A free museum, you say? Why yes, I will pop in and see what's what! Porter County Museum is small,…read morebut it's free to visit, so there's nothing to complain about. Just walk in and see what they have on display. I literally just walked in off the street after shuffling around downtown Valpo. I didn't even know that this museum existed until I came upon it randomly. This is the area's oldest museum dedicated to the history and culture of Porter County, so you're seeing local art and history at its finest here. There are three different rooms in this museum that have interesting things to look at. Some of the exhibits have multimedia aspects to them, and some are just a collection of objects on display. I was in this museum for maybe 15 minutes and saw all of it that I needed to. But if you're one of those people who likes to read everything and talk to the people at the front desk, then you might be here a little longer. Either way, the Porter County Museum should be a stop during your visit to Valparaiso.

This was one of our many stops during our visit to Valparaiso. It is a very small museum, but has…read moreseveral interesting things to look at. The lady who was there was very helpful. She told me all about the fire that burned the courthouse. Her extra information helped me understand the photo exhibit more. They have a very lifelike taxidermy dog in one room. It's eyes are so real and follow you. It was the cherished pet of a little girl way back- I think the 20s. I think you should always stop in the local museum whenever you visit any new place. Even small towns like Valparaiso have a lot of history to share.

It doesn't get any more small town of a celebration than this! Historically started in 1938 and…read moregoing on strong annually during the first weekend in August. The Momence Gladiolus Festival (the gladiolus are locally grown here) is a 5 day celebration that brings out the locals and neighboring towns folks and city slickers like myself to join in on the fun. There's events such as the princess and queen coronations, the flea, craft, and antique market, a classic car show, parades (kiddie parade on Friday and the main parade on Saturday), carnival and live music. It's a very family friendly event for the present and generations to come. I'm proud that it's a part of my family and in-laws tradition. The parade features local businesses and area high school marching bands decorated in, if you guessed Gladiolus, then you were right on the money. Music is upbeat and there's rarely if ever a dull moment during the main parade. The flea market is a great time to walk the park and see the interesting wares the vendors are selling. The classic car show is fun to see for all ages as well. The carnival is such a nostalgic novelty that it never ceases to remind me of my own childhood days. If it's small town family fun, then you need to load up the family and head on down to the next Momence Gladiolus Festival if you haven't already done so.

Brauer Art Museum is a wonderful place for an hour or two visit. I used it as a place to introduce…read moremy grandchildren to professional artwork. It's also a nice place to take a visitor to the area. Employees are helpful, patient and kind.

This is a really really nice small university art museum. My friend and I went here to view a…read morespecific exhibit but we really enjoyed the entire museum. While we were taking a look around a lady from the museum (head curator maybe?) came and talked with us about the current exhibit and the woman artist. She was very knowledgeable and provided us with many interesting facts. It was lovely that she took time out of her day and voluntarily did this. The museum is free of charge but they have contribution bucket near the front doors; they deserve a generous donation.

Frankfort Bluegrass on the green is a wonderfully laid back festival in a beautiful little space…read more Plus its free! You can't get 2 full days of free great music like that anywhere else nearby! Its great for families and bluegrass fans of all ages. Food and craft vendors are there selling things like gems and paintings. Outside alcohol is not permitted, there are a few beer gardens for your thirst quenching needs and Blue Island Brewery served up some suds this year! Yipee! Hint: Bring a chair or picnic blanket otherwise you will be standing in the back or sitting in the grass.

If you are a follower of the Consensus Blue Grass Band, you are in luck. They play here every year…read moreand they do have a following. We first heard them at Chicago fest many years ago in the Crystal Garden on Navy Pier. The great Bill Monroe was at Navy Pier also. There are restaurants in the area, parking may be hard to find. Many vintage stores to shop at. Food is available on the site of the fest. Mark your calendar for a great time. There are other folk and country bands that play here as well.

This was my family's first visit to Harvest Tyme and we came during the unicorn festival on a…read moreSaturday in September. The weather was gorgeous and perfect. We arrived around 2pm and it wasn't too busy. Parking was free. The admission price was $30 for adults. Kids 2 and under are free, discount if you purchase online. We thought it was a good value as my son could ride the rides unlimited. He loved the slide and unicorn rides. He was too small for most of them unfortunately. There was a wizard of Oz show and he loved that as well. The food was better than expected. When we left around 4pm there wasn't a wait for any of the rides or picture spots. We will be coming here regularly.

We've been to this pumpkin patch a couple of times, and this year was the best! They've made some…read moreimprovements and it really shows! I flew out from California to visit family, so I don't know if this is the first year they charged a flat entrance fee or not, but what a great idea. $24.95 and free rides with no tickets. So smart. Plenty of food and drink trucks with lots of variety. Lots of porta potties. A petting zoo with cups of food you can buy. A free hayride. A little gift shop. Something for everyone! Super inexpensive fun for the whole family!

What an incredibly fun and well thought out haunted house! We went on a Saturday night and got…read morethere right when it opened. We waited about a half an hour to get in which was not bad at all in my opinion. The longer wait promotes really good spacing and a well paced out experience inside so it's worth it! And the scare actors outside help immerse you in the experience early. For 15 dollars per person, this is so well worth it compared to other larger scale haunted houses in the area. The setting itself is so cool and you can tell they put a lot of work into it. We went in in groups of 8 which was a nice amount in my opinion. I don't scare easily so nothing really got me but that is not at all for lack of trying! There are multiple actors around every corner, cool lighting and interactive effects, and very awesome props for the actors. Caution there are a lot of strobe and flashing light elements if that's an issue for anyone. A lot of others in our group were scared throughout so I would say put yourself in the middle if you want the best experience! We will definitely come back next year and I am so happy that we have something like this in crown point for the season!

I took my softball team to this while we were in the area. We had girls who have never been to a…read morehaunted house. They made the experience one we will never forget. The best part is that it's in an old jail. Something old and new combined.

Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park is a great hidden gem on Governors State University's campus…read more I can't even remember how I found out about it, but I was probably looking for outdoor activities that I wasn't already sick of. Either way, I'm glad I made my way here. We still haven't covered the full grounds because of the size, but we'll come back when we have more time to fully explore all of the sculptures and nature areas. The layout can be a little tricky, but if you're up for an afternoon of wandering, it's perfect. We even did our 2020 holiday card photo here.

Beauty in our own backyard..... so much nature to take in and the art is amazing each piece is so…read moredifferent from the next one....sits on GOVERNOR State University while walking and exploring you will feel like your a million miles away

fun fun fun ,until you look around and find your self looking at nude women with a bunch and i mean…read morea bunch of sweaty truckers and soup kitchen regulars all cramped up eating hot dogs and popcorn yelling

Fun in the sun and nothing on. Can't go wrong. The yearly hoe down is the reason to go visit in…read moreJuly. Fun fun