The Jimmy Stewart Museum

Over the Memorial Day Weekend I had a chance to visit a little treasure tucked away in the small town of Indiana, PA: The Jimmy Stewart Museum. Being that the fine actor is from Indiana, and this past week was his 100th birthday, it seemed like the perfect time to hit up the museum that I had been dying to visit (ever since Karissa first informed me that it existed).

It's a quaint and admirable tribute to an incredible actor. The museum, which is located inside the Indiana Library, chronicles Stewart's films as well as his life achievements; the guy had plenty of both. Aside from starring in some of my favorite movies, like Rear Window and It's a Wonderful Life, he was also an American hero.

One aspect of his life that surprised me most was his dedication to serving his country. Back before the U.S. entered World War II, Stewart tried to enlist but was turned away because he didn't weigh enough. He then went on a covert weight-gaining diet and tried again! This all happening before America was bombed in Pearl Harbor. There were a ton of Hollywood stars who went and fought for our country back then, which is refreshing given the movie industry's current disdain for war since Vietnam.

Not only was he a war hero, but Jimmy Stewart returned home and became a great advocate for the conservative movement, and the Republican Party. While I was at the museum, I caught a clip of him speaking at a Nixon/Agnew rally and then later on receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Ronald Reagan. I don't know why I was surprised to find him so conservative, it had just been something I never really thought about.

Spending part of a Memorial Day Weekend checking out a museum dedicated to a small town hero like Jimmy Stewart was fitting. If you find yourself in the Indiana area, you should certainly check it out.