NEWS & EVENTS

Garst Museum is Open: Front Entrance is Closed on October 3, 2026

The Garst Museum is OPEN during its regular operating hours,10 AM to 4 PM. The museum's front entrance is closed on Saturday, October 3, 2026. To enter the museum, please use the side entrance off the parking lot.

1 day ago1 min read

2026 Genealogy Workshop Information: October 3, 2026

2026 Genealogy Workshop October 3, 2026 10:00 to 1:00 Doors Open at 9:30 a.m. Garst Museum Lowell Thomas Conference Room 205 N. Broadway Greenville, OH 45331 Pre-registration before September 20, 2026 - $15.00 Registration at the door - $20.00 DOWNLOAD EVENT FLYER 2026 PRESENTED BY: Angel King Angel King is an award-winning speaker and genealogy researcher from Logan County, Ohio. For more than two decades, she has explored family history through archival research, histo

4 days ago1 min read

Washington's Generals Lecture Series presents "Live Free or Die: The Defiance of John Stark." Free Washington’s Generals Lecture Series on October 17, 2026, at Noon

Join us on October 17, 2026, at NOON at the Garst Museum for Cait Clark’s Washington's Generals Lecture Series. The October event features a program on Brigadier General John Stark. Although not as famous as some of Washington’s officers, Stark coined the motto “Live free or die,” helped secure a victory at the Battle of Bennington, and fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill, as well as at Trenton and Princeton, and in the French and Indian War. The Washington’s Generals Speaker

Sep 251 min read

Garst Museum will Host a Victorian Tea Honoring Annie Oakley on October 17, 2026, at 2 P.M.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the death of a Darke County legend. On November 3, 1926, Annie Oakley (aka Phoebe Ann Moses) succumbed to pernicious anemia at the home of Misses Broderick and Zemer on West Third Street in Greenville. To honor the woman who traveled the world exhibiting her sharpshooting skills, but always came back home to Darke County, Garst Museum will feature Annie Oakley at its October 17, 2026, Speaker Series event. Oakley was born in northern D

Sep 251 min read

Garst Museum Membership Newsletters Now Online!

Explore the stories, discoveries, and community connections that bring Darke County’s history to life. The Garst Museum Membership Newsletter Archive offers a look at remarkable artifacts, new exhibits, local history, special events, and the people whose generosity preserves our shared heritage. Browse past issues to see what’s happening behind the scenes and how the museum continues to grow. The archive includes all newsletters except the current year's. The newsletter is

Sep 241 min read

Garst Museum Board Member Eileen Litchfield Honored for Museum Advocacy

Earlier this year, the Ohio Museums Association (OMA) announced that Eileen Litchfield earned its Museum Advocate Award. Litchfield has long supported Garst Museum, having served on the Darke County Historical Society board for over 16 years and currently serving as president of the Annie Oakley Center Foundation. In nominating Litchfield for the award, Dr. Clay Johnson, president and CEO of Garst Museum, stated, “Eileen Litchfield’s advocacy has created a lasting legacy for

Sep 223 min read

FEBRUARY - 2nd Saturday General: Nathanael Greene MARCH - 2nd Saturday General: Daniel Morgan APRIL - 2nd Saturday General: Horatio Gates MAY - 2nd Saturday General: Israel Putnam JUNE - 3rd Saturday General: Marquis de Lafayette JULY - 2nd Saturday General: Baron von Steuben AUGUST - 4th Saturday General: Anthony Wayne SEPTEMBER - 2nd Saturday General: Benedict Arnold OCTOBER - 2nd Saturday General: John Stark NOVEMBER - 2nd Saturday General: Henry Knox DECEMBER - 2nd Saturday General: John Sullivan

Washington's Generals Lecture Series 2026: Monthly Dates

In honor of America’s 250th year of independence, the Garst Museum will be celebrating Greene and other generals from the American Revolution who played significant roles in Washington's Generals Lecture Series. Greene, Wayne, and many others will be presented in this year-long series, developed and delivered by Cait Clark, Garst Museum’s Administrative Director. Over the course of the series, Clark will be talking about well-known generals such as Henry Knox and Benedict Arn

Sep 151 min read

"Judas sold only one man," Benjamin Franklin wrote to the Marquis de Lafayette. "Arnold three millions." Before he became America's most infamous traitor, Benedict Arnold was one of Washington's most trusted generals. He was a fearless, aggressive commander whose leadership at Saratoga helped turn the tide of the war. Few officers gave more to the Revolution… and none fell further. Passed over for promotion, haunted by political enemies, and embittered by a country he believed had forgotten him, Arnold made the choice that would earn Franklin's ire, along with that of Washington himself. This program traces the journey from battlefield hero to American Judas, examining what made Arnold indispensable and what destroyed him. Join us on September 12 at 2:00 PM at the Garst Museum as Cait Clark’s Washington's Generals Lecture Series continues. The Washington’s Generals Speaker Series is free. Regular museum admission applies to those who wish to tour the museum.

