George Bugg Museum – Athens, Georgia

Harvey Holloway and his group of riders met at a convenience store near Highway 441 a few miles north of Milledgeville, Georgia and at 8 a.m. left to ride to Athens. Once the 16 bikers started riding, they would pull into the parking lot of the museum at 10 a.m. This ride was sponsored by the Bikers for Christ, and anyone who wanted to ride was welcome to join. All the bikers had to do was stay on Highway 441, and the road would take the riders within two miles of Newton Bridge Industrial Way in Athens, Georgia. While the riders were on their way I arrived at 9 a.m. Doing this would give me plenty of time to be ready to take photos as they rode in.

As I was sitting in the parking lot waiting, I started to wonder if I was in the right place to take photos of the riders as they were arriving. Ten minutes later I decided to check to see if I was in the right place so I went inside. As I was opening the door of the building George Bugg was coming out. George told me that the bikers from Milledgeville would be arriving soon. As I was moving around and away from my camera, Harvey and the riders arrived. As the bikers parked their motorcycles and gathered in front of the door, George gave instructions on what to do when you entered the museum. I was like most of the bikers that had never been here before and did not know what to expect when entering the building. I was thinking that it was going to be a few nice restored cars and maybe a few that still needed a lot of work.

When I walked into the building my lower jaw dropped seeing so many awesome looking cars. You could also find anything on display that was connected with antique automobiles. There was an old Wurlitzer juke box that sounded as if it were new and had the original records playing. George had a car tag collection that was unbelievable and priceless. George also had a collection of model cars that I guess he had put together himself. In amongst all the big cars there were three peddling cars. One was made like an airplane and two like a Model T Ford that a small child could ride in, plus a Soap Box Derby car. During the tour George told us that he furnishes the vintage cars that the homecoming Queen and her court ride in during half-time at the University of Georgia football games.

Another great thing about the museum was George Bugg himself. I don’t know what he likes the best, his antique cars or letting people come into his museum so he can give them a personal guided tour. A few of the riders had been here before and loved to hear George tell about his days of growing up in Griffin, Georgia and his cars. Some of his stories they ask him to tell over because they wanted everyone to hear them. The story that I liked the best was the day he threw a baseball through a bi-plane that was flying overhead. Every time George and his friends were playing baseball a small two-wing plane would fly over and they would throw baseballs at the plane. One day he was determined that he was going to hit that plane as it flew over. As he watched the low flying plane come over the top of the trees he pulled back and got ready to throw the ball. As the plane came closer he threw the ball and hit the plane. The next day a man in a suit came knocking on his daddy’s door and told him what his son had done. George’s daddy told the man who was the pilot that he shouldn’t have been flying so low to the ground.

George told us about the first time that he cranked a Model T Ford and broke his wrist and thumb. Then he explained to us how to go about cranking a Model T Ford without hurting yourself. He demonstrated for us how to go to the front of the car and how you needed to turn the crank handle to start the Model T. He told us the most important part of starting the car up is how to hold the crank handle so it will slide out of your hand as it started.

This was not a day to ride to look at antique motorcycles but a day to look at antique cars and meet a great guy named George Bugg. Before I took the tour I was thinking that this museum couldn’t be too much because it was not open to the public. I couldn’t believe that no one hardly knew of it existence. Once I arrived and walked through the door I was totally speechless. I walked around the museum for the next couple of hours just amazed at what I was seeing. I can tell you that this is one of the last free privately owned museums of its kind in the State of Georgia. The main thing about my trip to the George Bugg Museum is that I found out that George is a great guy and loves to tell you about his life and each of his cars.

The day ended with all of us going out for lunch at a local BBQ restaurant. If by chance I have the opportunity to revisit the George Bugg Museum I will try and be the first in line.

Tommy “Brother Bear” Pittard