Wisconsin Auto Museum

Wisconsin Auto Museum The museum features Kissel cars which were made in Hartford 1906 - 1931. A variety of 120+ cars from all over the world are on display.
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Currently there are 120 cars on the two floors of the museum. Along with 27 Kissels other Wisconsin made cars are featured on the first floor, including Nash, Hudson, and AMC. The second floor displays have cars dating from the 1930s to the 1990s, the 1913 #1003 Soo Line steam locomotive, as well as the Southeastern Wisconsin Short Track Hall of Fame.

Our weekly license plate photo series now moves into the 1930s. In 1932, Wisconsin license plates changed in height, est...
05/30/2026

Our weekly license plate photo series now moves into the 1930s.

In 1932, Wisconsin license plates changed in height, establishing the standard passenger plate size that has remained largely unchanged ever since. That year also marked the first time the full word “Wisconsin” appeared on the plates. Throughout the decade, plate colors continued to change, along with the placement of the year and the word “Wisconsin.” By 1934, vehicle registrations had sharply rebounded after plummeting in the wake of the 1929 stock market crash. Which plate color combo is your favorite? You can see these license plates and more at the museum during our regular open hours!

05/27/2026

That is the glorious sound of a straight 8 engine in a 1929 Kissel Tourster! Simply purring. If you would like to see this beauty in person, stop by Wisconsin AutoFest 2026 on June 13 from 9 am to 4 pm for the car show. There will be plenty of other Kissels there, along with Nashes, and other vehicles from Wisconsin based manufacturers.

We're back with more license plate history!Notice the letter “C” on each of these plates? From 1924–1931, passenger vehi...
05/22/2026

We're back with more license plate history!

Notice the letter “C” on each of these plates? From 1924–1931, passenger vehicle plates displayed weight code letters: B=2,000 lbs., C=2,800 lbs., and D=4,000 lbs. The world changed dramatically during the years these plates were issued. As the sun set on the “Roaring 20s," vehicle registration counts dropped following the stock market crash of 1929 and continued to decline over the next four years.

These license plates and more can be found at the museum, along with our collection of over 120 vehicles and other petroliana. See you at the museum!

Saturday was a perfect day for the car show in downtown Hartford! The 1929 Kissel Coupe Roadster looks especially sharp ...
05/21/2026

Saturday was a perfect day for the car show in downtown Hartford! The 1929 Kissel Coupe Roadster looks especially sharp in the sun!

Welcome to our new weekly photo series spotlighting Wisconsin license plate history!Pictured is a license plate used som...
05/16/2026

Welcome to our new weekly photo series spotlighting Wisconsin license plate history!

Pictured is a license plate used sometime between 1905 and 1910. How do we know that? There are a few clues. Wisconsin first required license plate registration in 1905. Drivers paid a $1.00 registration fee and received a plate like this one that was valid indefinitely. Quite a deal for those early drivers! This particular plate does not include a year of issue, which helps narrow down the date range. Beginning in 1911, Wisconsin plates started displaying the year and the registration system changed to $5.00 for new registrations with a $2.00 annual renewal fee. By the way, that $2.00 annual fee would be $69.52 today. Another clue is the use of just a single “W” to identify the state. Wisconsin plates used only a “W” until 1915 and again from 1918–1920.

This license plate and more can be found at the museum, along with our collection of over 130 vehicles and other petroliana. See you at the museum!

05/14/2026

This beautiful Kissel arrived from California yesterday, and is now on exhibit at the museum! It is a 1913 Semi - Racer, the body style was a forerunner of Kissel's famous speedster.

Which car does this slick rear fender belong to? We'll reveal the answer in the comments next week!
05/09/2026

Which car does this slick rear fender belong to? We'll reveal the answer in the comments next week!

That's a whole lot of shiny in that exhibit case! Beautiful styling on the Nash, Rambler, and LaFayette hubcaps!
05/07/2026

That's a whole lot of shiny in that exhibit case! Beautiful styling on the Nash, Rambler, and LaFayette hubcaps!

The 1936 LaFayette turns a nifty ninety this year! LaFayette was a successful lower-priced offering from Nash Motors, be...
05/01/2026

The 1936 LaFayette turns a nifty ninety this year! LaFayette was a successful lower-priced offering from Nash Motors, before being replaced by the Nash 600 in the fall of 1940.

Address

147 N Rural Street
Hartford, WI
53027

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

(262) 673-7999

Website

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