Blog
New Exhibit Focuses on Wallace Family
Gen. Lew Wallace Museum Open Again
The General Lew Wallace Study & Museum is pleased to announce the opening of our 2026 exhibit The Wallace Family: A Legacy of Service.
The exhibition opened Tuesday in the Lynn D. Hohlbein Education Room in the Carriage House Interpretive Center at the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum.
In recognition of the 250th commemoration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the museum is sharing stories of public service by members of the Wallace family in support of our American Democracy. For generations, members of the Wallace family have donated their time and talents to civic, social, and military service. The exhibition highlights services contributed by Lew Wallace, his brothers (William and Edward); his father David, who served as Indiana’s sixth governor; and his well-remembered stepmother, Zerelda, who was instrumental in the Temperance and Suffrage movements.
The exhibition includes information on Wallace family service on the national stage as early as the War of 1812 to the military service of his grandsons in World War I. The important contributions of other, lesser known, family members are also highlighted.
The exhibit may be viewed free of charge from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The Wallace Family: A Legacy of Service will run through early December. The Study is also open for guided tours. The Museum requests visitors seeking a guided tour of the Study schedule their appointment ahead of time, but walk-ins will be accommodated when possible. Tours last approximately one hour and are $7 for adults and $3 or $1 for students.
Other upcoming events at the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum include a very special lecture by Ryan Cole, based on his book The Last Adieu, which looks at the grand tour of the United States made by the Marquess de Lafayette in 1824. The Cole lecture will be on Thursday evening March 12 at 7 p.m.. Coming on April 16 is the first of five Hoosier Authors Book Club discussions. This first discussion will look at John Green’s book, Everything is Tuberculosis. Also, in April the museum will host the American Battlefield Trust’s Park Day on Saturday, April 25. Many other programs and events have already been scheduled for the year.
For more information about the exhibit or upcoming events, visit https://www.ben-hur.com/programs/annual-exhibit/ or contact Larry Paarlberg at (765) 362-5769 or lpaarlberg@ben-hur.com.