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Downtown Valparaiso, Indiana, is a great place to spend some time. It’s full of great restaurants, nice shops, and is family-friendly.
The Square
The focal point of downtown Valparaiso is Courthouse Square. It’s surrounded by historic buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of the buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Porter County Courthouse
The Porter County Courthouse, which was built between 1883 and 1885, occupies the center of the square. It replaced an older courthouse built in 1838. The courthouse was built with a clock tower standing 168 feet tall but it was lost in a fire on December 27, 1934. The building we see today is from a restoration completed in 1937.
Porter County Museum
On the southeast corner of the square is the Porter County Museum, which is covered in a separate entry. It’s housed in the old county jail and sheriff’s house. The sheriff’s house was a private residence built in 1860 and the jail was added in 1871. The museum opened to the public in 1975.
Memorial Opera House
Next door to the museum is the Memorial Opera House. It was built in 1893 and has had a colorful history. William Jennings Bryan spoke there in 1896, John Philip Sousa led a concert there in 1898, and the Marx Brothers performed there in 1919. Beulah Bondi, the woman who played the mother of Jimmy Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and two other films, was from Valpo and started her acting career at the Opera House at the age of seven. Visit the official website for a calendar of events.
Central Park Plaza
To the west of the square is Central Park Plaza. It has a band shell used for summer concerts, outdoor movies, and during the town’s Popcorn Festival, held annually the first Saturday after Labor Day since 1979. The festival is one of the best in the state, offering several events, a parade, contests, booths with crafts and food, and live music throughout the day.
The area in front of the band shell contains a splash pad. It’s a popular place to bring kids in the summer. There are also several other events that take place throughout the year, including markets and fitness classes.
On the north end of the park is a statue of Orville Redenbacher (1907-1995), the popcorn magnate who was based in Valparaiso with his business partner, Charlie Bowman (1919-2009). A small plaque on a brick column tells their story.
Urschel Pavilion
Urschel Pavilion across the street hosts ice skating in the winter and has picnic tables in the summer.
Bill Costas Family Plaza
Next to the pavilion is the Bill Costas Family Plaza. It’s a small but pleasant area with benches and tables. Locals often go there to have their lunch breaks outside.
Historical Markers
In front of the Valparaiso City Hall on Lincolnway is an original marker from the Lincoln Highway. The Lincoln Highway was dedicated on October 31, 1913, and runs coast-to-coast for 3,389 miles, from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco. In 1928, the Boy Scouts of America placed concrete markers along the route. Only a handful of these original markers survive, and this one was gifted to the city in 2006 as a reminder of Valparaiso’s connection to the road.
To the right of the Lincoln Highway marker is a historical marker for the Old Sac Trail. It was dedicated in 1916 by the William Henry Harrison chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The Old Sac Trail ran east to west across northern Indiana and Illinois. Native Americans used the trail for trade, settlers used it to head west, and the military used it for troop movement.
Mural
Finally, a block east of the square on Michigan Ave. is a huge mural on a brick wall with some comedic scenes and local humor. It’s fun to walk by.
