About Carriages

Before the automobile became the preferred method of transportation, horse drawn vehicles ruled the road. The beautiful carriages in the museum illustrate the grace and beauty of the era with their plush interiors and elegant lines.

Buggies and surreys were used by families of varying incomes, but coachman driven carriages were the domain of the wealthy. While the vehicles themselves were expensive, it was the cost of the coachman, the carriage horses and their maintenance that made the cost of owning a carriage prohibitive for the family of ordinary means.

Carriages were finely crafted to be beautiful and lightweight, yet strong enough to endure the rigors of the road. There were numerous types of carriages according to the occasion.

Click a carriage for a more information: