TOLEDO, Ohio — Every year, Toledo Jeep Fest brings in people from all over the country.
According to Whitney Rofkar, the festival's event director, over 78,000 people attended the 2024 event, generating more than $5.9 million in revenue for the city.
"We're seeing more people, we're seeing more folks from states around the country. 40 states were represented," she said, adding that there was representation from Canada, Mexico, Japan and Switzerland.
Rofkar said the record-breaking number shows how many people are willing to visit Toledo to take trips down memory lane and learn history about Jeeps.
In 2019, city officials came up with a more permanent solution of showing off Toledo's Jeeps: a museum.
"I don't think there's anybody in this city who would not commit to going all in on a Jeep museum here," said Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken.
They announced the project five years ago, hoping to have it built by 2022. But, it didn't go as planned and Gerken said the problem is due to the ownership of the Jeep changing over the years.
"The struggle has always been getting the corporate sponsorship on the other side," he said, adding that it's the key component to building the museum. "We may have the city where the Jeep is built, but right now, Stellantis owns the brands, owns the models, owns all the historical cars, owns the concepts and they would have to be at the table with us."
Gerken said the museum would be more than just looking at Jeeps, too.
"People are going to want to come to a museum convention where they can get in one, maybe drive it around the track, maybe get that feel of the four-wheel drive if they've never done it before," he said.
Rofkar said she likes the idea of a museum after seeing the success of Jeep Fest.
"For myself and for all Toledoans, I think we'd really love to see a Jeep museum here, I think Toledo Jeep Fest is an example of how many people will come to Toledo and know that we're the home of the jeep," she said. "Jeep Fest weekend hosts 78,000 people from over 40 different states so people will travel to this museum if it's created one day."
Gerken said the city is ready and has been reaching out to Stellantis.
Stellantis became a sponsor for the first time with Toledo Jeep Fest this year, which Gerken said is a good sign.
Stellantis did not respond to a request for comment from WTOL 11.