NORWICH – The Automobile Association of America (AAA) has recognized the Northeast Classic Car Museum as a GEM Attraction, a special honor held only by a handful of diversions across the nation.

The car museum staff applied for the prerequisite evaluation for the award in 2009, but because there are so many pending requests they had to wait three years to be inspected. In 2012, a AAA representative came to the museum posing as a tourist and anonymously evaluated it. The classic car museum was subsequently notified they had been named a GEM Attraction. In 2012, nearly 16,000 attractions across the nation contended for the GEM tittle and only approximately 10 percent actually attained it.

“To us it’s a stamp of approval of the quality we are putting on here at the museum,” said director Marc Michaels. “It’s an affirmation of all the hard work which has been put into the museum and it represents yet another reason to come to Chenango County.”

According to the AAA website, GEM attractions are “must-see” points of interest, which have been judged to be of extraordinary interest and caliber by AAA inspectors. The

museum staff are proud to have received the recognition of a national organization referenced by many travelers who are looking for guidance on where they should visit. Having a GEM designated attraction in Norwich is sure to bring more tourists into the area to see the highly-recommended museum.