Kraft donates Wienermobile to Wisconsin Historical Society

'Old No. 7' to be restored, displayed

The Wisconsin Historical Society announced it has acquired an old 1969 Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, also known as “Old No. 7.”

The society picked up the old Wienermobile, the hot-dog-and-bun-shaped vehicle used to promote Oscar Mayer products, at the plant Wednesday. This vehicle was built at the Oscar Mayer plant in Madison.

Oscar Mayer, which has been on Madison’s northeast side for nearly 100 years and employed nearly 1,000 people, is expected to close this month . Kraft announced the closure in 2015, at the same time announcing an expansion at its facility in Davenport, Iowa .

The Wienermobile gift is part of the historical society’s efforts to preserve a portion of the iconic Wisconsin business.

“This is not the only piece that Kraft Heinz has donated to the society,” said David Wilder, executive director of the Wisconsin Historical Foundation. “There have been some smaller items. At the same time, we’re talking to them about acquiring parts of the hotdog highway and other things that talk about meat processing and hotdog production here.”

After some restoration work, the society plans to share the Wienermobile with the public by allowing visitors to climb inside to check out the firsthand view from behind the wheel.

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