On any given day, Chesterton, snugged against Lake Michigan’s majestic South Shore, ringed by rolling dunes and deep forests, will welcome you home.
It’s an easy trip to make from Chicago or Southwest Michigan, with a rich variety of activities and destinations to keep your whole family occupied for the day or a whole weekend.
Begin in Downtown Chesterton, genially red-bricked, settled, comfortable in its own skin. Once upon a time it was a railroad town, an industrial center where organs, china, and women’s apparel were manufactured, an agricultural hub for the farmers who grew wheat and corn and raised cattle and hogs. Those days are mostly gone but the ghosts remain in a town proudly haunted by its history.
You’ll find an abundance of parking along Broadway. Look for a spot near Thomas Centennial Park with its ancient oaks and maples and iconic bandstand, for a century and a half this community’s gathering place in times of celebration and sorrow.
Now stroll the Downtown, where the storefronts are inviting and the shopping eclectic: Vintage vinyl, used and antiquarian books and curios, toys, vintage candy, exquisite jewelry, art, pottery, womenswear and accessories, specialty plants and terrariums, Amish furniture, yarns and weaving goods, boutique homewares, antiques.
By this time you’re probably famished. Maybe thirsty too. Choose from classic diner fare, the region’s coziest coffee house, artisanal breads and pastries, Polish, Italian, Mexican, gastro, grass-fed beef. Choose too from a couple of local breweries, a distillery, a winery, and several very fine craft beer establishments.
On a budget? Then keep your wallet in your pocket and put the Westchester Township History Museum on your itinerary; no charge to tour its exhibits. Or visit the Chesterton Art Center, an institution for more than 50 years. Explore the boardwalks of Coffee Creek Park, an absolute gem hidden in the very heart of downtown. Or bring your binoculars to the Westchester Migratory Bird Sanctuary, a wetland brought to vibrant life again after serving for many years as the municipal dump. Train buffs take note: The Norfolk Southern and CSX lines run from one end of the town to the other and five different grade-crossings offer excellent opportunities for spotting and photography.
Finally, prepare to venture into adventure. There’s a reason why Henry Cowles invented the science of ecology here in Porter County. Indiana Dunes National Park and Indiana Dunes State Park—a 10-minute drive from Downtown Chesterton—each boast miles of hiking trails traversing a wide range of ecosystems and habitats: dune and swale, wetland, prairie, bog, and woodland. To see how this area’s settlers carved a new life for themselves in the Dunes, explore the historic Chellberg Farm and Bailly Homestead and Cemetery at the National Park. Try your hand at one of the area’s popular pastimes: hiking, exploring, geocaching or cross- country skiing. And be sure to stop at the State Park’s Nature Center or the Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center, both of them are hosts to family-friendly programming all year round.
Come experience all we have to offer, Chesterton is waiting for you.
PLAN A WEEKEND TO ENJOY SMALL TOWN AMBIENCE! FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO CHESTERTONIN.ORG
