Volo Auto Museum celebrates Fast & Furious' 20th

VOLO — Back on the fourth Friday of June in 2001, a relatively low-budget film absolutely floored fans, propelling several actors — and one especially epic car — to stardom.

“The Fast and the Furious” launched a globally celebrated film franchise now worth billions of dollars, a figure likely to balloon yet again with the imminent release of “F9: The Fast Saga,” debuting in theaters June 25.

And where is the scene-stealing, blower-flexing Dodge Charger R/T from the movie that started it all? The car that has remained as much a central character in the Fast & Furious franchise as Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto himself?

That car is right here in Volo, Illinois. And those who'd like to celebrate the franchise's 20th anniversary are encouraged to visit the museum June 25-27, when anyone reciting the early Dom-ism "I live my life 1/4 mile at a time" at the ticket counter will receive $2 off admission.

“This is the ultimate, No. 1 car from the No. 1 film,” said Brian Grams, director of the Volo Auto Museum at 27582 Volo Village Road. “This car played a key role in sparking one of the biggest movie franchises in history.”

The Dom Charger has been an on-again, off-again exhibit at the museum dating back to 2002. It is one of three Chargers modified for use in “The Fast and the Furious” — the first of the street-racing, heist- and spy-centered action films — which had a production budget of $38 million, according to industry website the-numbers.com.

“The Charger we have is the hero car — the glamorous one that was used for close-ups and didn’t get beat up doing stunts,” Grams said. “We’ve had dozens of Fast & Furious vehicles over the years. They have all been cool.

“In fact, we still also have the silver Corvette driven by Vin Diesel in the train heist scene in ‘Fast Five’ and the Subaru Impreza Paul Walker drove in his final film, ‘Furious 7,’” he continued. “They are both on display along with the Charger, and they are impressive. But the Charger ... that car is nearly as big a star of these movies as Vin Diesel. It's a lot of fun to see it up close."

The Volo Auto Museum reopened in May after more than a year of pandemic-prompted closure. Numerous improvements to the grounds and exhibits were undertaken during the last 14 months, Grams said. Those include the addition of Jurassic Gardens, which features animatronic dinosaurs in a lifelike setting.

The museum is following state COVID guidelines. Visitors who have been vaccinated are not required to wear masks. Those who have not been vaccinated are still urged to mask up.

Auto museum tickets are $19.95 for adults or $12.95 for children ages 5 to 12. Tickets to see Jurassic Gardens are $15.95 for ages 5 and up, free for those 4 and younger. Combo tickets — which provide entry to both attractions plus a second consecutive day’s entry free of charge — are $31.95 per adult and $24.95 per child.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily for both attractions. For other information, find Volo Auto Museum or Jurassic Gardens on Facebook, visit volocars.com or call 815-385-3644.