Grease was the word for 1950s and 60s teenagers

Auburn’s White River Valley Museum is featuring an exhibit through November 10 that “Rocks, Revs, and Celebrates Teenage Years in the 1950s and 60s.”

Grease Was the Word looks at the quickly changing world of teenagers and their cars in 1950s and 60s America.

Like every generation of youth, these teens challenged the social norms of their parents, but they had an additional tool at their disposal: the easily available automobile. This exhibit explores how cars enabled this generation of teens to socialize differently, travel further, and express themselves in ways that American culture had never seen before. The exhibit includes a collection of never-before-exhibited artifacts from the Gearlords Car Club, an Auburn-based teen car club that existed from 1962 - 1969.

Other artifacts on display include: clothing, photographs, a juke box, and drive -in movie memorabilia including a screen airing instructional films from the era such as “How to Date.”

White River Valley Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 4pm and is located at 918 H St. S.E. in Auburn. Regular admission is $2 adults, $1 seniors and children. Admission is free on Wednesdays and the fourth Sunday of the month. Call 253-288-7433 or visit www. wrvmuseum.org.

Please send your nostalgic essays taking place in the Pacific Northwest prior to 1980 to editor@ northwestprimetime.com. Questions? Call Michelle at 206-824-8600.