World Snowmobile Headquarters looks for third phase of ownership

The World Snowmobile Headquarters Museum, situated to the north of the World Championship Derby Complex, is ready to be placed in new hands from Owner Tom Anderson after his 19-year stint with the building.

After remodeling and rebranding what was once a strip mall into one large display room, it now displays the rich history of snowmobile racing that spans over many decades.

Since purchasing the building in 2006, he was also a part of the sale of the Derby Track in 2018 and now acts as the chief executive officer, which keeps him busy throughout the year.

“Now, at age 84, I am looking for the next generation to take the HQ to its third phase of ownership and development. I am still active in the World Championship Derby Complex, as its CEO, which keeps me busy enough,” stated Anderson. “It has been a very rewarding 19-year experience where I have met so many great people in the sport. Those who share my enthusiasm for preserving the history of snowmobiling from the beginning of the snowmobiles, the trails and the track. Now it is time for me to move on and let another new generation take over and lead the trail, as I look for that someone.”

Where it all started

Anderson bought the building back in 2006 when it was a strip mall, and the previous owner was losing the building to foreclosure. He had many goals in mind for the property, with one being to bring the International Snowmobile Hall of Fame (ISHOF) from a small town in Minnesota to Eagle River, the Snowmobile Capital of the World, right next to the Derby Track.

“My goal was to bring it down to Eagle River for more exposure and greater traffic flow, being located in the Snowmobile Capital of the World and next to the Derby Track,” Anderson explained. “Another goal was to provide a brick-and-mortar location to many other snowmobile organizations.”

Remodeling took six months to complete, and the grand opening was held during the week of the 44th World Snowmobile Derby in 2007.

Anderson said he had great memories of the grand opening, but one stood out to him the most.

“A highlight was Edgar Hetteen, noted as the ‘father of snowmobiles,’ flying in to attend,” he said.

Hetteen was one of the co-founders of the Polaris and Arctic Cat snowmobile brands.
Several other snowmobile groups joined in to rebrand the building as the World Championship Headquarters. A large gift shop was also added to the 7,500 square feet of snowmobile memorabilia. Anderson said they got more and more traffic as the years went on.

“For the next 19 years, we experienced increasing visitors with 3,000-3,500 checking us out each year as the “HQ” became known.

Today’s look

The headquarters is still jam-packed with snowmobile history nearly two decades later. The display floor has over 70 antique, vintage, and late model snowmobiles, along with several championship racing snowmobiles on display.

The museum is run by Anderson’s son and daughter-in-law. His son, Scott, handles the outside and heavier work throughout the museum. His wife, Sarah, manages the property as the creative director. She worked at Madison Newspapers Inc as a lead graphic designer for 25 years until 2013, before starting the position of creative director at the museum in 2014.

“Her artistic talents are evident in the beautiful displays she creates,” stated Anderson.
Scott helped his dad with the renovation of the building ahead of the grand opening.

The goal of the museum is to “publicly showcase both the people and the machines that have taken the sport from its infancy to the present day.”

For more information about the building, contact Anderson at tom@snowmobileusa.com.