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The small town of Beverly Shores, Indiana, is surrounded on three sides by Indiana Dunes National Park and borders Lake Michigan to the north.
Introduction to Beverly Shores
Beverly Shores began as a planned resort community shortly after 1900. In 1927, real estate developer Frederick Bartlett of Chicago bought 3,600 acres and plotted thousands of homesites, but the Great Depression greatly hampered development.
Bartlett’s brother Robert purchased the development in 1933 and named it after his daughter Beverly. He built roads, a school, a golf course, and a hotel. In 1935, he purchased and relocated 16 structures from the 1933-34 Century of Progress World’s Fair. Beverly Shores was officially incorporated as a town in 1947.
In the 1970s, a movement to purchase the town and incorporate it into Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (now Indiana Dunes National Park) was unsuccessful. Many properties, however, including on the beachfront and wetlands, were acquired. Multi-million dollar homes sprung up near the beach in the 1990s and 2000s.
Today, the town attracts visitors from all over the region to its beaches and natural sites. It’s also a haven for artists and popular with cyclists and bird watchers. Many Chicagoans own second homes there.
Beverly Shores Depot
The town’s tiny railroad depot is one of nine original stations built along a train route in 1929 that reached into Milwaukee, and only one of two that still exist. The depot, which is built in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The depot also serves as the Beverly Shores Museum and Art Gallery, which opened in February 1999. It tells about the history of the community and the strong influence of Lithuanian immigrants. It also touches on the Century of Progress Homes. The museum is open Friday through Sunday, typically from April through October, and admission is free (as of February 2025).
Old North Church
Also in town is a replica of the Old North Church in Boston. It’s the last remaining structure of the 10 Colonial Village buildings from the 1933-34 Century of Progress World’s Fair. It was brought to town by Robert Bartlett in 1935 along with the Century of Progress Homes. It’s now a private home.
Indiana Dunes National Park
Finally, there are a handful sites in Beverly Shores administered by Indiana Dunes National Park. If you’re into hiking, check out the Dune Ridge Trail and Great Marsh Trail. For beaches, check out Kemil Beach and Lake View Beach. The five Century of Progress Homes sit along the beach as well. I’ve covered these in separate posts about the park.
