The pictures [of the Emancipation Proclamation Inkwell] don’t do it justice. It’s so cool how you can see the actual ink. This is amazing. I’m so glad I still got to see it.
On Display Now
Headlining Exhibition The Lincolns at Home
Take an intimate look at this historic first family, which, through times of peace and times of war, found comfort and companionship in one another. Journey through the family’s years in their hometown of Springfield, Illinois, to their time in the White House amidst the nation’s greatest crisis. Explore highlights from the Lincoln family’s own photo album, which contains more than 600 photographs and is held right here in the Rolland Center. The exhibit can be viewed during normal library hours from December 20, 2025, through the end of 2026; there is no cost to visit.
Spotlight Exhibit Carrying Lincoln’s Legacy
As the last living connection to President Abraham Lincoln, his son Robert Todd Lincoln cared for his grieving mother, attended memorial events, and helped preserve the martyred president’s legacy. A new spotlight exhibit shines light into the shadow of that legacy, where Robert carried the weight of his father’s memory. At the Rolland Center for Lincoln Research in the Allen County Public Library’s Main downtown location, this free exhibit is available August 12, 2026, through the end of the year. We invite visitors to peek into the shadows and discover the man that many Americans thought of simply as “Lincoln’s son.”
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at the Rolland Center for Lincoln Research