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Crown Point is one of the best cities to visit in Northwest Indiana. It features an attractive town square surrounded by several great restaurants and shops. It was also the scene of a legendary jailbreak  by one of the most notorious gangsters in American history.

 

Crown Point Courthouse Square

Crown Point Courthouse Square is the heart of the city. Around the square are several historic buildings, many that have been restored. They host several great restaurants, cafés, and shops. One of the more noticeable buildings is the Crown Theatre. The square has also featured public art exhibitions.

Crown Point Courthouse Square in Crown Point, Indiana
Crown Point Courthouse Square
Crown Theatre on the square in Crown Point, Indiana
Crown Theatre


 

Seward Johnson Exhibit (2016)

From April to November 2016, Courthouse Square featured 12 lifelike bronze sculptures by artist Seward Johnson. They were installed for the Art in Point public art project and really brought Crown Point alive.

Sharing the Headlines (1991) from the Seward Johnson exhibit
Sharing the Headlines (1991)

In the center around the courthouse were statues depicting people on benches, a woman walking a dog, and a hot dog vendor, among others. They were from the Celebrating the Familiar series, which pays homage to everyday life. Statues placed in front of the businesses lining the square depicted a police officer and a mariachi band. They definitely livened up the area.

Captured (2013) from the Seward Johnson exhibit
Captured (2013)
Relish, Too? (2013) from the Seward Johnson exhibit
Relish, Too? (2013)
Time's Up (1983) from the Seward Johnson exhibit on the square
Time’s Up (1983)
Los Mariachis (1994) from the Seward Johnson exhibit
Los Mariachis (1994)

Statues from the Icons Revisited series included a small version of Forever Marilyn, portraying Marilyn Monroe in a famous scene from the 1955 movie The Seven Year Itch. In the movie, Monroe stood above a subway grate wearing a white dress that blew upwards as a train passed underneath.

Forever Marilyn (2012) from the Seward Johnson exhibit
Forever Marilyn (2012)

Also on display was God Bless America, depicting the two farmers from American Gothic by Grant Wood. Their stern expression and pitchfork are included, and a suitcase with stickers from around the world sat at their feet.

God Bless America (2009) from the Seward Johnson exhibit on the square in Crown Point, Indiana
God Bless America (2009)

 

Lake County Courthouse

The old Lake County Courthouse is a beautiful red and white building that stands proudly in the center of the square. It was built in 1878 and was known as the “Grand Old Lady”.

Lake County Courthouse in Crown Point, Indiana
Lake County Courthouse
Lake County Courthouse in Crown Point, Indiana
Lake County Courthouse

The courthouse was the location of some interesting historic events and a few celebrity weddings. Crown Point had no waiting period for marriage licenses so it became known as a “Marriage Mill”. Stars such as boxer Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali), silent film actor Rudolph Valentino, Jackson family patriarch Joseph Jackson, and early western film actor Tom Mix were all married at the courthouse.

Lake County Courthouse in Crown Point, Indiana
Lake County Courthouse

Historic events include a speech by populist William Jennings Bryan. He addressed a crowd from the steps of the building in 1896 as he was campaigning for president. The 1909 Cobe Trophy Race, a precursor to the Indianapolis 500, took place at the courthouse and was won by Louis Chevrolet, a co-founder of the Chevrolet Motor Car Company.

Lake County Courthouse in Crown Point, Indiana
Lake County Courthouse

Today, the courthouse features a handful of shops in the basement and contains the Lake County Historical Museum, which is open Thursday to Saturday from 1pm to 4pm, May through October. Admission is a suggested donation of US$1 (as of May 2024). The John Dillinger Museum was also located in the building but it closed in August 2017.

Basement of the Lake County Courthouse
Basement
Shops in the basement of the Lake County Courthouse
Shops in the basement


 

Lake County Criminal Court

Just a block south of the square is the criminal court where John Dillinger appeared in front of a judge.

Lake County Criminal Court in Crown Point, Indiana
Lake County Criminal Court
Dillinger at his court appearance at the John Dillinger Museum in Crown Point, Indiana
Dillinger at his court appearance

 

Old Sheriff’s House and Jail

Next door is the Old Sheriff’s House and Jail from where Dillinger escaped in 1934. It was built between 1882 and 1928 and used as a jail until 1974. Public Enemies, a movie starring Johnny Depp as Dillinger, filmed scenes at the jail and was released in 2009 (Side note: Depp visited my dad’s restaurant twice for dinner during his time in Crown Point!). The Old Sheriff’s House and Jail is currently closed to the public until further notice (as of May 2024).

