The Days Gone By Tractor Museum, a Portland, Tennessee Find

If looking for an antique tractor museum, the best person to ask is another collector. When we knew we would be heading to Florida to the Florida Flywheelers we thought it would be fun to stop along the way and play tourist. Fellow collector Buddy Woodson, that we met at a Red Power Round Up shared information about the Days Gone By Tractor Museum. It wasn’t out of the way and even though not yet officially open for spring, owner, Joey Collins was kind enough to open up for Keith and I and our friends Kent and Jane Elliott and their daughter Beth.

Since the Elliotts have New Century Performances and sell aluminum block engines for racing, Kent and Joey Collins, a former drag racer instantly had a lot in common. We loved the variety of tractors, steam engines, trucks and even airplanes that Joey had at his wonderful museum.

It was a desire to house all his collectibles under one building that prompted his museum. Once he had them moved from what he called “several full farm buildings” Joey started a show on the grounds of the former Davis Cabinet Company where he houses his collection. The building was originally bought to store equipment for their family construction business, but Joey took the one building for his collection and set aside 12 acres for a tractor show. Once the tractor show started and word got out about Joey’s wonderful machines, collectors started flocking to Portland to check it out and his private collection turned into a museum. He officially opened as a museum in 2012.

If you get a chance stop by this museum that is filled with wonderful things like a Chevy with skis, a couple German tractors, a sidecar motorcycle and much more. You will see steam engines, old trucks, a wrench collection and racing cars as well. Check the facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Days-Gone-By-Tractor-Show-Threshing-138279226909/ for more information about this wonderful place!