Crawfordsville

Ben Hur Museum

"A Pleasure House for My Soul"

The immortal Ben-Hur was published November 12, 1880, while General Wallace was governor of New Mexico Territory, "but the greater part of my work was done at home, my favorite writing place being beneath an old beech tree near my house." The dying tree was cut in 1908, but two years later its location was forever marked by the erection of a bronze statue of General Wallace, cast from the original which stands in Statuary Hall of Fame in Washington, D.C. The General is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery on the north edge of Crawfordsville, where his grave is marked by a 35-foot obelisk.

General Lew Wallace's Study is a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Designed by General Wallace (1827-1905) to be "a pleasure house for my soul," the building now houses personal memorabilia from a lifetime of 77 years, during which he served in the Mexican and Civil Wars, as a vice-president of the Lincoln assassination trial, president of the Andersonville trial, governor of the Territory of New Mexico (1878-1881) and U.S. Minister of Turkey (1881-1885). He was an artist, a violinist (he made them, too) and a patented inventor. His library of over 1,000 volumes is here, as well as items relating to the Ben-Hur movies, the Broadway play and his grandson's service in World War I.

Meuseum Information

The Ben-Hur Museum will be open during March and November, 200, Saturday and Sunday afternoons, 1:00 to 4:30 pm.

Admission:
Adults - $3.00
Students - $1.00
Children under 6 - free

How to Contact the Museum

The new mailing address is:
Ben-Hur Museum
922 East South Boulevards
Crawfordsville, IN 47933

Reservations are recommended for large groups.

Phone: 765-362-5769 or 1-800-866-3973
Fax: 765-364-5179

Email us
study@wico.net