COLLEGE STATION, TX – MAY 07: General view of the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum on May 07, 2026 in College Station, Texas.(Photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

Rare Founding Fathers documents coming to Bush Presidential Museum in Dallas

The limited-time exhibit includes handwritten letters and historic portraits from early America.

by · 5 NBCDFW

For a limited time, the George W. Bush Presidential Museum is offering visitors access to a special temporary exhibit featuring rare historic documents connected to the people and moments that shaped the nation.

According to the Bush Center, ‘Up Close With History: Founding Fathers Edition’ offers visitors a unique opportunity to come face-to-face with history through the words, signatures, and firsthand records of the Founding Fathers.

Visitors will find the following artifacts in the exhibit:

  • A handwritten letter from George Washington to Col. John Cadwalader, written during the Revolutionary War.
  • A personal letter from Thomas Jefferson to the Marquis de Lafayette.
  • A handwritten letter from Alexander Hamilton to Samuel Hodgdon, written during the Whiskey Rebellion.
  • A letter from James Madison to the agents of the United States for the relief and protection of American seamen.
  • A portrait of George Washington by Robert Edge Pine, painted in 1785.
  • An early 19th century portrait of Dolley Madison by William Dunlap.
  • The listed artifacts are courtesy of Harlan Crow Library.

The exhibit is included with museum admission and will run for five days only, Sept 23-27.