View the City of Michigan City's Horizon
2000 Strategic Plan
Michigan City is LaPorte County's largest city. It's located
on the shores of Lake Michigan at the mouth of Trail Creek. The town developed
as an industrial center, and later gained a reputation as a popular recreation
and resort community. The "singing sands" of the Washington Park
beach are famous, and a popular summer attraction. Adjacent to Michigan City
is Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and Mt. Baldy, the state's largest moving
sand dune.
Historic
Downtown Michigan City Tour
In 1833 a small village
that had developed at the point where Trail Creek converged into Lake Michigan
was named Michigan City. After the construction of five railroad lines, the
community emerged as one of the leading manufacturing centers in Northern
Indiana and by the early 1920s, gained reputation among Chicago's elite as
a popular resort community.
1. Long Beach Lake
Shore Dr.
Weekend residence for
Chicago's elite who came to escape the city's heat. Local legend even describes
the area as a popular hide-out for 1920s Chicago gangsters like Al Capone
and Bugsy Malone in a garage hidden in the sand dunes and a home built in
the shape of a gun. The "summer cottages" that line the shore remain
as representations of architectural splendor in popular revival styles of
the 1920s and 1930s by famous designers, such as John Lloyd Wright .
2. Washington Park
Lake Shore Dr.
- a. Washington Park
Zoo -admission fee Built in 1933 by the Works Progress Administration,
the magnificent tower rises high above the zoo with a vantage point from
the top of its spiral staircase that reveals the southern tip of Lake Michigan
from the Michigan shoreline to the Chicago skyline.
- b. Michigan City
Lighthouse -parking fee
- Featured in Washington
Park is the Michigan City Lighthouse and catwalk pier constructed in 1904
to replace the existing Lighthouse which remains as a museum. Both the Lighthouse
and catwalk are on the National Register of Historic Places. This is the
only operating public structure of its kind in Indiana.
- c. Old Lighthouse
Museum Heisman Harbor Rd. -admission fee
Built in 1858 this
museum is housed in the original lighthouse, which is on the National
Register of Historic Places and is filled with displays of shipwrecks,
maritime history, lake lore, and a recreated lighthouse keeper's home.
3. Barker Mansion &
Civic Center, 631 Washington St. -admission fee for tours
The "house that
freight cars built," a turn-of-the-century mansion built by millionaire
railroad industrialist lohn H. Barker. Decor is typical of turn-of-the-century
opulence; marble, rare woods, art objects, sunken garden, and third floor
ballroom are featured in this mansion, which is on the National Register of
Historic Places.
4. The Works @ Lighthouse
Place Outlet Center 7th & Wabash St.
This renovated Pullman
Railroad factory building houses two floors of shops. Pullman Railroad memorabilia
along with photos of the original buildings and factory are featured on the
exposed brick walls.
5. Canterbury Theatre
907 Franklin St.
There is no theatre in
the Midwest like Canterbury, a 122-yearold landmark reminiscent of the Civil
War days. The resident company of actors and actresses performs in six productions
throughout the summer, and Canterbury's reputation draws the best talent around.
6. John G. Blank Center
for the Arts 312 East 8th St. -admission fee
This 1876 structure features
three galleries, including works of different periods and mediums. The building
features original Tiffany-style windows dating from 1895 and a magnificent
marble staircase. Among the permanent displays is a collection of pre-Columbian
artifacts dating back from 300 A D. to 1200 A.D.
