A Museum for Westchester Township

Westchester Township

Located on the southern shore of Lake Michigan in Porter County, Indiana, Westchester Township contains the towns of Chesterton, Porter, Burns Harbor, and Dune Acres.

Transversed by a network of highways and railroads, it is home to areas of great natural beauty as well as to industry. Also located in the township are the Indiana Dunes State Park and portions of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, in the beautiful sand dune country of the southern shore of Lake Michigan.

Westchester Township and its communities have a history rich with stories of pioneer settlement, immigration, agricultural development, industrial growth and the preservation of the Indiana Dunes.

The Museum

The Westchester Township History Museum was created by the Westchester Public Library in 1998 in order to collect, preserve, and celebrate the history of Westchester Township. The museum offers free house tours, public programs, local history research, exhibits and a museum store.

The museum is located in the historic 1885 Brown Mansion at 700 West Porter Ave., Chesterton, IN. Hours are Wednesday - Sunday 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. or by appointment. Groups of ten or more are asked to call ahead for a tour reservation.

Museum Programs

Monthly programs, special events and programs are scheduled at the museum throughout the year. All events are located at the museum and are free of charge unless otherwise designated.

Examples of museum programs include Mad About Mysteries, Bookmarks at the Museum, Collector's Showcase, Gallery Demonstrations, Meet the Author, History Speaks, Reading Indiana, Knitting Together, etc. Special events include Music and Motor Cars, Victorian Christmas Party, Indiana;s Birthday Party and an annual fundraising event.

Children's programs and school tours are offered throughout the year with a summer history camp for those entering 4th and 5th grade. Check the following sites for more information on School tours and Scouting programs.

Program Schedules

To plan ahead, pick up a bi-monthly museum program schedule at the museum or at either the Thomas or Hageman branches of the Westchester Public Library. To be placed on the museum's email list contact  and request "museum program schedule." The schedule gives detailed descriptions of coming events over the next two months.

Current museum and library program schedules and descriptions may be found on the Library's Calendar of Events or on the library's Facebook page.

Exhibits

A permanent exhibit traces the history of Westchester Township from the glacial era to the present. Temporary exhibits highlighting various aspects of local history change about every four months. Works of art by historic and contemporary local artists are displayed throughout the museum.

Consult the museum's bi-monthly schedule for a listing of current temporary exhibits. Schedules are available at the museum of by subscribing to the museum's email list by contacting   and requesting the "museum program schedule."

PDB
11/09