Period Modified owner Matt Walksler is renowned for building and altering early Harley-Davidsons and is the curator of the legendary Wheels Through Time Museum, home to the world’s premier collection of rare American motorcycles, memorabilia, and a distinct array of unique “one-off” American automobiles. A collection of over 350 to be exact and a melting pot for motorcycle enthusiasts from around the world.
Matt’s father and originator of WTT, Dale Walksler, used his marketing prowess to turn a small rural dealership into one of the most successful Harley Davidson franchises in the country. In 1992, he founded Dale’s Wheels Through Time, a museum housed inside his dealership where he displayed his collection of vintage American motorcycles. Dale’s theory was to use the museum to connect the next generation of motorcyclists with the rich history and traditions. It was the first of its kind.
He sold the dealership in 2000 and toured the United States scouting out a new location for his Museum. He settled on Maggie Valley, a bucolic town adjacent to the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway and built a world-class facility to house his collection of American-made antique motorcycles.
Known as ‘The Museum That Runs,’ all the motorcycles in the museum start and operate, a testament to Dale’s incredible skills, craftsmanship and expertise as well as the dedication of his staff. Son Matt worked side-by-side with Dale at the museum allowing Dale’s incredible wealth of knowledge gained from a lifetime of experience to be passed down to him.
Dale was a passionate collector of stories and motorcycle history, as well as antique machines. In 2008, he started building a film library to preserve these stories and history, so that future generations of motorcycle enthusiasts could be educated about their hobby and sport as well as understand the vital role that motorcycles played in the evolution of transportation and society in the 20th Century. The collection of shows, which now numbers over 500, offer a unique perspective into man’s quest to overcome time and distance.
Those who have visited Wheels Through Time know that Dale’s passion was not just something to be observed but rather experienced.
“When I came here, I did what I could to be my dad’s shadow,” Matt told local paper the Mountaineer. “Very early on his passion spilled over to me. My dad operated at such a high level, so I do my best to emulate that.”