Welcome to The Barker Mansion

Explore The Barker Mansion's 38 rooms and beautiful garden. Attend an exhibit, or host your next party, event, or corporate function.

Plan Your Visit

Ornate living room in Barker Mansion, Michigan City, featuring a green patterned carpet, coffered ceiling, large windows with sheer curtains, antique furniture, a grand piano, lamps, and a framed painting above the fireplace.

Featured Events

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History Hour: Discovering Your Roots with the Northwest Indiana Genealogical Society

Sun, Oct 12 • 12:00 pm

631 Washington St, Michigan City, IN

Step back in time with History Hour at The Barker Mansion. Each History Hour offers a new perspective, blending local…

Promotional flyer for History Hour at The Barker Mansion with Northwestern Indiana Genealogical Society. Event features Cheryl Wooten-Wilcox, Sunday, Oct 12, 12PM. Includes photo of Cheryl and background image of Barker Mansion.

Candlelight Mystery at The Mansion: The Secret Tunnel

Fri, Oct 17 • 6:00 pm

631 Washington St, Michigan City, IN

By the flickering glow of candlelight, step into the opulent halls of The Barker Mansion and investigate a century-old question: Does…

Candlelight Mystery at The Mansion: The Secret Tunnel

Sat, Oct 18 • 6:00 pm

631 Washington St, Michigan City, IN

By the flickering glow of candlelight, step into the opulent halls of The Barker Mansion and investigate a century-old question: Does…

Gilded Page Book Club – “The Age of Innocence” by Edith Wharton

Wed, Oct 22 • 6:00 pm

631 Washington St, Michigan City, IN

Whiskey, History & The Gilded PageStep into the drama, decadence, and dazzling contradictions of America’s Gilded Age—whiskey glass in hand….

A promotional image for the Gilded Page Book Club at The Barker Mansion, featuring "The Age of Innocence" by Edith Wharton, with the event date October 22 and the word Journeyman at the bottom.

Candlelight Mystery at The Mansion: The Secret Tunnel

Fri, Oct 24 • 6:00 pm

631 Washington St, Michigan City, IN

By the flickering glow of candlelight, step into the opulent halls of The Barker Mansion and investigate a century-old question: Does…

The Barker Creepy Cottage Halloween Party

Sat, Oct 25 • 11:00 am

227 W 7th Street, Michigan City, IN

🎃 The Barker Cottage becomes the Creepy Cottage!Step into a little Halloween magic perfect for young children and families—creepy, but never…

Candlelight Mystery at The Mansion: The Secret Tunnel

Sat, Oct 25 • 6:00 pm

631 Washington St, Michigan City, IN

By the flickering glow of candlelight, step into the opulent halls of The Barker Mansion and investigate a century-old question: Does…

Mansion After Hours: Gothic Tales in the Gloaming

Wed, Oct 29 • 6:00 pm

631 Washington St, Michigan City, IN

Step into the shadows of the Barker Mansion for a chilling evening of dramatic readings spanning 200 years of gothic…

Gilded Page Book Club – “Ragtime” by E.L. Doctorow

Wed, Nov 19 • 6:00 pm

631 Washington St, Michigan City, IN

Whiskey, History & The Gilded PageStep into the drama, decadence, and dazzling contradictions of America’s Gilded Age—whiskey glass in hand….

A promotional graphic for the Gilded Page Book Club at the Barker Mansion features the cover of "Ragtime" by E.L. Doctorow, event details for November 19, and the word "Journeyman" at the bottom. An ornate library is in the background.

History Hour: In His Own Words: The W.A. Jones Gun Collection

Sun, Nov 23 • 12:00 pm

631 Washington St, Michigan City, IN

Each History Hour offers a new perspective, blending local history with broader historical themes for a truly enriching experience. Dive…

Holiday Tea at The Barker Mansion

Sat, Dec 6 • 1:00 pm

631 Washington St, Michigan City, IN

This holiday season, experience the timeless tradition of afternoon tea at The Barker Mansion. Celebrate the warmth and elegance of…

Experience the Gilded Age

Built in 1857, The Barker Mansion is a monument to Gilded Age architecture and commemorates the Barker family’s influence in shaping the railway landscape of the American Midwest.

