The William E. Swigart Automobile Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit museum dedicated to preserve the history of the American automobile. Our remarkable collections have existed for more than 85 years, beginning as a private passion of our founder W. Emmert Swigart. His son, William E. Swigart, Jr., fell under the spell of these wonderful machines and built up the collection to about 150 cars, of which 30 to 35 are on display at the museum at one time. Some are one-of-a-kind such as the 1936 Duesenberg 12 cylinder Gentlemen’s Speedster, the 1920 Carroll, and the 1916 Scripps-Booth. The Swigart Museum is the only automobile museum in the country where visitors can see two Tuckers, the 1947 “Tin Goose” Prototype and #1013.

The museum is accented with even more history. The automotive license plate and radiator emblem collections are believed to be the largest in the world. Automobile lights and horns, bicycles, toys, vintage clothing, and memorabilia are on display throughout the museum. In addition, a gift shop stocked with automobile related products for young and old alike makes a visit to the William E. Swigart, Jr. Automobile Museum a uniquely entertaining and educational experience for all members of the family.

The museum is open daily from Memorial Day weekend through the end of October.

The William E. Swigart Automobile Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit museum dedicated to preserve the history of the American automobile. Our remarkable collections have existed for more than 85 years, beginning as a private passion of our founder W. Emmert Swigart. His son, William E. Swigart, Jr., fell under the spell of these wonderful machines and built up the collection to about 150 cars, of which 30 to 35 are on display at the museum at one time. Some are one-of-a-kind such as the 1936 Duesenberg 12 cylinder Gentlemen’s Speedster, the 1920 Carroll, and the 1916 Scripps-Booth. The Swigart Museum is the only automobile museum in the country where visitors can see two Tuckers, the 1947 “Tin Goose” Prototype and #1013.

The museum is accented with even more history. The automotive license plate and radiator emblem collections are believed to be the largest in the world. Automobile lights and horns, bicycles, toys, vintage clothing, and memorabilia are on display throughout the museum. In addition, a gift shop stocked with automobile related products for young and old alike makes a visit to the William E. Swigart, Jr. Automobile Museum a uniquely entertaining and educational experience for all members of the family.

The museum is open daily from Memorial Day weekend through the end of October.

The William E. Swigart, Jr. Automobile Museum is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and celebration of American automobile and cultural history, with an emphasis on the vehicles and other memorabilia collected by William E. Swigart, Jr.; to perpetuating the legacy of William E. Swigart, Jr. as an eminent collector; and to educating the public on the historical significance of the automobile.
This mission is achieved through cultural and educational programs, interpretive exhibits, and other activities and events.

About twenty-five years after the first patent was issued for a gasoline powered automobile in 1895, Huntingdon businessman W. Emmert Swigart began to assemble his collection of automobiles. Mr. Swigart recognized that the industry was rapidly developing and that many early manufacturers had already disappeared, so he concentrated on salvaging automobiles before they were scrapped for junk or had given up many of their parts to save some other mechanized contraption. He displayed his collection in the offices and on the lawn of the insurance business of which he was a founding partner, and by the 1930s, both Swigart’s business and his automobile collection had outgrown the available office space. In 1935 Mr. Swigart purchased a large, colonial home on Penn Street in Huntingdon and renovated it to accommodate both the insurance business and the collection. In addition to a modern business facility, the refurbished building included woodwork and mantels salvaged from 18th century buildings in Philadelphia intended to serve as a backdrop for the automobile name plates, license plates, and other antiques on display.

In addition to automobiles, Mr. Swigart amassed what is thought to be the largest automobile nameplate and license plate collections in the world. Often his insurance agents out in the field would scour junk yards looking for abandoned cars and return to the office with buckets of name plates, radiator ornaments, and license plates, all then cleaned and mounted by the office staff. By the time of his death in 1949, W. Emmert Swigart had preserved twelve early automobiles plus thousands of automobile related items and literature. William E. Swigart, Jr., one of his five children and the only one who shared his father’s passion for antique automobiles, then stepped into a greater role in the insurance business and took over the care of and display of the collection. He brought most of the collection together under one roof in a former carriage house located at the rear of the Swigart Associates building, naming it the Swigart Memorial Motor Museum. The collection rapidly outgrew the building, and in August, 1957, Mr. Swigart opened the newly constructed Swigart Museum on Route 22, three miles east of Huntingdon. William continued to expand the museum’s holdings until his death in 2000, increasing the size of the collection to approximately 200 cars while simultaneously gaining notoriety as one of the top automobile collectors in the United States.

