Studebaker National Museum

Studebaker National Museum is home to the world’s largest collection of U.S. presidential carriages. It features the barouche Abraham Lincoln used en route to Ford’s Theatre the night of his assassination.

Others in the collection include carriages used by Ulysses S. Grant, William McKinley and Benjamin Harrison.

Studebaker Corporation in 1966 donated its 33-vehicle collection to the City of South Bend. It included the presidential carriages and the family’s Conestoga wagon. Together it formed the basis for the museum. It runs the gamut of automobiles produced by Studebaker during the height of its production.

Some exhibits move in and out of the museum, meaning you'll want to visit regularly to see what's new. Here's what the museum has on display now or coming soon.

MOMENTS THAT MADE US

Every community has moments that shape its identity, and South Bend is no exception. Through the experiences of entrepreneurs, workers, artists, and civic leaders, visitors will discover how local history reflects and contributes to America’s broader story. Developed by History Colorado and a multi-state collaboration for the nation’s 250th anniversary, Moments That Made US allows host communities to connect their own local histories to the American experience. The exhibition explores five themes drawn directly from the Declaration of Independence: Created Equal; Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness; Free and Independent States; Consent of the Governed; and We Mutually Pledge. The featured moments remind us that our story was never inevitable, we shaped it at every turn.

Through artifacts, photographs, and first-hand accounts, Moments That Made US invites you to see how local moments and experiences became part of the American story as part of the ongoing America250 celebrations at the Studebaker National Museum and The History Museum. View through January 3, 2027.

AMERICAN TREASURES

Go deeper with American Treasures, a self-guided audio tour that highlights rare artifacts with local connection but national significance. View April 26, 2026 through January 31, 2027.

TESTING TOMORROW: THE PROVING GROUND AT 100

The Studebaker National Museum proudly presents Testing Tomorrow: The Proving Ground at 100, a special display celebrating a century of automotive testing and innovation. Established in 1926 on 840 acres in New Carlisle, Indiana, the Proving Ground was one of the first purpose-built vehicle test facilities in the nation, showcasing Studebaker’s commitment to quality, safety, and engineering excellence. After Studebaker ceased operations, the site continued to play a vital role in the industry, serving companies such as Bendix, Bosch, Navistar, and now International. Today, the site is also shared by the St. Joseph County Park system and features miles of scenic hiking trails along with the famed Studebaker tree sign. This exhibition highlights the legacy of the Proving Ground through rare photographs, historical artifacts, and stories from 100 years at the track. View through November 30, 2026.

MOTOR CITY, INDIANA

Before Detroit became synonymous with the automobile, northern Indiana was already on the move. Motor City, Indiana explores how South Bend, Mishawaka, Elkhart, and other nearby towns became a hub of entrepreneurship and manufacturing in the industry’s infancy. From Studebaker’s global reach to the inventive designs of the American Simplex Motor Car Company, Elcar, Pratt-Elkhart, Milburn, and more, these companies turned local ambition into national innovation. These vehicles—and the people who built them—helped make northern Indiana an industrial powerhouse and are a vital chapter in America’s motoring story. View through January 31, 2027.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM STUDEBAKER!

Celebrate the season with Studebaker! For decades, Studebaker helped Americans celebrate the holidays, a time for gathering, gratitude, and getting home. Explore colorful commercial artwork, dealer materials, and holiday promotions that reveal how the company connected its products with winter travel, gift-giving, and the excitement of the season.

The exhibition also features a Studebaker “one-horse open sleigh” and bobsled, recalling the company’s heights as one of the world’s largest manufacturers of horse-drawn vehicles. Together, these objects and images offer a festive look at how Studebaker helped generations of Americans travel—and celebrate—in style. View December 11, 2026 - January 18, 2027.

SMALL CARS & THE MOTHER ROAD: ANTHONY SCHMIDT ON ROUTE 66

Experience America’s most celebrated highway through the imaginative photography of Anthony Schmidt. Using model cars, forced perspective, and carefully chosen locations, Schmidt—an artist with autism and a lifelong passion for automobiles—creates remarkably realistic scenes that capture the romance and nostalgia of the open road.

Featuring photographs from Schmidt’s journey along historic Route 66 during its centennial year, the exhibition pairs miniature automobiles with vintage motels, filling stations, roadside attractions, and sweeping landscapes. Rt. 66 in Perspective invites visitors to look closer and discover how creativity and a unique point of view can make small objects tell expansive stories. View January 22 - June 13, 2027.

OPEN ROADS, OPEN MINDS

Inspired by Anthony Schmidt’s imaginative photography and collection of the Studebaker National Museum, Open Roads, Open Minds will feature original artwork by artists from Studio Five9, an inclusive art studio that is part of Corvilla day services. Corvilla is a South Bend nonprofit organization that supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through residential, employment, day, and youth services.

Through painting, photography, and other media, participating artists explore transportation, travel, and the places—real or imagined—the road can take us. This exhibition celebrates the artists’ creativity and individual perspectives on movement, independence, adventure, and the open road. View January 29 - May 16, 2027.

Studebaker as a company worked with the U.S. government dating back to its beginnings as a wagon producer. That tradition continued through the Vietnam War. Many of these vehicles are on display at the museum. Studebaker transferred its government contracts in 1964 to Kaiser-Jeep.

In an ode to local history, the museum also displays some vehicles made by the local AM General plant, which has operated in the military sphere.