Tickets and Tours

Explore The Barker Mansion on your own in a self-guided tour, or learn while guided by one of our expert museum specialists.

A spacious, elegant bedroom at Barker Mansion in Michigan City features two ornate beds, a chandelier, vintage armchairs with a side table, large windows with curtains, intricate moldings, framed paintings, and a fireplace with decorative lamps.

Haskell & Barker Car Company and The Legacy of Freight

Travel to 1830's Michigan City. The exhibit pays tribute to the Haskell & Barker freight car factory through state-of-the-art visual displays.

A museum exhibit room at Barker Mansion in Michigan City features wooden floors, white brick walls, industrial ceiling pipes, framed historical photos on the walls, and a large scale model display table in the center.

Host Your Event at The Barker Mansion

Weddings & Private Events

From weddings to birthday celebrations to corporate parties and trainings, The Barker Mansion is the perfect event venue.

A bride and groom stand together smiling in front of an ornate fireplace at Barker Mansion in Michigan City, an elegant, wood-paneled room with red curtains. The bride holds a bouquet and wears a white dress; the groom wears a dark suit.

Spaces & Rentals

The Barker Mansion offers a wide variety of spaces with flexible capacities to accomodate your guests and event type.

A covered outdoor walkway at Barker Mansion in Michigan City features a peaked white roof, white columns, wicker chairs with floral cushions, hanging ferns, and brick flooring bordered by a brick wall and lush landscaped greenery.

The Mansion

Learn all about The Barker Mansion and why it's a great place to visit or host your next gathering or special event.

A historic two-story brick building with ornate architectural details, Barker Mansion is nestled in Michigan City, surrounded by landscaped gardens, trees, and a sidewalk under a bright blue sky.

Location and Hours

The Barker Mansion

General admission, Legacy of Freight exhibit, regularly scheduled events, and functions and weddings by reservation.

Hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Closed: Mondays

Closed on Thanksgiving Day, December 25, and January 1.

Visit The Mansion

The Barker Mansion, a large brick building with ornate architecture, stands in the background of Michigan City, surrounded by well-maintained green lawns, shrubs, and blooming pink flowers under a partly cloudy sky.

Reviews

Hear what our customers are saying. Your feedback matters, and The Barker Mansion is proud to share the voices of those who have visited us.

Cameron Cammy Greig

July 27, 2025

I visited Barker Mansion years ago and got a lovely tour. I really enjoyed it

Linda Lopossa

July 21, 2025

Really cool place , reasonable admission price .

Will Grubbs

July 20, 2025

The house is very nice. A lot of beautiful wood work. The guide was awesome, very knowledgeable and he made entire trip worthwhile.

jody cirino

July 17, 2025

This tour was amazing! I was so impressed with all the staff’s knowledge & friendliness! The story of the Barker family is so interesting. The mansion has been refurbished pristinely. I recommend this tour and hope to attend an event in the near future. Thank you Michelle for your wonderful tour!

Isaiah Rangel

July 3, 2025

Cooool place 🔥

Nomad Travler

June 29, 2025

Really great place. Super cool it's like a time capsule. Definitely worth the stop!

Tabitha Bowe

June 26, 2025

Beautiful house! Staff was very kind and informative. Enjoyed my time here

Kathy Callan

June 18, 2025

I see something different every time I go! The restoration is wonderful .

James Johns

June 11, 2025

This is a cool, huge old mansion. They give you an iPad if you want to tour the house on your own. The family that lived in the house built railroad cars. If you like to tour historical places then you will like this.

Joselin Chan

May 30, 2025

My husband and I really enjoyed and loved our tour to the Baker Mansion. It was pretty interesting to view so many things from old time and imagine the family living in this mansion. After the we did the tour, we decided to go around the block for a walk, and we found a hidden gem, there was an old fashion smoked meat market. Definitely we recommend to leave without visiting that store close to the mansion as well.

Janette Abbasi

April 5, 2025

Beautiful tour! Our tour guide today was super energetic and you can just tell she loves the house and the family behind it! Wish it many more great years of restoration because it's a gem!

Kurt Gillins

December 25, 2024

What a gem. The Barker Mansion is so rich in history. You are taken back in time and it is fascinating. The staff are amazing and so knowledgeable. I plan to go back and bring others with me.