Los Angeles offers a rare escape: a four‑story gilded vault brimming with early‑20th‑century classic cars, antique musical machines, and Hollywood cosmetics history, all under one roof in Sylmar.
Merle Norman Cosmetics
The collection began with Merle Norman Cosmetics, founded by a Santa Monica woman in the early 1900s.
Her nephew J.B. Nethercutt joined the firm in 1932 and later purchased the company from his aunt, redirecting his passion for rare objects into a personal museum.
J.B. and his wife Dorothy amassed the items over 70 years, creating the Nethercutt Collection housed in the San Sylmar Tower estate built in the 1970s.
Visiting the Nethercutt
The museum opens Thursday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with $5 admission and no reservation required.
Visitors stroll among 130 immaculate cars ranging from 1920s limousines to 1950s convertibles, including notable Cadillacs and Rolls‑Royces, each marked with detailed signage.
A private 1937 Canadian Pacific Royal Hudson Locomotive and a 1912 Pullman Private Car sit outdoors, both restored to their original glory.
Guided tours of the adjacent Nethercutt Collection run Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 10 a.m., and Saturday at 1:30 p.m.; advance reservations are mandatory via phone or online.
Classic Cars
The collection comprises over 250 American and European classics in pristine condition, displayed in the Lower Salon, Grand Salon, and the main museum.
The Nethercutts began acquiring cars in the 1950s, employing an in‑house restoration team that handles all mechanical work except glass, tires, and chrome.
The Grand Salon, a ballroom‑style space with chandeliers and mirrors, showcases the 1936 Duesenberg Convertible Roadster, currently undergoing engine restoration.
The Music Room
Upstairs, the Mezzanine displays antique hood ornaments, phonographs over 100 years old, and a silver Panama Canal sculpture.
A spiral staircase leads to the top floor, where gold music notes spell the melody “Stairway to the Stars.”
The Music Room features a Louis XIV dining set, nickelodeons, an orchestrion, a Franz Joseph piano, a Bosendorfer grand piano, and the region’s largest Wurlitzer pipe organ, built for silent‑film theaters.
Guided tours include live demonstrations of the orchestrions, whose carousel‑like tones fill the room before the sea‑green curtains rise for a final organ medley.
A Perfect Outing
Whether a car enthusiast, antique lover, or music historian, visitors find the Nethercutt Collection a compelling, all‑in‑one experience.
Docents provide expert commentary, and the venue has hosted silent‑film screenings with live organ accompaniment.
The museum remains a hidden gem for Southern California residents and tourists alike, with no scheduled events through the end of 2026 but updates available on its website.
