The Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles is celebrating 60 years of preserving Pennsylvania's transportation heritage. The museum plans to commemorate this anniversary throughout 2025 with special events and programming.

The Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles was founded by Paul and Erminie Hafer and opened on Dec. 11, 1965. Paul, at the time president of the Boyertown Auto Body Works, and Erminie had a passion for the craftsmanship and ingenuity demonstrated in the vehicles built in southeastern Pennsylvania. They amassed a collection of locally built road vehicles, covering every type from bicycles to wagons, from cars to motorcycles.

The Hafers especially took pride in the vehicles built right in Boyertown. In 1872, the Jeremiah Sweinhart Carriage Factory opened on South Walnut Street to manufacture sleighs, carriages, and wagons. Although the company name changed several times, horse-drawn vehicles continued to be built on-site until 1926, when the company changed owners and became the Boyertown Auto Body Works, with a new product line of custom commercial truck bodies. Even before then, the carriage factory introduced its own truck bodies in 1914.

The Boyertown Auto Body Works carried on the tradition of Pennsylvania-German craftsmanship with its trucks, retaining many of the carriage factory workers through to transition to truck production. The Body Works operated until 1990 and throughout its history built a wide range of truck bodies, from military vehicles to delivery trucks to campers.

The building that once housed the Body Works, and the original Jeremiah Sweinhart Carriage Factory, are part of the museum campus today and serve as the main galleries. The original museum was located in a former factory building of the Body Works and was located at 28 Warwick St., Boyertown. In 2000, the museum moved to its current location at 85 S. Walnut St. The museum continuously adds to its collection of Pennsylvania-built vehicles and features, with many exhibits involving loans from other institutions or individuals.

The museum has several events planned in honor of its 60th anniversary. Events will celebrate the museum's and the carriage factory and Boyertown Auto Body Works' contributions to Boyertown's history of manufacturing. An exhibit beginning in April will feature the museum's Duryea automobiles, commemorating Charles Duryea's move to Reading in 1900. Charles and his brother Frank built commercially available cars beginning in 1892. Charles moved to Reading soon afterward to build his own unique automobiles, the largest collection of which is on display at the Boyertown Museum.

The museum 2025 activities will also include returning community events, such as Fastnacht Day, Diner Day, Cars and Cones, and Duryea Day.

The Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It is open seven days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is an admission free; admission is free to kids age 12 and under. For more information, call 610-367-2090 or visit http://www.boyertownmuseum.org.