Washington's Generals Lecture Series presents "American Judas: The Rise and Fall of Benedict Arnold." Free Washington’s Generals Lecture Series on September 12, 2026

"Judas sold only one man," Benjamin Franklin wrote to the Marquis de Lafayette. "Arnold three millions." Before he became America's most infamous traitor, Benedict Arnold was one of Washington's most trusted generals. He was a fearless, aggressive commander whose leadership at Saratoga helped turn the tide of the war. Few officers gave more to the Revolution… and none fell further. Passed over for promotion, haunted by political enemies, and embittered by a country he believe

Aug 271 min read

“North Star” Shines a Light on the Real Annie Oakley

“Everyone knows Annie Oakley. Almost no one knows her real story.” That’s how the Greenpoint Film Festival introduced the film “North Star” on its Instagram page. Nearly 100 years after her death, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish myths from fact when it comes to Darke County’s most notable daughter. This new short documentary is setting the record straight about the Darke County legend, and it got a lot of help from three legendary Annie Oakley researchers from Garst

Aug 266 min read

The Darke County Historical Society Announces the Dr. Harry G. Thomas Medical Scholarship for 2026-2027

The Darke County Historical Society is pleased to announce that funds will be available from the Dr. Harry G. Thomas Medical Scholarship Program for the 2026-2027 academic year. The Dr. Harry G. Thomas Medical Scholarship Program, administered by the Darke County Historical Society, was established and funded in 1971 by Lowell Thomas and his sister, Pherbia Thomas Thornburg, in memory of their father, Dr. Harry G. Thomas. The program was later supplemented by a bequest from

Aug 241 min read

July - September 2026 Garst Museum Store Special

Aug 230 min read

Washington's Generals Lecture Series presents "I Will Storm Hell": The Man Behind Mad Anthony Wayne: Free Washington’s Generals Lecture Series on August 22, 2026

The nickname "Mad Anthony" conjures images of reckless bravado, the visual of someone who charges headlong into danger without thought or calculation. The truth of Anthony Wayne, however, is far more compelling. Wayne was a surveyor, a tanner's son. Eventually, he would become one of the most disciplined battlefield commanders in the Continental Army. Washington turned to him again and again, not in spite of his boldness, but because of the iron will beneath it. From the nigh

Aug 131 min read

Students may obtain their free pass (digital or printed) by visiting the America 250-Ohio website or asking for the pass at the Garst Museum. The student must be accompanied by a paid adult general admission and must visit the museum on or before August 31, 2026.

Free Fourth Grade History Pass

America 250-Ohio, the official state commission spearheading Ohio’s celebrations of America’s semiquincentennial, recently announced the launch of the 4th Grade History Pass Plus, an expanded version of the commission’s popular 4th Grade History Pass program. Available exclusively throughout the month of July 2026, the 4th Grade History Pass Plus allows Ohio’s current fourth grade students and up to three accompanying family members to visit participating history museums and

Jul 273 min read

Gathering at Garst: July 25 & 26, 2026

INFORMATION ABOUT THE EVENT: Darke County Park's Gathering at Garst Website: darkecountyparks.org/gathering Darke County Park's Vendor Applications: darkecountyparks.org/gatheringvendors Darke County Park's Gathering Contact Information: Phone: 937-548-0165 Email: info@darkecountyparks.org Special Garst Museum Hours for the Gathering Friday: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Saturday: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Sunday: 11:00 am to 4:00 pm Research Center Hours Saturday: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Sund

Jul 221 min read

A Citizen of America: Washington’s Drillmaster, Baron von Steuben: Free Washington’s Generals Lecture Series on July 11, 2026

Join us for the next installment of our Washington’s Generals Lecture Series as we explore the life of Baron von Steuben, Washington’s Drillmaster. While at Valley Forge, it was von Steuben's job to turn the Continental Army into a serious fighting force. Find out how he did it! The program will be held on Saturday, July 11, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. in the Lowell Thomas Meeting Room at the Garst Museum. It will be presented by Administrative Director Cait Clark. The Washington’

Jul 71 min read

On June 20, 2026, Cait Clark will talk about the exploits of the Marquis de Lafayette, a young man who joined Washington’s staff as a major general at age 19. Lafayette would become something akin to an adopted son to Washington, supporting the commander through the trials of Valley Forge and Arnold’s betrayal in 1780. After the American Revolution, Lafayette would return home to France, where he would face off against Napoleon Bonaparte, a man trying to turn France’s own revolution into his personal empire.

"Esteem, Admiration, and Love" The Marquis de Lafayette: Free Washington’s Generals Lecture Series on June 20, 2026

On June 20, 2026, Cait Clark will talk about the exploits of the Marquis de Lafayette, a young man who joined Washington’s staff as a major general at age 19. Lafayette would become something akin to an adopted son to Washington, supporting the commander through the trials of Valley Forge and Arnold’s betrayal in 1780. After the American Revolution, Lafayette would return home to France, where he would face off against Napoleon Bonaparte, a man trying to turn France’s own rev

Jun 201 min read

Remembering Freedom: James Clemens and the Longtown Settlement

Longtown was a predominantly African American settlement in Darke County that included people of African, European, and American Indian ancestry. The population had many freed or runaway slaves. With the establishment of a vocational school known as the Union Literary Institute, Longtown created an opportunity for African Americans to become land-owning farmers, craftsmen, skilled workers, and professionals during a period when slavery and racism were prevalent. The Garst Mus

Jun 191 min read

Garst Museum Exhibit at the Piqua I-75 Southbound Rest Area is Now Open!

Thank you to the State of Ohio for this opportunity! Related story: https://www.dailyadvocate.com/2026/02/17/i-75-rest-area-puts-spotlight-on-garst-museum/

Jun 11 min read

The Darke County Historical Society has named Don Mong and Dr. Steve Gruber as the 2026 Heritage Award Winners

Mong was honored for his work on the books, “Greenville: My Home Town in the Great Darke County,” volumes one and two. The books featured beautifully painted watercolor Illustrations of landmarks from around the community. All proceeds were donated to the Garst Museum. The captions for each of the pieces of artwork were written by Dr. Steve Gruber. Gruber currently serves as chair of the Darke County Historical Society. Eileen Litchfield, chair of the selection committee for

May 263 min read

Garst Museum Online Store is Now Open

Starting 05-23-2026, all online Museum Store orders will be shipped on Fridays. If you would like to place a phone order, please contact 937-548-5250 anytime Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM. The Museum Store at Garst Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM....make sure to stop in while you visit the museum!

May 221 min read