Embark on an excursion throughout the 2,182 acres of Indiana Dunes State Park, exploring towering lakefront sand dunes, many of which reach heights of 200 feet. During the summer, some beaches permit swimming and have on-duty lifeguards. You can also travel throughout the park’s marshland, swamps and forests via the more than 16 miles of hiking trails.
The 256-acre Imagination Glen Park, a deeply wooded region outfitted with a small running creek, is a recreational dream for active travelers. Based in Portage, just 15 minutes southwest of the dunes, the park’s BMX race track and 10-mile mountain bike trail hold strong appeal for avid adventurers. You can also take advantage of the softball and soccer complex.
Celebrate the people and events of the region with a trip to Porter County Museum of History in Valparaiso, 30 minutes south of the state park. Housed inside an old county jail, the two-story museum has exhibits showcasing items like Native American tools found in the area, fossils from prehistoric animals like saber-toothed cats and giant sloths and artifacts pertaining to Civil War, World War I and World War II veterans from Porter County. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.
Perched along the shores of Lake Michigan, Old Lighthouse Museum in Michigan City is home to the oldest remaining lighthouse in Indiana. Twenty minutes east of Indiana Dunes State Park, the 1858 lighthouse is open to the public for tours from April through October. Whether you choose a self-guided, audio or docent-led tour, you can climb the stairs into the lighthouse lantern room and examine the museum’s maritime history exhibits.
Cool off during the muggy Indiana summers at Deep River Waterpark in Crown Point, 30 minutes southwest of the dunes. Open Memorial Day to Labor Day weekend, the outdoor waterpark has a host of attractions, such as a towering body slide with speeds of up to 35 mph, five-story enclosed tube slides, a 500,000-gallon wave pool and two lazy rivers, including one outfitted with waterfalls, geysers and water jets.
The splish-splashing continues at Seven Peaks Waterpark Duneland in Porter, home to 15 waterslides, including four-story racing slides and a flume that sends riders plummeting seven stories in 4.5 seconds. Children will enjoy the park’s two play areas, like the Tadpole Pond wading pool with its three kiddy slides, mushroom fountains and waterfalls. Open from early June through Labor Day, the waterpark is just five minutes south of the state park.
The arts come alive at Memorial Opera House, Valparaiso’s community theater that stages plays, Broadway musicals and cabaret shows throughout the year. The theater hosts summer camp for kids and theatrical classes and workshops as well. Built in 1893 in remembrance of Civil War veterans lost in battle, the 364-seat theater is inside a red brick Victorian building with stained glass windows.
If you prefer to watch performers on the big screen while in the great outdoors, then head to the 49er Drive-In Theatre, also in Valparaiso. Operational since the 1950s, it’s one of the last drive-in theaters in northeast Indiana. Typically open between Easter and October, all showings are new releases and two-for-the-price-of-one double feature selections. For added comfort, the theater provides window wipes and mosquito repellant.