Lake County Sheriff's House and Jail in Crown Point, Indiana
Lake County Sheriff’s House and Jail

 

Carnegie Library

Across the street is a Carnegie library built in 1908. It was established with a US$12,000 grant on February 28, 1906, and ceased being a library in 1974. Industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie donated 2,509 libraries worldwide between 1883 and 1919. The state of Indiana received the most Carnegie library grants.

Carnegie Library in Crown Point, Indiana
Carnegie Library


 

John Dillinger Museum (Permanently Closed)

The John Dillinger Museum tells the story of the notorious gangster’s famous escape from the Lake County Jail in 1934. There, you can learn about the gangster’s life from birth to death and all about the infamous jailbreak that angered FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and led to a nationwide manhunt. (Note: The museum closed its doors on August 31, 2017.)

The museum is located on the bottom floor of the old Lake County Courthouse. It does a fantastic job telling a story that transcends the imagination. I visited with two of my cousins who live in Crown Point. It took us about 45 minutes to go through it and we didn’t read every panel.

 

The Jailbreak

On March 3, 1934, John Dillinger (1903-1934) escaped from the Lake County Jail in Crown Point using a wooden gun he had carved with a razor in his cell. Dillinger was being held at the jail for the murder of a police officer during a bank robbery on January 15, 1934, in East Chicago, Indiana.

Dillinger had been transported to Indiana from Tucson, Arizona, to stand trial for the crimes. After landing in Chicago, he was escorted by 36 Chicago police officers and 36 Indiana police officers in a 13 car convoy to the “escape-proof” Lake County Jail, which had prepared for his arrival on January 30 by posting extra guards. The smooth-talking gangster charmed the press, deputies, and the prosecutor, posed for photo ops, and put Crown Point in the national spotlight.

Dillinger posing with the prosecutor and sheriff at the John Dillinger Museum in Crown Point, Indiana
Dillinger posing with the prosecutor and sheriff

On the day of his escape, Dillinger was alone in the exercise room. He used a hand-carved wooden gun painted with black shoe polish to force a trustee, deputy sheriff, and several guards into a cell. Another prisoner, Herbert Youngblood, used a plunger handle to aid Dillinger. In all, about 25 guards were rounded up by the pair. They then swiped real guns from the armory, took the warden hostage, and walked across the street to the city garage. Dillinger asked the mechanic to give him the fastest car, which just happened to be the sheriff’s brand new Ford V8!

 

Museum Exhibits

The first part of the museum details the life of Dillinger, delving into events that may have shaped his psychological state. His love for baseball is well-documented and his childhood pair of cleats are on display. It then covers his entry into a life of crime and rise to Public Enemy No. 1 as a bank robber.

John Dillinger's childhood baseball cleats at the John Dillinger Museum in Crown Point, Indiana
John Dillinger’s childhood baseball cleats
Bank robbers at the John Dillinger Museum in Crown Point, Indiana
Bank robbers

Next, the daring escape from the Lake County Jail is explained in detail. The wooden gun he used during the event is behind a glass case. Several photos leading up to the escape are on the walls.

The wooden gun at the John Dillinger Museum in Crown Point, Indiana
The wooden gun

After covering Dillinger’s life on the run, the museum has displays on his death in Chicago after watching a film at the Biograph Theater. A street scene and morgue scene using wax figures are used to detail the events surrounding his death.

John Dillinger's death scene at the John Dillinger Museum in Crown Point, Indiana
John Dillinger’s death scene
John Dillinger's morgue scene at the John Dillinger Museum in Crown Point, Indiana
John Dillinger’s morgue scene

On the walls are Dillinger’s death mask, the pants and money found in his pocket at the time of his death, the basket that carried his body to Indiana for his funeral, and his original tombstone from the Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis.

Dillinger's death mask at the John Dillinger Museum in Crown Point, Indiana
Dillinger’s death mask
The pants Dillinger was wearing when he was killed and the change found in his pockets at the John Dillinger Museum in Crown Point, Indiana
The pants Dillinger was wearing when he was killed and the change found in his pockets
The basket that carried Dillinger's body to Indiana at the John Dillinger Museum in Crown Point, Indiana
The basket that carried Dillinger’s body to Indiana
Dillinger's original tombstone at the John Dillinger Museum in Crown Point, Indiana
Dillinger’s original tombstone


 

Where to Eat in Crown Point

Crown Point has a handful of great dining options. Most of the places are located around Courthouse Square. I’ve only visited a few of them because I always end up going to the same places when I’m in the area.

