Entry No. 28 — the Detroit file — filed under: classic-cars
Stahls Motor and Music Experience
A fascinating private collection that pairs rare Depression-era and Art Deco automobiles with an incredible array of automated musical instruments like orchestrions and dance organs.
The story
Detroit natives Mary and Ted Stahl started this project as a personal obsession before it outgrew any normal garage and landed in an industrial corner of Chesterfield. What could have been just another warehouse of polished vintage chrome instead turned into a hybrid vault: half Depression-era and Art Deco automobile showcase, half acoustic laboratory for extinct mechanical tech.
The connection between the two halves makes sense once you're standing in it. Before digital audio or electronic fuel injection, complex engineering meant brass gears, punch cards, pneumatic bellows, and hand-shaped steel. Here, rare classic cars sit alongside massive orchestrions and self-playing violin-piano contraptions that look like Victorian-era pipe dreams.
The crown jewel of the sound collection is a century-old Gaudin dance organ. When it gets fired up, it doesn't sound like a recording; it roars with physical air pumping through wooden pipes and mechanical percussion, filling the entire hall with the sound of a century-old carnival.
What it's like
Stepping inside feels less like navigating a public museum and more like gaining off-hours access to an eccentric collector's private sanctuary. You'll browse past restored Art Deco fenders one minute and be startled by a self-playing violin machine springing to life the next. The museum runs on limited open hours and special evening programming like their 'Night at the Museum' events or micro-car meets—confirm their operating schedule on their site before you drive out.
The move: Stroll past rare classic cars, then stand in awe as a massive, century-old Gaudin dance organ or a self-playing violin-piano machine fills the hall with mechanical music.
- 📍 Chesterfield
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 56516 North Bay Dr, Chesterfield, MI 48051
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- The Anatomy of Death Museum — Follow up century-old mechanical music machines with real human skulls and antique embalming tools just nine miles south in Mount Clemens.
- Hemker Blacksmithing LLC — Trade smooth automotive sheet metal for glowing steel and heavy hammer swings at this custom forge nearby in Armada.
- The Halo — Pass by this 35-foot golden roadside ring standing in the median of Hall Road on your drive back from the museum.
Good to know
Who built this collection?
It was founded by Detroit natives Mary and Ted Stahl, evolving from a private passion project into the Stahls Automotive Foundation.
What kinds of music machines will I actually see?
The collection focuses on pre-digital automated instruments, including orchestrions, self-playing violin-piano combinations, and a massive Gaudin dance organ.
Do the automated instruments actually operate?
Yes, the instruments are maintained in working order and are regularly demonstrated for visitors during open hours.
Is the museum open every day?
No, open hours are selective and often tied to specific events or designated museum open days, so double-check their schedule before making the trip.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Facebook
last checked: 2026-07-21