April 2025 Update

The V&N Field Trip Postponed

We have made the decision to postpone The V&N Field Trip on Saturday, April 5, to later this year. Our goal is to provide the best experience possible when connecting you with Porter County history, and we look forward to announcing the amended details at a later date.

In the meantime, we are adding a few additional ways you can interact with The V&N: Porter County’s Electric Interurban Rail Line, Connections: Take a Closer Look, and PoCo Pets: Part of the Family before all three exhibits close forever at the end of the day on Saturday, April 19.

Stop in late until 7p on Friday, April 18, or attend my final guided tour of all the exhibits at 10a on Saturday, April 19. No RSVP required.

As always, I hope to see you at the PoCo Muse!

Best,

Kevin Matthew Pazour, Executive Director

P.S.— Join me in Hebron and explore the historic Stagecoach Inn on Saturday, April 26, between 10a-2p. It’s not every day that you get the opportunity to peek inside a building built in 1849!

DONATE TODAY

WHAT TO DO

Complimentary Guided Museum Tour Series

Saturday, April 5, 12, & 19, at 2p

PoCo Muse, 20 Indiana Avenue

No RSVP Required

Open Late

Friday, April 18, 11a-7p

PoCo Muse, 20 Indiana Avenue

Guided Tour w/the Executive Director

Saturday, April 19, 10-11a

PoCo Muse, 20 Indiana Avenue

No RSVP Required

Explore Hebron’s Stagecoach Inn

Saturday, April 26, 10a-2p

127 N. Main Street, Hebron, IN

See inside the 1849 structure that was built by James McCune.

VIEW THE CURRENT ISSUE OF MUSE NEWS

WHAT TO SEE

The V&N: Porter County’s Electric Interurban Rail Line

Closes April 19

The Valparaiso and Northern Railway (V&N) was an electric interurban train line in Porter County that operated from 1910 to 1938, connecting Valparaiso to Chesterton by way of area lake resorts.

Montague/Urschel Gallery

PoCo Pets: Part of the Family

Closes April 19

Pets are members of the family, and we love them. It's been no different during the last century in Porter County. This small exhibit brings Porter County's beloved animal companions into the foreground.

Robert Cain Gallery

Connections: Take a Closer Look

Closes April 19

Take a closer look. Gathered throughout the PoCo Muse are pairs of objects that speak to each other in surprising ways. The objects may appear different at first glance, but after closer consideration, they may reveal important relationships.

Eunice Slagle Gallery

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: April through June 2025

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. 9

The digital version PoCo Muse Magazine is free to read for everyone. This issue celebrates the work of two couples who moved from Chicago to Porter County where they found lifelong artistic inspiration in the dunes.

Looking Back: April 1925

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.

A streetcar of the Valparaiso & Northern Railway passes the junction of Calumet and Michigan Avenue in Valparaiso during the 1910s, courtesy of Steve Shook; interior view of Car 1 of Gary & Valparaiso Railway, 1924; a view at night of the PoCo Muse exterior, 2022; an illustration created by Ashley Vernon in 2023 features PoCo Mouse dressed for Easter; an interurban car passes Milepost 12.1, East Salt Creek, during a final ride on the 1938 fantrip, courtesy of Steve Shook; Thaddeus Whitlock poses with Casey and Peggy, 1935; sewing scissors (detail), circa early 1900s, Albert Photographic, 2022; two unidentified men sitting on the courthouse square with a view of the Lowenstine WWII Roll of Honor in the background, circa 1995.