Jimmy Stewart Museum

If you are going to be closed because of construction issues then update your website not just your phone recording. That would have saved us the hour drive.

Now, I’m not a huge Jimmy Stewart fan, though I think of him first and foremost from «The Glen Miller Story» and, preparing for our visit, we watched «Vertigo.» Still, I had a great time at this little museum. The exhibits did a good job covering Stewart’s (and his family’s) life in Indiana, his personal life with his wife and friends, and his movie career. Most impressive was how much of his personal stuff has survived and is on display. They did a good job putting out a huge selection of material in a relatively small space without it seeming cramped.
The museum is located in the same building as the local library, though it has its own separate entrance. The Stewart family hardware store was located on a spot near here for something like 100 years. It’s also next door to the county courthouse (be sure to check out the Stewart statue there and the war memorial). There is plenty of metered parking on the street. My only critique might be, now that we’re in the 21^st century, pictures on a wall with interpretive signs are a bit old-​fashioned. In the future, I’d love to see more interactive exhibits and more sensory experiences.
They screen movies throughout the day in a wonderfully well-​done theater; in addition to some of Stewart’s films, they have short biographies of his life as well. The staff is very friendly, perhaps a bit more than I’d have been comfortable with. There is no flash photography in the museum but you can leave and re-​enter with your ticket/​sticker (we left for lunch and came back refreshed to take in more of the museum). It was not too crowded, even on a weekend. Worth the drive, worth the price of admission, and I would recommend it.

Even if you are not familiar with Mr. Stewart this is a must see if you are in town. The museum is located on the top floor of the library (separate entrance). It is $ 7 pp. It covers his personal life, military career, radio career, and movie career. There are pictures, news clippings, books, uniforms that he wore, other artifacts, and a replica of his office, a movie theater, and several televisions that play some of his movies. In town the local theater also runs «It’s a Wonderful Life» for the holidays. There is a statue outside and inside the museum it has the dedication speech. He is very beloved by this town and it is inspiring to see how him and his family were a contributing members of the community. It made us feel like he was a truly great man in so many ways.