Ben-Hur vs. Twilight

“So Ben-Hur was the Twilight of the 1800s.”

Out of the mouths of babes – an eighth-grader on a recent school visit made a striking connection between the popularity of Lew Wallace’s masterwork and the rise of new novels made into films. One aspect of the Ben-Hur legacy is merchandising in a variety of franchises and media – books, films, comics, you name it. Just as Mel Brooks immortalized in the film Spaceballs, after Ben-Hur rose to great fame they came out with Ben-Hur the children’s books, Ben-Hur the action figures, Ben-Hur the hairpins, Ben-Hur the freezer...and on and on. Merchants figured they could sell just about everything imaginable by attaching the name of a popular novel to the products. The concept has continued into modern literature and films as merchants continue to market lunchboxes, posters, and clothing by attaching images of popular media. It all comes back to Ben-Hur.

Lew Wallace's 183rd Birthday Party

Lew Wallace's 183rd Birthday Party, originally uploaded by WallaceStudy.

Kids compete at tug-of-war at Lew Wallace's 183rd Birthday Celebration on the grounds of the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum on Saturday, April 10, 2010.

Lew Wallace's 183rd Birthday Party

Lew Wallace's 183rd Birthday Party, originally uploaded by WallaceStudy.

Young visitors color stained glass designs at Lew Wallace's 183rd Birthday Celebration on the grounds of the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum on Saturday, April 10, 2010.

Lew Wallace's 183rd Birthday Party

Lew Wallace's 183rd Birthday Party, originally uploaded by WallaceStudy.

Visitors try walking with old-fashioned stilts at Lew Wallace's 183rd Birthday Celebration on the grounds of the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum on Saturday, April 10, 2010.

Lew Wallace's 183rd Birthday Party

Lew Wallace's 183rd Birthday Party, originally uploaded by WallaceStudy.

General Lew Wallace, and a dead-on homemade dough facsimile, skillfully crafted by one of our visitors for Lew's birthday!

Happy Birthday & Wildflowers

Let the parties begin!!!

In celebration of Lew Wallace's 183rd birthday, the Museum will be having a party. On Saturday, April 10th, the museum will play host to a variety of activities. In the Study, all visitors will get an opportunity to build their own study using Legos. They may also choose to color a replica of the stained glass that is in the Study's atrium. Build Ben Hur's chariot, sculpt with playdough and make a fan are activities taking place in the Carriage House.

The lawn area will be host to 1800's games. Croquet, wooden hoop rolling, tug of war and learning to walk on stilts are just some of the games planned. Cookies and punch will be served and admission is free!

While visitors are celebrating with birthday games and goodies, the wildflowers will be in full bloom. Warm weather has forced the wildflowers to bloom, seemingly, all at once. Some of the flowers in bloom are: blue violets, harbinger of spring, cutleaf toothwort, spring beauty, myrtle, pansies, tulips, daffodils, hyacinth, trout lilies, and the magnolia trees are in full regale. Stop by for a visit and enjoy the day of fun and activites and nature at its best.

City of Crawfordsville Easter Egg Hunt TODAY!

The Hunt is on! The Crawfordsville Easter Egg Hunt is proceeding as scheduled on the grounds of the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum at 1:00 p.m. today. The rain is lessening and all of the candy and prizes are in eggs this year, so nothing's getting soggy. Come join us this afternoon!