Restore Our Historic Popcorn Wagon

For nearly 100 years, Henry Sansone's popcorn wagon has been delighting visitors and patrons on the streets of Champaign-Urbana. Purchased by the museum in 1977, our museum has been carrying on Henry's legacy. The popcorn wagon has undergone major overhauls in 1940 when its old Model T chassis gave way to a 1940 Chevy Super Deluxe frame, and again in the 1980s when the museum, with the help of the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District, completed a major rebuild.

While the essence of the wagon is still intact, many of its decorative elements of the wagon have disappeared through the years. Today we have an opportunity to have those pieces rebuilt using the original C. Cretors & Co. tool and die and fully restore the wagon to its original beauty. The total cost for the parts is $5,000 with another $2,000 in labor. Thanks to a commitment of $2,000 by David Parkhill at Sullivan Parkhill we only need $5,000!

Cost Breakdown:

Replica steam motor $1,725

Corner tubes with finials $165 x 4

"C" Castings for roof overhang $170 x 4

Roof Angle Irons $40 x 4

2 Bay Window Corner tubes with finials $165 x 2

Decorative Cretors Half Moon Sign $420

Decorative sign mount $235

Decorative scallop roof details $7.50/ft

Rebuilt door $615