Our Exhibits
Explore the first floor
When you first arrive at our Museum, you’ll see C. Kent Rushing’s Mural of Montgomery County. It’s a hand-painted mural of 83 individual pieces featuring a place or structure in the county. Through his photo realistic style, we see Rushing’s experiences interacting with the built environment and architecture in Montgomery County.
WOW Gallery
From authors to astronauts, politicians to Broadway performers, and journalists to Jeopardy game show contestants, a variety of notable people have called Montgomery County, Indiana home. Among those currently featured are Crawfordsville’s own astronaut Joe Allen, journalist and playwright Maurine Dallas Watkins, and famed jazz musicians and brothers Wilbur & Sydney de Paris.
- “Little Joe” Allen flew on the first fully operational space shuttle flight in 1982. He earned the nickname “Little Joe” because he was just 5’6” and weighed 125 pounds. He was a 1955 Crawfordsville High School graduate.
- Maurine Dallas Watkins, author of the play that would become the hit Broadway show and movie Chicago, also attended Crawfordsville High School. Later she worked as a journalist for the Chicago Tribune covering the famous murder trials of Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner.
- Both born in Crawfordsville, brothers Wilbur and Sidney de Paris were raised by their father to be musicians from the start. Wilbur would become a well-known trombonist and saxophone player, while Sidney would be recognized for the trumpet.
Come discover local history that will leave you saying, “Wow, I didn’t know they were from here!”
Explorer's Zone
Kids and the young at heart can explore science concepts in hands-on activities. This year we’re focusing on the upcoming April 8, 2024 total eclipse! Or you can also examine insects and other specimens up close at the microscope station. Check out what the 3-D printer is making and, perhaps, take something printed home from the gift shop!
In our Early History area, see the Terre Haute-Crawfordsville Land Office safe that stored funds collected from the sale of land in 17 surrounding counties from 1820 to 1853. Learn about some early settlers in Montgomery County.
Local Authors
Discover the authors who called the “Athens of Indiana” home, including Janet Lambert, Caroline Virginia Krout, Lew Wallace, Susan Wallace, and Meredith Nicholson. Learn more about Lew Wallace’s Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ novel that inspired a staged play, four movies, several cartoons and a musical. Read local authors’ literary works or learn more about Montgomery County history from featured books.
Citizens in Action
On the local, state, national or world stage, Montgomery County residents have contributed to the world around them in politics, in service organizations, and in military service. See the ballot for the 1964 election on our voting machine. Learn about the political careers of James Atwell Mount, Will Hays Sr., Will Hays Jr., and Thomas Riley Marshall. Discover the contributions of Wabash College men to the Civil War, see the 3rd Battalion 139th Field Artillery flag and uncover the real men behind the iconic World War II Iwo Jima flag raising made famous by Joe Rosenthal.
Explore the second floor
Business and Industry Gallery
Montgomery County has a large agricultural base, a number of major industrial companies, and countless small shops and businesses. Our Business and Industry Gallery includes stories of doctor’s practices, family owned restaurants, and historic banks, among others.
Do you remember the Lyons Music Store neon sign? For more than three quarters of a century, aspiring musicians took music classes and purchased instruments from the store. See the sign and learn more about music in Montgomery County.
Ever wonder how your phone call connected with the right person? See the Operator Switchboard that was in use from 1957 until 1978 at Indiana Bell on Main Street in Crawfordsville.
See artifacts relating to these businesses and more in our Business and Industry Gallery.
Pop Culture and Sports Gallery
Did you know New Richmond starred as Hickory, Indiana, in the 1986 movie Hoosiers? The movie was based on the true story of the tiny Milan, Indiana, high school basketball team that won the 1954 state championship against the much larger Muncie Central High School.
In New Richmond, these banners hung across Washington Street as props during filming. They shout “We’re the Hickory Huskers and No One Could Be Prouder” and “Go Hickory All the Way!” See the banners and learn about some of the dozens of local residents who were extras in the movie, including Crawfordsville resident Ray Edwards who played a Wabash County Sheriff Officer.
Temporary Exhibits
Currently on display in our Temporary Exhibits Gallery is Unequal and Undaunted: Education and Community of Lincoln School for Colored Children. It will be on display through February 2024. The exhibit explores the forgotten story of education at the two Lincoln School buildings, which are now demolished. The school’s operation from 1881 until 1947 served both as a place of elementary education and as a gathering place for the Black community in Crawfordsville.
Coming in 2024, in the Temporary Exhibits Gallery will be Dearly Beloved: Death and Dying in Montgomery County. It will open in March 2024. From cemeteries to casket companies and funeral homes, learn about the history and practices of end of life care in Montgomery County.
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