Bill’s Old Bike Barn is a Treasure Trove of Americana

By: Lisa Z. Leighton
Previously printed in Lancaster Farming; reprinted with permission by the author.

Bloomsburg, Pa. – Describing Bill’s Old Bike Barn as a “motorcycle museum” is a bit of a misnomer. Visitors will certainly find vintage motorcycles, parts and accessories, but within the 55,000 square foot collection is a treasure trove of Americana, beginning with a main exhibit area, two expansive rooms of military collectibles, and a sprawling antique village called Billville.

Owner Bill Morris is known as a “keeper of collections” – a curator of the ordinary and the extraordinary. He opened the Museum in 1998 to house vintage Harley Davidson motorcycles and related memorabilia, which he couldn’t accommodate at his nearby business, Bill’s Custom Cycles.

Today, Bill, who turned 86 in June, has amassed the collections of 28 Harley Davidson dealerships and 56 Harley Davidson private collections – and that’s just the Harley Davidson items. There are 200 vintage motorcycles in total and 10,000 license plates, just to call out two collections.

It doesn’t take much imagination to gaze down the Museum’s Main Street of Billville and envision what could be a real town from yesteryear. It is complete with a mayor’s office, barber shop, music shop, restaurant and bar, tobacco/cigar shop, general store, Harley Davidson shop, service station, camera shop, toy store, newspaper printshop, shoemaker’s shop, post office, dentist’s office, beauty salon, fire station, and police station, among others.

Scattered in-between, visitors will be thrilled to find collection after collection of Americana antiques. 1939 New York World’s Fair memorabilia? Yes. Coca-Cola items? Check. Antique phones? Yes. Advertising signs? Check. Mickey Mouse collectibles? Yes. Elvis Presley memorabilia? Check. Collectible horses? Yes. Carousel horses? Why not.

It’s clear that Bill’s collection is made up of whatever suited his fancy over the past 30 years, secured from throughout the country and across the world – and it’s a tremendous gift to everyone who steps foot inside the antiques menagerie.

Notable vehicle and motorcycle acquisitions include a white Rolls Royce pickup that he restored, 1939 German Kattenkrad, 1913 Harley Silent Grey Fellow, 1917 Harley with a sidecar, 1914 Triumph, 1961 Moto Guzzi motorcycle dump truck, a gleaming yellow Citron, and 1909 Peugeot, to name a few.

Near the gift shop is a QR code that visitors can scan to hear an audio tour narrated by Bill Morris himself of 100+ items. Hearing the backstory of a few select items makes meandering through the Museum truly personable and memorable.

Bill said in the audio tour that he wanted to open the Museum when he was young, so he could enjoy it when he got older.

Typically, visitors are greeted by loyal employee Ross Marchese, who is happy to talk about the Museum’s items, Bill’s legacy, and lunch recommendations. He said visitors come from all over the world, which is evidenced by the hefty guestbook in the main gallery.

The Museum is open Thursday and Friday 10 am-6 pm, Saturday 9:30 am-6 pm, and Sunday 1-6 pm. Admission is $10 per person. For more information, search for Bill’s Old Bike Barn on Facebook or go to BillsBikeBarn.com.

Main Hall of Bills Old Bike Barn — The main hall of Bill’s Bike Barn.

Vintage Carousel at Bills — Vintage carousel horses line up along a wall.

Bilville — Visitors can walk through Billville, which features a variety of stores with antique furnishings.