National Packard Museum

The first Packard was built in 1899 in Warren, Ohio by James and William Packard after James' disappointment in his newly purchased Winton car. The car  broke down on his way home and had to be towed. Alexander Winton sent a mechanic to repair it but James thought improvements could be made. When he passed his ideas along to Winton, Winton challenged him to build a better car. And so he did!  The Packard Company was known for building high-quality luxury automobiles. Before the company relocated to Detroit in 1903, 400 Packard had been built in Warren. A merger 1953 with Studebaker Corporation which was on the edge of bankruptcy ended in failure and the last Packard was built in 1958

 

The museum has a timeline of the Packard family and the involvement of  several generations in the company. About fifty Packards from the earliest models up to the 1950s fill the two galleries of the museum. There are also displays on other products produced by the Packard Companies such as light bulbs, wiring harnesses, watches, and marine engines for PT boats during WWII. 

 

The museum is accessible.

The parking lot is large enough for any vehicle. This is a Harvest Host site that shares the parking lot with the city park department. The staff will let the police know that you are staying in the lot overnight. We chose to park fairly far away from the museum and away from the lot entrance. Museum  41.25333, -80.83118