Jon Fey of Downers Grove, Ill., is looking to open a legitimate Route 66 museum in the Mother Road city of Berwyn, Ill., instead of a small-time one, according to Suburban Life Publications.
Fey rearranged his SWF Products storefront at 7003 Ogden Ave. (Route 66) so that it may be a permanent location for the museum.
Previously, the museum had consisted of a handful of display cases crammed against restaurant walls and tucked into the parts department of a car dealership. Now, Fey is almost single-handedly leading the charge to transform the fledgling collection of artifacts and memorabilia into a legitimate museum.
“I never thought I’d open a museum. What have gotten myself into?” Fey said. “We started working on this last April, and it’s really grown quite a bit since we gave it its own space and put a lot of energy into it, but we still have a long way to go.”
Fey is driven by a zeal for history and a love of Berwyn.
“I spend more time in Berwyn than I do in any other spot on the earth, and I have for 30 years right here on Route 66,” Fey said.
The museum is currently in what Fey calls a “semi-open state” from 1 to 4 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. He hopes to be in full swing by April, when tourism traffic on Route 66 kicks into gear.
Berwyn Route 66 Museum can be reached at (708) 484-9349 or through its website.