Rolland Center for Lincoln Research

Visitors to the Rolland Center for Lincoln Research are so taken with the presentation room’s immersive atmosphere that when they see its 180-degree projection of Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural ball and hear the accompanying music from the 1860s, some have been known to start dancing.

Housed at the Allen County Public Library in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana, the center delivers 21st-century experiences that combine its world-class collection of more than 20,000 historic artifacts with modern technology.

Although the Rolland Center opened in 2022, it dates to 1905, when Robert Todd Lincoln sent a photo of his father along with a letter granting a fledgling Fort Wayne insurance company permission to use President Lincoln’s name and likeness for a museum. After that museum closed in 2008, the Smithsonian and Library of Congress wanted to acquire its comprehensive collection, but because of Lincoln National CEO Ian Rolland’s support and the foundation’s desire to make the collection accessible to the public, it remained in town.

The Rolland Center’s array of Lincoln-related possessions ranges from newspapers and diaries to political cartoons. Its largest interactive display, “Lincoln’s Time & Place,” uses timelines of the president’s life plus maps of his inauguration and funeral-train routes to provide center visitors informative, turn-back-the-clock adventures that begin by tapping a screen.

Physical artifacts such as Tad Lincoln’s toy soldiers are displayed behind glass, while digital kiosks let visitors examine larger-than-life versions of items such as the famous photo that purports to show Mary Todd Lincoln and the ghost of her assassinated husband. 

Because the Rolland Center is the only place in the world with the contents of the Lincoln family photo album, its original photographs are a must-see for history buffs. The Rolland Center is free to visit, and its expert Lincoln librarians give guided tours. 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802, 260/421-1200, friendsofthelincolncollection.org