Musings • October 2026

Don’t Miss Three Great Guided Tours This October

If you’ve read our most recent issue of Muse News, you’ve seen that the remainder of the year is jam-packed with enriching programming. We kick it off with three great guided tours during the month of October:

On Saturday, October 10, at 11am, join Aimee Tomasek (pictured above) for a guided tour of our two exhibits about the Porter County Fair, including her own photography series—I won a blue ribbon at the county fair—with over 350 prints from over a decade of photographing 4-H’ers at the fair.
Take a walk with Executive Director Kevin Pazour on Saturday, October 17, at 2pm, to learn about a few of the buildings along the courthouse square and hear seasonal stories about local legends and lore.
Finally, on Saturday, October 31, at 3pm, join Kevin and Steve Mockler for a guided tour of Old City Cemetery, Valparaiso’s oldest public burial ground.

View the latest issue of Muse News

P. S.—Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 7, for the public opening of our newest featured exhibit, Not For Glory: Porter County and the Civil War. We will be closed for the major exhibit changeover between October 20 and November 6.

WHAT TO DO

Guided Tour with Aimee Tomasek

Saturday, October 10, 11am

PoCo Muse, 20 Indiana Avenue, Valparaiso, IN

No RSVP Required

Courthouse Square Walking Tour

Saturday, October 17, 2pm

PoCo Muse, 20 Indiana Avenue, Valparaiso, IN

No RSVP Required, but check in at our front desk before the tour.

Old City Cemetery Tour

Saturday, October 31, 3pm

Union Street Cemetery, 400 Union Street, Valparaiso, INM

Saturday Hours at Hebron’s Stagecoach Inn and Panhandle Depot

Saturdays from 10am to 2pm

Stagecoach Inn and Panhandle Depot, 127 North Main Street, Hebron, IN

Free and open to the public

WHAT TO SEE

Our Heart of Hearts: The Porter County Fair

Through October 18, 2026

The annual Porter County Fair is the oldest and largest event we have here; it’s so familiar that it is sometimes taken for granted. Since the first fair in 1851, the institution has weathered its fair share of storms to cultivate an environment where families can come and grow together. Its long-standing traditions have been hard-won and dearly-held, carefully passed down from generation to generation.

This exhibit reveals a remarkable story that spans 175 years. It is told largely through the snapshots and oral histories of some of the fair’s most dedicated caretakers.

Eunice Slagle & Montague/Urschel Galleries

I won a blue ribbon at the county fair: 4-H Portraits by Aimee Tomasek

Through October 18, 2026

For over ten years, local photographer Aimee Tomasek has been taking portraits of “4-H’ers” at the Porter County Fair. Tomasek is an art professor at Valparaiso University, director on the Fair Board, and a former ten-year 4-H member.

Robert Cain Gallery

Not For Glory: Porter County and the Civil War

Opens November 7

This exhibit spotlights many of our county’s most heroic men and women, highlighting their notable contributions on the national stage. The exhibit also brings to light the deeply personal motivations, local loyalties, and family relationships of these unsung heroes that played out offstage.

Eunice Slagle & Montague/Urschel Galleries

Lowenstine WWII Roll of Honor

The Lowenstine WWII Roll of Honor was displayed on the courthouse square from 1943 until 1973 in commemoration of the Valparaiso citizens who contributed to the war effort during World War II. It was installed in the PoCo Muse in December 2022.

MORE TO EXPLORE

Muse News: October through December 2026

Stay up-to-date with all that’s happening at the PoCo Muse by checking out our most recent newsletter, Muse News.

PoCo Muse Magazine: Issue No. 12

The digital version of PoCo Muse Magazine is free to read for everyone. This issue features topics from our exhibit, "Our Heart of Hearts: The Porter County Fair.”

Looking Back: October 1926

Each day on social media, the PoCo Muse looks back by featuring century-old historical excerpts selected from the Evening Messenger and Valparaiso Daily Vidette newspapers.

At the Intersection of Art & History

The 25-minute video slideshow called "At the Intersection of Art & History" presents highlights from our permanent art collection and spotlights a few common themes found in the artworks.

Aimee Tomasek at the opening of her photography exhibit, I won a blue ribbon at the county fair, Albert Photographic, 2026; Executive Director Kevin Matthew Pazour leading the courthouse square tour, 2024; Executive Director Kevin Matthew Pazour and Steve Mockler at a guided tour of Old City Cemetery; Kate Wiltfang inside the Citizens Bank teller booth, 2026; Trent Albert’s photograph from the Porter County Fair, circa 1994; 4-H photography provided by Aimee Tomasek; “Scouting Party of the Ninth Indiana Volunteers, or as they were called, the ‘Tigers of the Bloody Ninth,’” courtesy of Ian Baker; two unidentified men sitting on the courthouse square with a view of the Lowenstine WWII Roll of Honor in the background, circa 1968, courtesy of Michael Smith.