Renovations Under Way at Lew Wallace Study & Museum

Have you ever wondered what the staff at the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum does over the winter months?

In an ordinary winter season, staff removes the annual exhibit, cares for the artifacts, does a deep clean of the museum and plans exhibit and programs for the coming year.

This winter, the museum and grounds are closed because they are doing an extensive renovation of the Lew Wallace Carriage House. This building was saved from demolition by the city and by dedicated volunteers more than 20 years ago. It was extensively restored and opened in 2005 as the Lew Wallace Museum Welcome Center, Lynne D. Hohlbein Education and Exhibit Display Space, office space, gift shop and artifact storage. Over the years, more than 100,000 people have come through or used the building. This attendance, combined with the other uses, caused some deterioration and structural issues.

Thanks to a grant from the Montgomery County Community Foundation, a number of private donations and income from the TASTE of Montgomery County and the Holiday Tea, sufficient money has been raised to complete structural repairs to the building and upgrades to the paint and floor finishes. The project was designed by Ratio Architects and work is being completed by Brandt Construction. The goal is to complete the project by the end of March, but until it is completed the museum and grounds will be closed to the public. When it does reopen, the 2025 exhibit will look at the epic silent film version of Ben-Hur that was released in 1925. Often considered the first film blockbuster, the movie is given credit for saving MGM studios and changing the film landscape forever.

In addition to the Carriage House renovation project, two of Lew Wallace’s pieces of elaborate cast iron garden decoration have been sent off for restoration over the winter. Staff plans to reinstall these features later in 2025.

For more information call Larry Paarlberg at (765) 362-5769 or email [email protected].