 

Provecho Latin Provisions

Provecho Latin Provisions is a Spanish and Latin restaurant on the square. It could fit comfortably into the culinary scene of any major city. It’s well worth working up an appetite for their incredible tapas dishes and larger main courses. The cocktails are also excellent. I know I’ll always have a great meal there and I’ll definitely be back whenever I’m in town. Provecho is open daily except Mondays.

Provecho Latin Provisions
Provecho Latin Provisions
Dining room at Provecho Latin Provisions
Dining room
Cocktail at Provecho Latin Provisions in Crown Point, Indiana
Cocktail

 

Tapas at Provecho

All of my visits to Provecho have been with a large group and I’ve been fortunate enough to try several of the tapas dishes. We always get an order of guacamole and usually one each of the four empanadas on the menu. The  octopus is also a favorite. Each empanada is delicious and the octopus is always cooked perfectly. The wild Argentinian red shrimp tacos al pastor and tamales are both excellent as well.

Empanadas at Provecho Latin Provisions in Crown Point, Indiana
Empanadas
Octopus at Provecho Latin Provisions in Crown Point, Indiana
Octopus
Wild Argentinian red shrimp tacos al pastor at Provecho Latin Provisions
Wild Argentinian red shrimp tacos al pastor
Tamales at Provecho Latin Provisions
Tamales

The ceviche, fried avocados, and carnitas have also been big hits. Unfortunately, every time I visit we don’t have enough room to try more of the menu. At least we have a good reason to go back!

Ceviche at Provecho Latin Provisions
Ceviche
Fried avocados at Provecho Latin Provisions
Fried avocados
Carnitas at Provecho Latin Provisions
Carnitas

 

Dessert at Provecho

For dessert, on one visit we split a sweet plantain split along with a rice pudding. The sweet plantain split was to die for, featuring caramelized sweet plantains, white chocolate banana ice cream, and peanut crumble.

Sweet plantain split at Provecho Latin Provisions
Sweet plantain split
Rice pudding at Provecho Latin Provisions
Rice pudding


 

Ramen District

Ramen District opened in late 2021. It’s located in the basement of the Lake County Courthouse and includes a variety of Japanese-inspired noodles, rice dishes, and cocktails. It’s open Wednesday through Sunday and is run by the owners of Provecho.

Ramen District in Crown Point, Indiana
Ramen District
Ramen District
Ramen District

We visited Ramen District for lunch on one of the coldest days in January. We started with the pickle plate, which included pickled carrots, beets, and peppers, and the smoked chicken wings.

Pickle plate at Ramen District
Pickle plate
Smoked chicken wings at Ramen District
Smoked chicken wings

For our main course, I had the smoked chicken shoyu ramen while Marisol had the tonkotsu ramen. The smoked chicken shoyu ramen included broccolini, mushroom, shoyu egg, chorizo oil, cilantro, and mung bean. The tonkotsu ramen had pork belly chasu, oyster mushroom, arugula, shoyu egg, and mayu. Both were incredibly delicious and more than we could handle, so make sure you go with a huge appetite!

Smoked chicken shoyu ramen at Ramen District in Crown Point, Indiana
Smoked chicken shoyu ramen
Tonkotsu ramen at Ramen District in Crown Point, Indiana
Tonkotsu ramen

 

Smalltown Coffee

If you’re looking to get your coffee fix, look no further than Smalltown Coffee. Located a short drive from the square, it’s open daily except Mondays. Smalltown Coffee has some of the best coffee I’ve had outside Colombia, knowledgable baristas, and a good variety of beans to choose from. In fact, I would say it’s the best cup of coffee I’ve had in the US.

Smalltown Coffee in Crown Point, Indiana
Smalltown Coffee

 

Chemshaw 13 DonutZ & Comics (Permanently Closed)

If you have a sweet tooth and love comic books, a great place to visit on the southeast corner of the square is Chemshaw 13 DonutZ & Comics. As the name suggests, it’s a combination donut shop and comic book store. The donuts are out of this world. (Note: the shop closed in 2021 after the owner, Jason Sullivan, suddenly passed away.)

Chemshaw 13 DonutZ & Comics on the square in Crown Point, Indiana
Chemshaw 13 DonutZ & Comics
Chemshaw 13 DonutZ & Comics on the square in Crown Point, Indiana
Chemshaw 13 DonutZ & Comics

 

Map of Crown Point

Author

Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

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