From September 22-27, if you spot a parade of antique cars rolling through your town, you’ll have witnessed the 78th annual Revival AAA Glidden Tour®! The tour is held annually by antique car hobbyists to celebrate automotive history, and this year they are touring through the countryside of Central Pennsylvania and Maryland.
The Revival AAA Glidden Tour is the oldest and largest antique rally and is one of the most prestigious touring events in American auto history. Each year, the tour is held in a different area of the United States, re-enacting the AAA reliability tours held by AAA from 1904 to 1913. Preserving this rich automobile history, AAA continues the tradition by recreating original tours, alternating between two partner organizations: the Vintage Motor Car Club of America (VMCCA) and the Antique Auto Club of America (AACA). AAA, VMCCA, and AACA have been presenting partners of the tour for the past 23 years and this year the AACA is the sponsoring organization.
History of the Tour
In December 1902, AAA conceived of a tour of different parts of the country where a variety of road conditions would be encountered with the 1904 World’s Fair at St. Louis as the final destination. Three major routes were selected, leaving from New York City, Philadelphia and Baltimore. The 1,350-mile run from New York to St. Louis took 18 days and culminated with a grand parade through the city.
Charles J. Glidden, one of the original participants and most notable sponsor of the tour, was a wealthy New England industrialist and avid automobile supporter. Subsequently, as Glidden continued his sponsorship over the years, AAA tours became known as the Glidden Tours.
Central Pennsylvania Proud
AAA Central Penn is honored to be a part of this annual tradition, welcoming automobile enthusiasts to traverse through the beautiful landscape of Gettysburg and the surrounding region. The Pennsylvania portion of the tour takes participants through the hallowed grounds of Gettysburg, indulging in a wide selection of home-grown and local produce, experiencing sweeping views of scenic rural landscape, and visiting unique and unforgettable structures including the Historic Round Barn in Biglerville, which is one of the few of its kind that survive today.
A proud sponsor of this event, AAA was founded in 1902 by automobile enthusiasts to advocate for better roads and safer vehicles for automobile traffic. Automobile transportation continues to evolve, and our breadth of services continues to grow, but advocating for road and automobile safety will always remain at the heart of what we do. This 78th edition of the Revival AAA Glidden Tour is sure to be special. We hope tour participants make monumental memories as they embark on this pleasurable and history-filled tour!
Check out the tour maps below to see the full routes they are exploring or to plan a trip to spot the antique parade as they travel through the area and AAA's Public Viewing Spots. Then remember this historic piece of auto history and it’s stop in Pennsylvania by shopping for 78th annual Revival AAA Glidden Tour accessories and apparel.
Tour Maps
- Monday, September 23, 2024 - Orchard Tour - Recommended Public Viewing Spot: Eastern Motorsports Museum
- Tuesday, September 24, 2024 - Covered Bridges Tour
- Wednesday, September 25, 2024 - Gettysburg Battlefield Tour - Recommended Public Viewing Spot: World War II American Experience Museum
- Thursday, September 26, 2024 - Antietam Tour
- Friday, September 27, 2024 - Metal Bridges Tour
