Gary

Last updated on February 5, 2025.

Gary, Indiana, is a city on the south shore of Lake Michigan. It’s now better known for its high crime rate rather than its past as an important steel producing city.

Introduction to Gary

It’s obvious Gary has seen better days. One of the best (or worst) examples of urban blight in America, this once beautiful but tough city is, sadly, better known for its high crime rate than its past. Both of my parents were born and grew up in Gary, and both moved out in the late 1970s. Every time we drive through together, it evokes wonderful memories along with sadness to see what their hometown has become.

Gary was founded on July 14, 1906, by U.S. Steel as the home of its Gary Works plant, which was the world’s largest steel mill for many years. It’s named for Elbert H. Gary (1846-1927), a founding chairman of U.S. Steel. The city grew quickly, with the population exceeding 100,000 by 1930.

In the 1970s, a combination of a decrease in jobs and rising crime led to people leaving the city in droves. The exodus continues today. The city had a peak population of almost 180,000 in 1960. It has since dropped to a just under 70,000 as of the 2020 census, and it’s estimated that over ⅓ of the homes in the city are abandoned.

The main reason I’ve written this post is to show you a few highlights leftover from the past. There are several historic buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, but the majority have been heavily damaged, destroyed, or vandalized. For now, I’ll include only a fraction of the notable places, but I do plan to go back and capture more when I have a chance.

Recommendations for Visiting

While there are popular destinations such as Miller Beach and the Hard Rock Casino, most people only see downtown Gary and other neighborhoods from the highway. There’s definitely nothing for tourists and I don’t recommend casually exploring the city, especially if you don’t know where you’re going.

That being said, there are some wonderful and enthusiastic people living there who are more than happy to share their city with you. I’ve been downtown several times for work, especially to City Hall, and have never had a bad experience.

Finally, as long as you’re not looking for trouble or cruising around at 2am, you’ll be fine. Use good judgement. Also, stay out of abandoned buildings because you never know who’s inside.

Getting to Gary

The South Shore Line, which runs between Chicago and South Bend, has a stop at Gary Metro Center near the Genesis Center and City Hall. You’d be able to see the downtown from there. For other sites, you’ll need a car.

Downtown Gary

The heart of downtown developed as part of the Gateway Improvement Plan, which was originally designed by architect George W. Maher (1864-1926) in 1924. Unfortunately, Maher committed suicide in 1926 and his son Philip (1894-1981) took over the project, eventually altering the design. The plan included Gateway Park, City Hall, and the Lake County Superior Courthouse. It’s split by the northern end of Broadway until the entrance to the U.S. Steel plant.

Today, Gateway Park contains the Gary Land Company Building, which is the city’s oldest building and first town hall. The Genesis Convention Center, a 7,000-seat multi-purpose arena, opened in 1981 and is now abandoned.

Gary City Hall

On the east side of Broadway is City Hall, which was originally designed by George Maher in the Prairie style. After his death, Philip Maher modified the existing design into a Neoclassical style, 4-story building with a Doric colonnade and gold dome. It was completed in 1928.

Elbert Gary Statue

At the northwest corner of City Hall is a statue of Elbert H. Gary, a founder of U.S. Steel and the city’s namesake. It was sculpted by Bryant Baker (1881-1970) and erected in 1927.

Lake County Superior Courthouse

On the west side of Broadway is the Lake County Superior Courthouse, which was designed by J.T. Hutton & Sons and completed in 1929. The courthouse is still in use today, and like City Hall, features a gold dome and Doric columns.

U.S. Steel Yard

On the east side of downtown is the U.S. Steel Yard, home of the Gary SouthShore RailCats, a professional baseball team in the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. The ballpark opened in August 2002 and the team has had some success.

Broadway in Gary

Heading south on Broadway is a depressing sight. Several beautiful historic brick buildings are mixed in with crumbling abandoned ones, creating a surreal scene of urban decay.

Genesis Towers

One of the most prominent landmarks on Broadway is Genesis Towers. It was designed by Charles Wheeler Nicol (1888-1959) and completed in 1926 as Hotel Gary. The hotel promised “a night’s sleep away from the dirt and grime of Chicago”. It closed in 1971 and was later converted to senior housing. The plans originally included a middle tower that was never built.

Palace Theater

Further south, another notable buildings is the Palace Theater, which was one of the finest entertainment venues in the city. It was designed by John Eberson (1875-1954) and built by Maximillian Dubois’ construction company, Max and Sons. The 2,500-seat theater opened in November 1925 featuring live stage shows, vaudeville acts, and motion pictures. It has been abandoned since 1972.

Ingwald Moe House

At the northeast corner of 7th and Van Buren is the Ingwald Moe House, which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959). It was built in 1909 for contractor Ingwald Moe (1871-1939) and still serves as a private residence. The house is an exact duplicate of the Charles A. Brown House built in 1905 in Evanston, Illinois.

Edison Concept Homes

Not too far away on Polk Street between 4th and 5th Avenues are some historic Edison Concept Homes. The homes were designed by inventor Thomas Edison (1847-1931) to be built quickly and easily from a single pour of concrete. Although Edison wasn’t personally involved with the homes in Gary, 96 of the concrete structures were built as the city was rapidly growing between 1910 and 1914. Up to 72 remain in various locations and conditions.