In 2007, sixty of the cars collected by William and his wife, Helen, were sold at auction by their heirs to satisfy Helen’s portion of the estate. Today the museum operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit governed by a Board of Directors led by Patricia Swigart, an avid antique automobile enthusiast whom William married after the death of his first wife. The museum exhibits between 30 and 35 of the 140 cars that remain in the Swigart collection, along with automobilia, antique bicycles and toys, vintage clothing, and other fascinating bits of automotive culture. The museum is a member of the National Association of Automobile Museums and the American Association of Museums.

William E. Swigart, Jr. (02/02/1915-07/10/2000)

William Emmert Swigart, Jr. was the third of five children born to W. Emmert and Eva (Workman) Swigart. A 1933 graduate of Huntingdon Area High School, William first attended Wooster College in Wooster, Ohio, before returning to Huntingdon to complete his education at Juniata College. Upon graduation in 1937, William joined the insurance firm founded by his father. He left the business for a short time to serve with the U.S. Army during World War II, where he attained the rank of Captain. After the war William returned to Huntingdon to resume his active life as a businessman, community leader, and antique car collector.

William and his wife, Helen (Fetterhoof), married in 1940 and were the parents of four children and eight grandchildren. After Helen passed away on May 11, 1991, William married Patricia Bittner Trefz of Hummelstown in October of 1992.

Upon the death of his father in 1949, William became Corporate Vice President and, later, President and C.E.O of Swigart Associates. Throughout his life William remained involved in the insurance profession, handling antique automobile insurance until his death. He actively supported the community, founding the Huntingdon County Community Chest (now United Way) in May,1937, and serving on their Board of Directors for over 60 years; earning the Silver Beaver Award in 1987 and the Good Scout Award for his involvement with the Boy Scouts of America; supporting the development of Juniata College; and serving in a variety of capacities in other community organizations.

In addition to accomplishments within the business sphere and community, William gained the respect of antique car enthusiasts throughout the nation for his efforts to promote the collection, care, and appreciation of automobile history. Besides collecting some of the most significant cars ever produced, William founded the Allegheny Mt. Region chapter, Antique Automobile Club of America in 1951 and was a founding member of the Society of Automotive Historians. He also served as President of the Antique Automobile Club of America from 1956-1957 and on their Board of Directors for 35 years, and was named to the Kruse Collector Hall of Fame in 1997.

For his achievements, the National Association of Automobile Museums awarded him the Lifetime Achievement Award for individual contributions to the automobile museum profession in 2004.

View the articles printed about the William E. Swigart, Jr. Automobile Museum

Cars and Parts article PAGE 1

Cars and Parts article PAGE 2

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The National Association of Automobile Museums awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for individual contributions to the auto museum profession to William E. Swigart, Jr. in 2004. Only two others share this prestigious honor: Henry Ford and William F. Harrah.

National Association of Automobile Museums "NAAMY Awards" to further promote professionalism in automotive museum management and promotion:

2001.....First Place.....Collateral Materials: Brochure
2002.....First Place.....Events: Host of Tucker Convention
2003.....Second Place.....Collateral Materials: Car Handouts
2003.....Third Place.....Publications: Car Handouts
2004.....First Place.....Educational Material: "Magnetic Poetry" Reading Program
2005.....First Place.....Educational Program
2006.....Second Place.....Events and Public Promotions
2006.....First Place.....Student Choice NAAMY
2007.....First Place.....Film and Video

Listed in Great Car Collections of the World

Named one of the 10 best large auto museums in the United States by Car Collector magazine

Participation in some of the most prestigious automobile shows, including annual invitations to the Gran Feria Autos Antiquos D'Puerto Rico

1936 Duesenberg exhibited at the Meadowbrook Concours D'Elegance and Pebble Beach Concours D'Elegance in 2007.