Studebaker National Museum facts for kids
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| Location | 201 S. Chapin Street South Bend, Indiana |
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| Type | Automobile |
The Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana, is a super cool place to explore the history of cars, wagons, and even military vehicles! It's all about the amazing story of the Studebaker company and how it helped shape American history.
Contents
What You'll See at the Museum
The Studebaker National Museum is connected to The History Museum. They share an entrance, so you can visit one or both museums with a ticket. It's like getting two museums in one!
Exploring the Museum Floors
The Studebaker museum has three floors, each with different cool things to see.
Main Level: Early Studebaker History
On the main floor, you'll discover the early days of Studebaker. This part shows vehicles and stories from the 1800s all the way up to 1934. You can also learn about the Studebaker family and the Oliver family, who made farm equipment in South Bend.
Upper Level: Modern Studebaker Vehicles
Head upstairs to see vehicles from 1934 and later. This floor shows how Studebaker cars changed over time.
Lower Level: Military and Stored Vehicles
Downstairs, you'll find military vehicles and equipment. There are also more vehicles in "viewable storage." This means they are stacked on lifts, but you can still see them all!
Amazing Things in the Collection
Most of the museum's collection came from the original Studebaker company. But they still add new vehicles sometimes! The museum has more than 70 vehicles, plus tons of photos and displays. There's also a huge collection of documents not on display.
Highlights of the Studebaker Collection
The museum focuses on Studebaker's 100-year history. You can see the wagons, cars, trucks, and military vehicles they made. But the collection also includes other cool vehicles and products made right there in South Bend.
Some of the most exciting things you can see include:
- Lots of different Studebaker cars, including special "concept cars" that were ideas for future models.
- Some Packard cars, because Studebaker and Packard joined together for a while.
- The actual carriage used by President Abraham Lincoln! You can also see carriages from other U.S. presidents and important people.
- A Conestoga wagon, which was a big wagon pioneers used to travel across the country.
- A 1902 Studebaker Electric car – yes, an electric car from way back then!
- Studebaker military vehicles built during World War I and World War II.
- Several Hummer vehicles, including the Humvee. These are made by a company called AM General in a nearby city, Mishawaka, Indiana.
- A special Studebaker Champion car that was used in the movie The Muppet Movie!
Where is the Museum Located?
The museum moved to a new building in November 2005. It's on Chapin Street and is connected to The History Museum. The new building was designed to look like the old Studebaker factory buildings in the area.
Images for kids
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Old Studebaker National Museum on Main Street
See also
- List of automobile manufacturers
