Lake County Historical Museum

Welcome to Crown Point, Indiana

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Towering above the square in downtown Crown Point, Indiana, the Lake County Courthouse is still the focal point of this historical area. Today, instead of the Romanesque and Georgian style building being the center of the county government, the "Grand Old Lady" houses shops, Valentino's Restaurant, the Maki Ballroom, professional offices including photography and architecture, Chamber of Commerce, City Court, and the Lake County Historical Society Museum. Noted by architects as one of the finest architectural expressions in Indiana, the interior as well as the exterior of this 125 year-old building has been faithfully restored to its original grandeur.

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The museum houses many historical artifacts and documents that represent the history of Lake County and specifically Crown Point. The museum encompasses approximately 6,000 square feet with collections of clothing, military uniforms, Native American artifacts, tools, photographs, and documents representing every city and town in Lake County.

Situated in the lower level, Valentino's Restaurant offers soup and sandwiches in an ice cream Parlor setting with galleries of pictures and show bills of the great silent screen romantic actor Rudolph Valentino. Along the mall are quaint specialty shops featuring Art, books, stained glass, candles, quilts, children's clothing, stationery, women's apparel, clocks, antiques, candy, gifts, and home decor. This unique shopping experience continues around the Square with a three story antique mall and five additional antique stores. Other unique shops include gift baskets, candies, a coffee house, shoe store, florist and gifts, home decor, and custom jewelry to name a few.

The Grand Old Lady is the Jewel in the Crown of Crown Point, an historic town established in 1834. Around the square is an array of international dining experiences including Greek, Italian, Chinese, Mexican, and English, many in historically-preserved buildings. Whatever your dining pleasure, whether it is for an elegant dinner, a light Victorian Tea Room lunch, a deli snack, or a Chicago-Style hot dog with homemade relish from Madeline's Cart on the square, Crown Point is a pleasant experience for everyone.

Several restaurants today occupy restored buildings such as the Old Crown Meat Market, now Circle Restaurant, the Main Street Cafe occupying the old Meyers Candy Store, the Ice Cream Parlor and Sandwich Shop What's the Scoop in what was once the Horst Hardware, the Registry, a bar and grill in what was the first newspaper, the Register, in Crown Point, Cafe 222 in the old Criminal Courts building which was the site of Dillinger's arraignment, and Lucretia's Restorante in the historic Fifield Mansion.

Just off the square next to the Fifield Mansion, the old Sheriff's house and jail, which briefly held escapee John Dillinger in 1934, remain as a reminder of some of the rich history of this city. In another direction is the Old Homestead, the first clapboard homestead in Lake County built by Wellington Clark. Built in 1847, the cottage-style building remains today, renovated by the Old Homestead Preservation Society. An historic self-guided walking tour is available from the Chamber of Commerce, also located in the Court House.

The Lake County Historical Museum is open
May through October every
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Tours are available by appointment.

Contact Bruce Woods
or call (219)662-3975.

Events

No events

Or, just a few blocks on South Court Street takes you to the Lake County Fairgrounds, an historic park setting, featuring an old grandstand from the 1800's as well as a Kennedy Brothers Covered Bridge built in 1875 in Rush County and moved here in 1933, the only authentic covered bridge in Northwest Indiana.

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Crown Point is a quaint hometown atmosphere with an abundance of historic architecture. Spend a day in the Hub, the nickname of Crown Point, so named because it was historically the hub of commerce and activity in the county. It remains today as a Hub of entertainment and enjoyment, the CROWNing POINT in Indiana.

Visit Crown Point by exiting I-65
at 109th Avenue and proceed
west to Main Street and turn
south, or exit at 231 and
proceed west to the Square.

Click here for map and directions.