Porter County Museum
Address
153 S. Franklin St., Valparaiso, IN 46383
Contact
Phone: (219) 465-3595
About
Once the sheriff’s residence and local jail, the Porter County Museum is now home to Northern Indiana’s largest collection of area history and treasures. Exhibits are displayed through- out the building and change often, because they’re always finding new artifacts, every trip is a fresh adventure.
Amenities:
- Non-Smoking
- Eco/Outdoor Friendly
- Family Friendly
- Handicap Accessible
Events:
100 Years 100 Objects
Dates: January 01 - December 31, 2016Wed. - Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (CST)
In 2016, the Porter County Museum celebrates its 100th anniversary. To commemorate the event, the Museum opened the exhibit 100 Years 100 Objects in July of 2015, The Museum has been collecting artifacts for 100 years, since Indiana's Centennial Celebration in 1916, and this unique exhibit gives the public an inside look at 100 of the objects that make up the Museums varied Collection. As you view the collection you will also learn about how museums collect and care for artifacts.
Prehistoric Porter County
Dates: January 01 - December 31, 2016Wed. - Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (CST)
In 1909, Porter County farmer Myron Benedict was plowing his field when he came across what appeared to be a massive tooth. It was harvest season, and the busy farmer threw the tooth in a corncrib and forgot all about it. In April of 1949, Benedict unearthed parts of a skeleton, teeth, and tusks of a mastodon (Mammut americanum) while plowing a portion of his property that had never been previously tilled. Digging for the mastodon bones was delayed till the fall of 1949 so that the soil could dry out and ease to work involved in recovery and preservation efforts. These artifacts and others are on display in the Prehistoric Porter County exhibit. Children are invited to do a little digging of their own, and visitors are asked to think about what they would do if they found a tooth in their backyard.
We Are Porter County Series
Dates: January 07 - November 03, 2016Wed. - Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (CST)
"We are Porter County" will highlight the formation of the county from its founding in 1836 to present day. Held on the first Thursday of each month.
