Glidden Tour

September 7 - 12th

Join fellow vintage automobile enthusiasts for the prestigious Glidden Tour, a week-long celebration combining automotive heritage with Kentucky hospitality. Registration begins Sunday at 10 AM with optional tours including the Bluegrass Hall of Fame and Abraham Lincoln's Boyhood Home.

History of the Glidden Tour

In December 1902 AAA conceived of a tour of different parts of the country where a variety of road conditions would be encountered with the 1904 World’s Fair at St. Louis as the final destination. Three major routes were selected, leaving from New York City, Philadelphia and Baltimore. Officially, 77 cars participated in the run, of which 66 made it to St. Louis. The 1,350-mile run from New York to St. Louis took 18 days and culminated August 12th with a grand parade through the city to the fair site, featuring the 66 finishers and 200 local cars.

The Glidden Tours provided numerous people with their first glimpse of a horseless carriage; and in many towns and villages along the tour route, citizens came out in force to wave at and welcome the drivers and their automobiles. The Glidden tourists were not received as warmly everywhere and were often greeted by local constables lying in wait in speed traps. Drivers often lost their way when the confetti trails marking routes were changed or eradicated by locals, and they also had to be on the lookout for more serious practical jokes such as poles being placed across the road. The Manchester, New Hampshire Union, an influential New England newspaper, took a particularly strong dislike to the tour and had this to say about the 1905 Glidden:

This year, there are 130 cars participating in the 2025 Revival AAA Glidden Tour® (Pre-1943) in Owensboro, KY, hosted by the VMCCA!

Week Highlights:

Daily Coffee Breaks: Scenic stops throughout Kentucky and Indiana
Museum Tours: John Audubon Museum, Evansville Wartime Museum, Santa Claus Museum
Special Experiences: Mail a letter to Santa, underground cavern tours, Bill Monroe Festival
Closing Celebration: Friday banquet overlooking the Ohio River + "Fridays After 5" street festival

Practical Details:

Event Put on By: The Vintage Motor Car Club of America
Hotel Map: https://www.vmcca.org/tours/flyers/2025-Revival-AAA-Glidden-Hotel-Map.pdf
Tour Director: Jeff Stumb, 2025gliddentourky@gmail.com
Special Features: Scenic drives, historic bridges, distillery tastings

THANK YOU to the GLIDDEN TOUR

Owensboro, you’ve written yourselves into our hearts forever!

From September 7–12, 2025, the Glidden Tour traced the winding roads of Kentucky and southern Indiana, with Owensboro serving as its gracious host city. For six days, vintage automobiles and their drivers gathered to celebrate not only the heritage of motoring but also the communities that preserve America’s cultural landscape.

The tour commenced at the Green River Distillery, where participants were welcomed with Kentucky hospitality and an opening banquet amid storied oak barrels. Each subsequent day carried motorists through carefully chosen routes and historic landmarks:

John James Audubon Museum in Henderson, where art and natural history converged.
Evansville Wartime Museum, preserving the memory of industry and service during eras of conflict.
Santa Claus, Indiana, with its museum and traditions that bridge nostalgia and enduring folklore.
Squire Boone Caverns, whose underground chambers linked participants to early frontier history.
Bill Monroe Museum and Jerusalem Ridge, the birthplace of bluegrass music, where Kentucky’s cultural voice was celebrated.

Evenings returned participants to Owensboro’s riverfront, where hospitality rooms and shared gatherings echoed the camaraderie of past Glidden Tours. The closing banquet at the Owensboro Convention Center, set against the Ohio River, provided a fitting finale, accompanied by the city’s vibrant “Fridays After 5” festival.

Beyond the scheduled stops and scenic byways, the 2025 Glidden Tour carried forward its enduring tradition: uniting history, heritage, and community. Owensboro and its neighbours offered more than destinations—they offered a glimpse into the living narrative of America’s heartland. The 1932 Dodge that represented our journey departs not only with the miles of the road but also with the memory of Kentucky’s indelible warmth.