From Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles
The Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles is pleased to announce it will host one of the Museum’s most-loved events, Diner Day, on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Guests can sit inside the beautifully preserved Fegely’s Reading Diner and enjoy coffee and homemade pie. Coffee and pie are available for purchase at 1938 prices — that means a nickel for a cup of coffee and a quarter for a slice of pie! Can’t beat those prices. Milk is available for younger patrons. Regular contribution rates apply.
Fegely’s Reading Diner is a fondly remembered icon in Berks County. Built in 1938 by the Jerry O’Mahony Company of Elizabeth, NJ, the Reading Diner was a freestanding establishment along Route 422 in Exeter Township until 1950, when owner Howard Fegely moved it across the road and built his Fegely’s Family Restaurant around it. Well-protected for the next 53 years, the Reading Diner weathered beautifully, despite the hustle and bustle of the diners, cooks, and waitstaff surrounding it. Following its closing in 2003, the Reading Diner was rescued by the Archbury Foundation, and, in 2008, the Foundation graciously donated the building to the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles, where it sits today and delights visitors of all ages.
In addition to the delicious pie and coffee, visitors will have full access to the Museum’s historic collection. Docents will be on hand to answer questions about the vehicles and provide insight into the rare machines on display. Visitors will also have the opportunity to watch live blacksmithing demonstrations in the original Jeremiah Swinehart Carriage Factory, which is part of the Museum’s galleries and is open to the public daily.
Joining the celebration this year is Matthew Dodd. Dressed in period clothing, Matthew takes listeners back in time to a fascinating period of American history, using songs from that chapter and stories (humorous and poignant) that show what it was like to live then. His Songs of the American Road show, which he’ll perform on Diner Day, takes listeners on a fun trip across the history of Americans on the move with fascinating stories and classic songs about Conestoga wagons, wagon trains, the railroads, the National Road, early automobiles, trucks, classic cars, classic TV car ads, Route 66, hot rods, and motorcycles, with a theatrical backdrop and props. Throughout the show, Matthew sings and plays guitar, banjo, mandolin, and harmonica.
Diner Day is made possible in part thanks to the generosity of Frecon Farms, Brakeman’s Café, Imperial’s Catering, The Kathy Barry Agency, and Merkel’s Shoes Inc.
About the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles
The Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1965 by Paul and Erminie Hafer. The Museum, located at 85 S. Walnut St. in Boyertown, preserves and displays examples of Pennsylvania’s road transportation history in the former factory buildings of the Boyertown Auto Body Works. Over 90 locally manufactured cars, trucks, carriages, bicycles, and motorcycles are on display, as well as three examples of roadside architecture — a 1921 cottage-style Sunoco gas station, an early 20th-century tourist cabin, and a 1938 Jerry O’Mahony diner. The Museum is open seven days a week, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Contribution rates are $10.00 for adults, $9.00 for seniors and AAA members, and free for ages 12 and under. For more information, call 610-367-2090 or visit boyertownmuseum.org.
