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.
This summer, discover the machines, the makers, and the pioneering spirit that put Indiana on the automotive map as part of the ongoing America 250 celebrations at the Studebaker National Museum.
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.
Exhibition runs April 11, 2026 – January 3, 2027.
