really going help society in the long run? "Flatten the Curve" they told us. As both our society and our collective mental health sinks into depression, we'll be able to look back and decide which was worse, the cure or the disease.
Oh well, what's done is done. Please check out the website and take a look at some of the content. Maybe you'll feel a bit nostalgic too for something you'll never get a chance to see. World of Speed, may you live on in our memories and on the blockchain.
You made a positive impact while you lasted. I salute you.
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