Hands-On History at the Texaco Service Station Experience
All-new interactives await guests of all ages and abilities in the reimagined Texaco Service Station Experience. / Photo by Matt Anderson
Young visitors to The Henry Ford will find a new group of interactive experiences in the reimagined service garage at our Texaco Service Station. Thanks to a grant from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, we've been able to redesign and reopen this space that had been closed since 2018. Our Texaco Service Station Experience is more inclusive and accessible than ever before, with activities geared to guests of all abilities and varying age groups.
The new interactives are based on the actual work that took place in automotive service garages across the United States throughout the mid-20th century. Each activity is rooted in Model i, The Henry Ford's signature learning framework focusing on the actions and habits of innovators. Six concepts are highlighted in the garage: Diagnose, Assemble, Inspect, Maintain, Repair and Test.
Guests build electrical circuits and find the right tool for the job in the Test and Repair interactives. / Photo by Matt Anderson
“Test” is centered on the electrical systems that power everything from a car's spark plugs to its horn. In this activity, guests make an electrical circuit using puzzle pieces connecting the battery with the horn, headlights and turn signals. Build the circuit correctly and you’ll see these various components work. But if they don't power up as expected, then you can go back to your circuit to find and fix the wrong puzzle pieces. Next to “Test” is the “Repair” station, where visitors discover valve covers with various fasteners. The challenge is to match nuts, bolts and screws with the tools that fit them, whether it's an open-end wrench, a socket wrench or a flathead or square screwdriver.
Guests can perform routine maintenance tasks like checking tire pressure or oil level. / Photo by Matt Anderson
The “Maintain” activity contains three routine maintenance tasks familiar to any driver: checking tire pressure, oil level and battery charge. Guests push down on a T-handle plunger and watch a tire pressure gauge as it moves between "low" and "high." When the center of the gauge lights up, you know you've got it right. Pull on a dipstick to check engine oil and you're rewarded with an amusing slide whistle glissando. And in a nod to the growing popularity of electric vehicles, guests can charge a pair of EV batteries using a paddle charger inspired by the type used with the General Motors EV1.
The basic workings of a four-stroke internal combustion engine are shown by this cutaway model. / Photo by Matt Anderson
The "Inspect" area includes an interactive that might appeal to adults as much as to children. We've created a cutaway model of a V-8 engine. Spin the red dial under the crankshaft and you can watch as pistons move up and down and valves open and close. What’s more, colored lights flash in sequence to illustrate ignition and exhaust within the two visible cylinders. As sophisticated as modern internal combustion engines are, most still use the same four-stoke cycle developed by Nikolaus Otto in the 1870s.
Guests assemble major automobile components in this puzzle activity. / Photo by Matt Anderson
Automobiles depend on multiple systems that work together to move the car. Young visitors discover some of the more significant ones in the service station's “Assemble” zone. Large puzzle pieces represent things like the engine, battery, driveshaft, muffler and tires on a typical car. Moving these pieces into their proper locations helps to show how they all work together to keep motorists moving down the road.
Youngsters can examine worn tire treads at this interactive station. / Photo by Matt Anderson
The station's "Diagnose" area is where the rubber meets the road. Children are invited to inspect a set of tires, looking for damage like a puncture from a nail or wear to the tread. This activity is a good reminder that today's highly reliable cars and trucks still depend on components that wear out with use and need replacing.
This scaled-down 1964 Ford Falcon replica hangs over the garage, allowing young visitors to see the car's undercarriage. / Photo by Matt Anderson
Visitors might recognize an old favorite returning from the previous version of the Texaco garage. Our scaled-down replica of a 1964 Ford Falcon, which previously sat on the garage floor, now hangs from the ceiling as if raised on a lift. This new placement lets visitors get a look at the car's undercarriage, as well as major components like the drivetrain and exhaust system. It all neatly mirrors the nearby "Assemble" puzzle activity.
Each of these new interactives was conceived, designed and built based on guest feedback and guidance from The Henry Ford's own accessibility advisory group. The activities bring new ideas and educational opportunities to the Texaco garage, and they make more efficient and effective use of the space. We're eager to share the reimagined Texaco Service Station Experience with everyone.
Matt Anderson is Curator of Transportation at The Henry Ford.
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