It’s official. On October 31, 2011, the Wheels Through Time museum in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, is shutting its doors and moving to a new locale. Though Dale Walksler, the museum’s founder and curator, has threatened to leave before, this time he means it.

“After nine years, we’ve realized that Wheels Through Time cannot reach its potential in the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina.” Besides, he laughed, he’s outgrown his building.

That’s understandable. Wheels Through Time attracts fans from all fifty states, as well as various other countries. The day I spoke to Dale, his guests had included over twenty bikers from Israel, several from Arkansas, and a few from Canada. Over half a million people have visited Wheels Through Time since it opened its doors in Maggie. That’s 55,555.556 folks per year. That’s a lot of tourists, and it’s income for the hotels, restaurants and clubs in a town that has recently seen numerous businesses close.

Dale says that he’s considering various areas for his relocation. There were rumors of Arizona at one point, but he says that WTT won’t be relocating to the Grand Canyon state. He’s looking for mountains, a temperate climate and a biker friendly atmosphere. “We’re considering several places,” he said.