Former Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church

On 13th between Jackson and Madison is the former Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, which has since moved south to Merrillville. The church was originally built between 1912 and 1917 and now serves as the Koinonoia Missionary Baptist Church.

Michael Jackson’s Birthplace

Finally, at 2300 Jackson Street, you’ll find the birthplace and boyhood home of Michael Jackson (1958-2009). He was born in the house along with other members of the Jackson 5.

A monument to Michael has been erected outside, and it’s not uncommon for fans to come and leave flowers or messages at the gate. The home is a private residence, so if visiting, please don’t disturb the owners.

Miller Beach, Gary

Gary’s Miller Beach area is a different world compared to the rest of the city. It’s also the only area of Gary with a lakefront entirely open to the public and not occupied by industrial plants.

Much of the neighborhood is protected land. It encompasses the Miller Woods section of Indiana Dunes National Park. A trail through a delicate oak savanna leads to the popular beach on the south shore of Lake Michigan.

If you don’t have a car, you can use the South Shore Line that runs between Chicago and South Bend and stop at Miller.

History of Miller

The area that would become Miller was originally settled by the Miami people followed by the Potawatomi in the 17th century. The Potawatomi were completely driven out of the area by 1836, although some remained in the area as landowners. French-Canadian fur trader Joseph Bailly (1774-1835), who established a trading post and homestead near present-day Porter in 1822, platted the “Town of Bailly” in 1833 where Marquette Park is now located. “Indiana City” was platted in 1837. Nothing came of either plan.

In 1837, the area that’s now downtown Miller was purchased by traders William (1801-1854) and George Ewing (1803-1866) and George Walker. They called it Ewing’s Subdivision, but a town wasn’t established until 1851 when the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway came through. The town was renamed Miller’s Station, according to local tradition, after innkeeper and railroad engineer John Miller. The name eventually changed to Miller’s Junction followed by Miller’s, then ultimately Miller. By 1865, a post office was built, and by the 1870s the first schoolhouse.

Thanks to its pristine natural setting and proximity to Chicago, Miller became a popular beach destination in the early 20th century. The dunes were even used as a filming location by the Chicago film industry. It featured as the backdrop for silent films The Fall of Montezuma (1912) and The Plum Tree (1914).

Rumblings of annexation by newly-founded Gary prompted the residents of Miller to think about incorporating as a town in 1907. The first attempt in 1910 failed, but in 1918 the town board voted to accept annexation.

Miller After Annexation

Miller grew as a tourist destination in the 1920s and saw an influx of wealthy residents in the late 1940s. It was also, however, a segregated community, with African-Americans banned from the beaches and purchasing property. The first African-American family couldn’t purchased a house in Miller until 1964.

Miller experienced growth in the 1970s and 1990s, with In 1976, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (now Indiana Dunes National Park), expanded to include the Miller Woods and Long Lake areas.

Today, Miller continues to be the most affluent neighborhood in Gary. It relies on an active community group promoting environmental preservation, the arts, strict zoning ordinances, and a sustainable local economy. The neighborhood remains culturally and economically separated from other parts of Gary, and is ethnically, racially, and religiously diverse.

Downtown Miller

Miller’s small downtown along Lake Street contains boutiques including the Lake Street Gallery. The Miller Bakery Cafe (permanently closed), one of the favorite restaurants in Northwest Indiana, also operated there for several years.

Marquette Park

At the north end of Grand Boulevard is historic Marquette Park, which hosts a popular beach and trails. It features dunes and swamps that once served as a shelter for runaway slaves on the Underground Railroad. On a clear day you can see the Chicago skyline.

In 1874, the land that makes up the park became the homestead of Robert (1842-1903) and Drusilla Carr (1856-1930). U.S. Steel illegally seized the land in 1919 and donated it to the City of Gary for use as a park. The city invested great sums of money in the 1920s landscaping what was then called Lake Front Park

The entrance to the park greets you with a statue of the park’s namesake, Father Jacques Marquette (1637-1675), a French explorer and Jesuit missionary. He camped at the site in 1675 after falling ill on his way back to St. Ignace (now in Michigan).

Gary Bathing Beach Aquatorium

The historic Gary Bathing Beach Aquatorium opened on June 18, 1922, as the Bathing Pavilion and remained in use as a shower and changing facility until 1971. It was designed by Prairie School architect by George W. Maher (1864-1926). The building was rescued from demolition in 1991 and renovated shortly after.

The Aquatorium also serves as a small aviation museum. Just 600 feet west of the building, on June 22, 1896, Octave Chanute (1832-1910) performed a series of experiments with gliders that directly influenced the Wright Brothers in their flight at Kitty Hawk. Chanute also coined the word “aviation”. A statue of Chanute and replica glider stand on the west side of the building.

On the east side of the building is a monument to the Tuskegee Airmen along with a replica of a WWII fighter plane. A plaque commemorates their contribution to aviation and civil rights.

Marquette Park Pavilion

Marquette Park Pavilion was also designed by Maher. It was built by Maximillian Dubois’ construction company, Max and Sons, and opened in 1924. It sits on the south side of the lagoon in the Grand Calumet River and features bridges nearby. The pavilion was renovated in 1966, the mid-1990s, and again in 2008. It’s still a popular wedding and event venue.

Map of Gary