Michigan City: Zoo, Museums, and Observation Tower

Michigan City brings together several distinct reasons to stay: an observation tower on a dune above Lake Michigan, a zoo with animal encounters, two museums with their own stories, and the Mt. Baldy Beach Trail. You can include landscape, wildlife, culture, and outdoor activity as different focal points of your trip. If you’re traveling with family, these attractions offer a range of ways to explore together.

Experience the Landscape and Wildlife

The observation tower in Washington Park was built in the mid-1930s on a dune that rises nearly 200 feet above Lake Michigan. The tower was dedicated in 1937, giving visitors access to elevated views. The dune gives the site a connection to the landscape, while the tower itself has its own history. This viewpoint adds another aspect of Michigan City to its wildlife and museum experiences.

Washington Park Zoo began as a wildlife rescue center and continues to take in wild animals in need of care. The zoo also offers close-up animal encounters and zoo camps. Its origins and continued care for wild animals add a distinctive perspective alongside the animal encounters themselves. If you’re traveling with children, both the encounters and the zoo camps may factor into your choice of activities to enjoy together.

Museums with Different Stories

The Old Lighthouse Museum has seven exhibit rooms and a gift shop spread across two floors connected by stairs. The number of rooms and their arrangement over two floors give the museum a clearly defined layout. The stairs connect the floors as you explore. This makes the museum a cultural stop in its own right among Michigan City’s experiences.

Barker Mansion was built in 1905 as a 38-room residence and was later converted into a museum. Its original use as a home sets its history apart from that of the Old Lighthouse Museum. Barker Mansion offers visitors affordable general admission and tours. If you’re interested in the history of a home, this offers a different perspective from a museum centered on its exhibition rooms. You can take information about tours and general admission into account when planning your visit.

A Trail as Another Part of Your Trip

The Mt. Baldy Beach Trail is 0.75 miles long and has 75 feet of elevation gain. Both the trail’s distance and its elevation gain are specified. It adds a route to the museum and wildlife experiences that you can consider as a separate activity. If you’d like to include a trail alongside buildings and animal encounters during your stay in Michigan City, you can add it to your plans as another focal point.

For another place to visit, you can also check out La Porte.

Return to the main travel overview: Laporte.