• Summer Exhibit & Victorian Pink Tea at Barker Mansion
• Join the Barker Civic Center Guild
• Educational Tours and Programs Available at the Barker Mansion

Celebrate the first days of summer with a Victorian Pink Tea in the Barker Mansion gardens. The traditional Pink Tea is $25.00 by prepaid reservations. Reservations may be made beginning June 1 by calling (219) 873-1520.

In commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, the featured entertainment is a historical musical revue “A Historical Walk Through The Civil War” by Jill Van Lew in a Civil War style dress.

Jill is a living historian who combines her a cappella style music with historical facts.

This year’s menu contains various tea sandwiches, scones, fresh fruit and Civil War inspired sweets including Mary Todd Lincoln’s Sugar Cookies and General Oglelthorpe’s Civil War orange cake, served with a cup of Barker Mansion’s own breakfast tea. Members of Michigan City High School’s National Honor Society serve guests seated at tables.

An optional guided tour for an additional charge is at 2 PM each day. This year’s special summer exhibit features several Indiana authors of the golden age of Indiana literature. (1880-1920). Included in period dress are naturalist Jean Stratton Porter and poet James Whitcomb Riley, surrounded by children as he reads his poetry. These exhibits will remain in place as companions to the Indiana Historical Society’s traveling exhibit “The Golden Age: Indiana Literature (1880-1920)” which opens July 3 and extends through August 29 at Barker Mansion. Regular guided tours are M-F at 10 AM, 11:30AM, and 1 PM. Beginning June 1, guided tours are 12 PM and 2 PM.

Barker Mansion is the 1905 home of John H. Barker, railroad car industrialist and contains original furnishings, art objects, a ballroom, and an architectural style sunken garden. The Mansion given to Michigan City by Catherine Barker Hickox, daughter of John H. Barker, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Barker Mansion, located at 631 Washington St., Michigan City IN 46360 is one block east of Lighthouse Place Premium Outlet Mall.

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Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of April, July, October, and December beginning at 7:00 p.m. Join as an active or supporting member. Informative and historical programs are presented at these meetings, with opportunities to volunteer throughout the year. Annual dues are payable during the months of January, February, and March.

Supporting Membership: $10, $25, $50, or $100
Active Membership: $5

Click here to obtain the Barker Civic Center Guild Membership Application.

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A visit to Michigan City’s Barker Mansion enriches students’ knowledge of Indiana’s industrial heritage, the early history of Michigan City and surrounding area, and the role of the Barker family. Barker Mansion features exceptional programs that meet our state educational standards, as well as students’
requirements for fun!

We offer programs in Victorian lifestyles, early 1900’s school life, and clue problem solving skills. These individual tour topics can be designed to fit the Indiana Standards or individual curriculum needs. Because of time limitations, only one topic is offered per tour. If a large group wants to visit, arrangements can be made with other local museums or the Washington Park Zoo to alternate our program with their programs so your students have many opportunities to learn during their trip.

The Historic Mansion Tourbegins with an introductory video about the history of Michigan City and the Barker family. A tour of the mansion and gardens (weather permitting) follows, highlighting the Barker furnishings and the lifestyle of a well- to-do Victorian family. This tour is suitable for kindergarten through high school and is offered from February through October.

The Early 1900’s Schoolroom Touris a hands-on turn-of-the-century classroom program presented in Catherine Barker’s third- floor schoolroom. A slate board is provided for each child to complete classroom activities. Games, singing, and reciting exercises are also included. This tour is suitable for grades 3-5 and is limited to thirty students; it is offered from February through October.

The Clue Gameis a lesson in following directions as students complete a word search puzzle. They solve the mystery of the theft of Barker silver by recording clues found throughout the Mansion in a “detective log booklet.” This game is suitable for grades 3-6, is limited to thirty students, and is offered from February through October.

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