Discover Washington Park Zoo: Michigan City’s Historic Animal Haven

Today, we will explore the Washington Park Zoo in Michigan City, Indiana. The zoo is a cherished historical landmark in Michigan City and has been in operation since the mid–to–late 1920s (1). Before we discuss the zoo further, I would like to discuss the history of Michigan City and its significance to The Region. 

Michigan City, Indiana, is in LaPorte County. The city is situated in a beautiful spot, right on the southeastern shore of Lake Michigan. (It’s also only about an hour away from where I live, but we will get into that later.) Today, the city is known for being home to the Indiana Dunes, which attracts tons of tourists in the warmer months. However, Michigan City wasn’t always intended to be a tourist destination. Nineteenth-century supporters of the city envisioned the area as a commercial and transportation center (4). When the government sent its surveyors to the Lake Michigan dunes, they discovered the “low, swampy site at the mouth of Trail Creek” as the perfect place for a major harbor. It was at the end of the Michigan Road, and would continue to be built northward through Indiana. 

In 1831, a real estate entrepreneur named Maj. Isaac C. Elston knew of the plans the surveyors had made for the city and began to purchase land in the area (4). Elston was from Crawfordsville, Indiana, which is approximately two and a half hours away from Michigan City today. Back then, who knows how long it would have taken him to visit the city? (I’m sure someone knows how to do that math, but it is not me!) A year later, Elston mapped out the entire town of Michigan City. He worked hard to bring people into his new community, and it only took one year for his work to pay off. In 1833, the first settlers arrived, and by 1836, the city’s population expanded to nearly three thousand people. Today, Michigan City is home to 31,000 people, per the United States Census Bureau. 

Throughout the years (especially the early ones), the city had its ups and downs. For almost a decade, Michigan City was the primary grain market for northern Indiana (4). In the 1850s, rail lines came, which meant their repair shops were now located in Michigan City, creating many opportunities for the citizens to work. Haskell and Barker Car Company was established in 1852 and turned itself into the city’s largest employer. After the Civil War, construction on the harbor finally started, and the Michigan City Harbor Company built “two piers and dredged a deep channel between them.” Additionally, with the flow of federal funds, the harbor was able to take in huge vessels, and Michigan City was the biggest lumber market in the state of Indiana. 

Unfortunately, once the 1900s came around, the city’s luck began to fade. Convict labor (which was used in the 1860s, when the prison was providing local businesses with convicts) was outlawed, the lumber business was dying, and businesses began to leave shortly after World War 1 (4). However, although the once great city was losing business, its luck was turning around. At the same time businesses were leaving, tourism started booming. The city was getting back on its feet, and one place that helped it do that was the Washington Park Zoo. 

The Washington Park Zoo

In 1925, a retired animal trainer relocated his pet (yes…PET) brown bear to the Washington Park lakefront (1). The brown bear’s name was “Jake”, and he was not receiving attention from the public (like he was used to) after his trainer retired. Jake’s trainer figured the public would be interested in him, and he was right. The public flocked to the lakefront to meet Jake and immediately provided him with the company he longed for. Back in those days, the fire department would look after misplaced exotic animals, and with Jake making his debut, the local department decided to add a few more animals to the exhibit. 

Two years later, in 1927, the City Manager began planning a zoological garden (1). He had other plans as well. For example, behind the garden, “lay the idea of park development, the study of zoology, and the furnishing of wholesome entertainment for the children and adults of Michigan City, as well as for the thousands of people who spent their summers at one of the numerous resorts along the lakefront.” In 1928, the City Manager hired the first Zoo Board. Then, said board decided to move the current zoo off the lakefront and to its current location in the sand dunes, which overlooks Lake Michigan.

The board began using volunteers to build cages, pens, and walkways (1). In 1934, the zoo’s first major project was created: Monkey Island. The zoo’s website states, “This consisted of a center-moated island with a high exterior wall and access tunnel.” After Monkey Island was completed, other buildings followed. Two of them are currently landmarks: The Observation tower, which sits on top of a sand dune and overlooks the Lake, and a smaller castle building that houses the small mammals, birds, and reptiles. This was built in 1937. On a personal note, the Observation tower was cool, but also a pain in the butt to get to. It has tons of steps, and when you’re carrying a thirty-six-pound toddler (because I thought it was faster to hold him and climb), it made the walk ten times worse! It was worth it, though, because Mr. O loved being up there. We didn’t climb to the top of the tower, but just being up there was a great experience.

