| Metz Bicycle Museum and Treasures of Years Gone By Freehold, NJ 07728 Phone: (732)-462-7363 e-mail: David Metz |
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| A step into the Metz Bicycle Museum in Freehold is truly a stroll through history. The Museum houses one of the world's finest collections of antique bicycles, dating from the 1850's to the 1950's. Hundreds of bicycles are artfully displayed. Boneshakers, highwheelers, quadricycles, tricycles, ordinaries, safeties, children's bikes, trick bikes, and many more unusual and one-of-a kind cycles make up this fascinating collection. The Metz Bicycle Museum houses much more than bicycles. The sign over the entrance to the museum reads "Treasures of Years Gone By," and treasures you will see! On display at the Metz Museum are extensive collections of children's riding toys, kitchen and household gadgets, antique mousetraps, cast iron bottle cap openers, pencil sharpeners, antique cars, and lots more. Bicycle accessories, such as horns, seats, oil lanterns, bicycle tools and posters complete the display. David Metz, the owner of this incredible collection is a retired businessman who has lived in the Freehold area all of his life. He has been collecting antiques for almost fifty years. He was born on a farm in Cranbury, N.J., and was a farmer for many years. "I think that my early experience with the farm equipment helps to explain my fascination with the mechanical pieces that I like to collect," said Mr. Metz Widely known in the international antique cycling community, Mr. Metz is a past Captain of the New Jersey Wheelmen and a past National Commander of the Wheelman organization with many members in foreign countries. Mr. Metz is often called upon to appraise bicycles and help out with the restoration of bicycles for other collectors. He has ridden in The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, The Mummer's Parade in Philadelphia, The Main Street Parade at Disney World in Florida, and numerous Memorial Day and Bicentennial Celebration Parades in Freehold with The Wheelmen. There are several very unusual bicycles in the collection that, to the best of Mr. Metz’s knowledge, are the only ones in existence in the world. His lamplighter bicycle is over eight feet high and was used in New York City in the 1890's to light the gas street lights. He has several trick bicycles used in circuses and side shows. He also has a complete collection of handmade miniature reproductions of antique bicycles made by a prisoner of war in Belgium in the early 1940's. One of the Museum’s prize possessions is the "Zimmy" bicycle Mr. Metz obtained just five years ago. Arthur Zimmerman of Freehold, N.J. was the world's first bicycle racing champion in the 1880's and 1890's. When he retired in 1895 he opened a bicycle factory in Freehold and manufactured several models of the "Zimmy" bicycle including the 1896 model on display at the Museum. Most of the bicycles and many of the hundreds of other collectibles have a story that goes along with them, and Mr. Metz is happy to share these stories with visitors. If you would like to visit the museum please call (732) 462-7363 to set up an appointment. He would love to share his collection and knowledge with you. |
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