Opens June 3, 2026 – July 19, 2026
This summer, explore the Museum’s latest exhibit, Five Driven Women, which focuses on pioneering women who were among the earliest female automobile owners and drivers: explorers, socialites, philanthropists, actresses, and cultural tastemakers who used the automobile as a tool for independence and influence. All women faced gender discrimination, however, wealthy women could work around it more easily. Through five remarkable women and their vehicles, discover stories of adventure, achievement, and determination in this trailblazing exhibition that shows women were not passive passengers in automotive history, rather active participants who used technology, movement, and public presence to make headlines, set trends, and claim their space on the road.
Meet athlete Eleanora Sears and her 1912 Simplex Torpedo, socialite Maribel Schumacher and her 1928 Hudson Series O Town Car, explorer Louise Arner Boyd and her 1934 Packard Twelve, aviator Amelia Earhart and her 1937 Cord 812, and automobile enthusiast Margaret Dunning and her 1930 Packard 740. Their journeys reveal how automobiles helped women shape their own paths and how mobility became a powerful symbol of freedom and possibility. This is one exhibition you won’t want to miss!
Special thanks to The JBS Collection, The Singleton Collection, the Classic Car Club of America Museum, and LaVine Restorations for their support.
The Studebaker National Museum is located at 201 Chapin St., just west of downtown South Bend. It is open Mon.-Sat., 10am-5pm, and Sun. Noon–5pm. Admission is $13 for adults, $11 for seniors over 60, and $9 for youth ages 6-18. For more information, please call the Museum at (574) 235-9714 or toll free at (888) 391-5600 or visit our website at www.studebakermuseum.org. For an additional cost, visitors can tour The History Museum, which adjoins the Studebaker National Museum.
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