The zoo has grown tremendously since those early days. For instance, they now have an enormous collection of animals, and usually house around 90 species, which totals to an estimated 200 animals (1). According to Washington Park Zoo’s website, many of the animals they house are part of the SPP, otherwise known as the Special Survival Plan. These animals are labeled as endangered species, and many others are rescued, misplaced exotic pets, or “non-releasable wildlife” because they have injuries that could not be sustained in the wild. Lastly, in 2015, the Washington Park Zoo was accredited by the Zoological Association of America. “This is a non-profit membership-based accrediting organization dedicated to responsible wildlife management.” 

Now that we have briefly discussed the history of Michigan City and the zoo, I would like to share my family’s experience there and explain why we enjoyed it so much.

Our Experience at Washington Park Zoo

In early August, Lea and I had time off from work. We wanted to make the week special for our son, Mr. O, and give him experiences he would enjoy (and hopefully not forget, but he is two after all). On one of the days throughout the week, Lea found the Washington Park Zoo online, and we decided that’s where we’re going to go. My brother-in-law and his family came to visit and joined us at the zoo so the kids could spend some quality time together. As I said above, Michigan City is only about one hour away from us. The drive was easy, and before we knew it, we had arrived. 

Upon entering the zoo, we took a left turn and ended up seeing two lions right away. 

Mr. O was very excited and kept referring to them as “Ninny cat.” Some context: we have two cats at home – Baby Ruth (who we call Toothy because of her overbite) and Winston the Cat (who we call Winnie. Well, Lea and I call him Winnie. Mr. O calls him “Ninnie”). So, every house cat or lion he sees is called a “Ninnie cat”. 

As we moved along, we came across turtles (who were in the middle of inappropriate adult activities. I will not be sharing that picture. Yes, I took a picture to send to my friends), Zebras, ostriches, eagles, and so many more incredible animals. One part of the zoo Mr. O loved was seeing and feeding the goats. They had a few stations around the goats where you could grab some food and feed it to them. He did not want to stop, lol. 

They also had a bear exhibit, which leads me to a funny story. The bear was asleep with its face up against the glass, and Mr. O walked up next to the bear’s face to take a picture, and before we knew it, the bear woke up suddenly. It scared the little man so much, but it was also really funny! Once he calmed down a bit, we continued walking around to see the rest of the exhibits the zoo offered. It’s a smaller zoo, so it was easy to navigate and was not tiring to get around. The zoo is very family-friendly, and another way they show that is with their Safari Train and Red Barn petting zoo. We did not do the safari train this time, but we did go into the Red Barn, and the kids were able to pet some of the animals. Overall, the experience was great. It wasn’t too crowded, the weather was fantastic, the animals were beautiful, and the kids had a great time, which is most important. 

The Washington Park Zoo is an important piece of Michigan City’s history. It’s helped shape the city and has brought in many tourists over the years. It all started with one bear, and here we are many years later with a popular zoo full of all kinds of different animals. If you haven’t visited yet and are looking for something to do in the region, I highly recommend taking the drive out to the zoo. It’s a unique blend of history and wildlife that you won’t get anywhere else. A bonus of visiting: Lake Michigan/Indiana Dunes is right across the street! 

I hope you enjoyed this edition of Exploring the Region. Please share & subscribe!

Zoo Hours & Tickets

• Spring: March 29-May 24
  • Open Daily: 10 AM – 4 PM, with last entry at 3 PM.
• Summer: May 25 -August 31
  • Monday-Friday: 10 AM -4 PM
  • Last admission at 3 PM
  • Saturday & Sunday- 10 AM – 5 PM
  • Last admission at 4 PM
• Fall: September 1-October 31
  • Open daily: 10 AM – 4 PM
  • Last admission is at 3 PM
• Winter: November 1-December 7
  • Open Saturday – Sunday
  • 10 AM – 3 PM
• General Admission
  • Adults – $11
  • Seniors – $10
  • Children – $8
  • 2 & under – FREE

Citations

1. https://www.washingtonparkzoo.com
2. https://livingnewdeal.org/sites/washington-park-zoo-michigan-city-in/
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_City,_Indiana#:~:text=Michigan%20City’s%20origins%20date%20to,3%2C000%20residents%20to%20Michigan%20City.
4. http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/826.html#:~:text=LaPorte%20County%2C%2041%20miles%20E,opened%20in%20the%20early%201860s.
5. https://www.britannica.com/place/Michigan-City