The Englewood-based museum Rodz & Bods Museum Movie Cars & More is approaching its last month of operation and will host several events for the community before its last day on Aug. 3.
However, owner Zack Loffert said while these are the museum’s final days at its current location at 401 Englewood Plaza, he hopes to reopen the museum in about a year in a building he plans to build and own himself.
“I plan to do this one final time,” Loffert said. “If I do that with the building I own, I don’t have to worry about them building apartments or anything because I own the building.”
Loffert said the museum’s final days are Aug. 2 and 3. He will be hosting a celebration with food and dessert trucks and random giveaways for those who visit Rodz & Bodz.
Rodz & Bods announced in March that it would be closing its Englewood location due to upcoming redevelopment plans for the property where it’s located. The property is owned by Kimco Development, which is undergoing redevelopment for a proposed hotel and apartment development that was approved by the Englewood City Council in February.
“We’re going to build an immersive museum experience,” Loffert said. “When you walk in, you’re essentially walking into movie sets. It’ll literally feel like you’re in Hollywood.”
Because of this new format, many of the museum’s current display items will be auctioned off in a two-day event on Aug. 22 and 23.
“It’s like 99% no reserve — high bidder wins. It can be in-person or online,” Loffert said. “There will be 463 items. We’re talking movie cars, trucks, signs, gas pumps, pedal cars, screen-used memorabilia — stuff like that.”
Proceeds from the auction will go toward the down payment for the new building.
Rodz and Bodz first started in 2017.
“We started renting out cars for movies, weddings, commercials – anything you could think of to rent a cool car. That’s what we did,” Loffert said.
He said he is going back to doing rentals fulltime after the museum closes.
“The rental business and the prop warehouse business will stay renting as normal,” Loffert said. “Just the museum being open to the public is what will change.”
There are currently over 80 cars displayed on the floor at the museum, but Loffert said the overall collection contains over 180 cars.
“I’ve bought vehicles from other collectors, other museums. I go out and source them and find them every week,” Loffert said. “I’m looking for vehicles, whether it’s cars, bikes, anything from movies, TV shows – and if we can’t find it or buy it, we build it.”
Loffert said out of the 180 vehicles, about 48 of them are cars that were actually used in movies or television shows, and the remaining are replicas he has built himself.
The final month at the current location will include participation in community events such as the Englewood Cruise Night on July 19, during which the museum will serve as the host site.
Reflecting on the journey and the decision to rebuild, Loffert cited the overwhelming community support.
“Just seeing people every day visit the museum — it’s something they love and something that the community’s behind,” Loffert said. “We see like 900 people a week. It’s something that needs to stay, and we’re going to do everything in our power to make that happen.”
The new location is still being determined, but the goal is to remain nearby.
“We’re trying to stay as close as possible — inside the 470 loop for sure,” Loffert said. “Right now, the focus is on having an awesome summer and then kicking off the auction. And then it’s full steam ahead to find a new building.”
As the museum prepares for this next chapter, Loffert is encouraging fans to visit before the doors close.
“Come out and visit, because this is gonna be the last time this part of the collection with the museum is ever together again as one piece,” they said. “It’ll be awesome to see what it becomes.”
For more information on the museum, visit https://rodzandbodzmuseum.com.