Elkhart County Historical Museum

Elkhart County Historical Museum Free admission! Come experience the premier destination for Elkhart County history and culture.

The Elkhart County Historical Museum fosters appreciation and preservation of local history and culture through exhibits, educational programs, and an accessible library and archives.

🏡🗞🚴 Did you know that today, September 4, is Newspaper Carrier Day in the U.S.? Even though newspaper subscriptions hav...
09/04/2026

🏡🗞🚴 Did you know that today, September 4, is Newspaper Carrier Day in the U.S.? Even though newspaper subscriptions have been steadily declining across the nation for the past few decades, many people recall their first part-time job delivering newspapers to the neighborhoods in which they grew up. Staff members at the ECHM went into the archives and found a newspaper carrier bag from the early 1990s, featured below. Did you have a newspaper route as a kid? 📰

đźš’Does your little one idolize firefighters?Give them the chance to meet some in real life AND get a tour of a fire stati...
09/03/2026

đźš’Does your little one idolize firefighters?

Give them the chance to meet some in real life AND get a tour of a fire station! Join us for Curiosity Club on Wednesday, September 16th, from 10 - 11:30am at the Bristol Fire Department (directions in the link below! ⬇).

Recommended for ages 3-5. Siblings welcome! Registration includes firehouse tour, craft, snack, and story. Sign up for $4/child here: https://elkhartcountyparks.org/events/cc-firefighters-9-16-26/

👟🏞 Trail Running Club meets at 5:30 pm next Tuesday, September 8th, at Bonneyville Mill’s Lookout Shelter. Come prepared...
09/02/2026

👟🏞 Trail Running Club meets at 5:30 pm next Tuesday, September 8th, at Bonneyville Mill’s Lookout Shelter. Come prepared for a 1-1.5 mile run at an easy pace, with the option to repeat. Feel free to participate, no experience necessary! Click on the link to register by September 7: https://elkhartcountyparks.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=1891

Check out what’s happening this September at the ECHM! Click the link below to visit Elkhart County Parks Department’s w...
09/01/2026

Check out what’s happening this September at the ECHM! Click the link below to visit Elkhart County Parks Department’s website to learn more about these events and how to register: https://elkhartcountyparks.org/events/

Trail Running Club
Tuesday, September 8, 5:30 p.m.
Free admission
Age: 12+ years (under 16 must be accompanied by an adult)

Curiosity Club: Firefighters
Wednesday, September 16, 10 a.m.
$4/child
Age: 3-5 years

The Our Waters Experience
Saturday, September 19, 11 a.m.
$5/person (ages 12 and under are free)
All ages welcome

Pedal into the Past Bike Tour
Wednesday, September 23, 5 p.m.
$5/person (children in bike trailers are free)
All ages welcome

Streams of Power
Friday, September 25, 10 a.m.
$20/person
All ages welcome

North Woods Book Discussion
Tuesday, September 29, 6 p.m.
Free admission
Age: 18+ years

🏙📰 It’s Flashback Friday with Michael, our longtime ECHM volunteer! Today, we found a Goshen Daily News-Times newspaper...
08/28/2026

🏙📰 It’s Flashback Friday with Michael, our longtime ECHM volunteer! Today, we found a Goshen Daily News-Times newspaper published in September 1917. In this issue, you can see attraction highlights and advertisements for the Elkhart County Fair, which used to be held at the end of September instead of in the summertime as currently observed.

Ever wondered about the history behind some of our most popular Elkhart County Parks? How did the water wonderland that ...
08/26/2026

Ever wondered about the history behind some of our most popular Elkhart County Parks? How did the water wonderland that is Cobus Creek County Park come to be?

Explore those stories and more at our Cobus Creek History Hike on Monday, August 31st at 6pm.

Come prepared for a 1.2-mile hike and get ready to learn all about the cultural and natural history of Cobus Creek. $3/person, limited to 20 participants. Sign up to reserve your spot: https://elkhartcountyparks.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=1885

đź“šGet your library cards ready or visit your favorite local bookstore to prepare for our upcoming book discussion of Dani...
08/25/2026

📚Get your library cards ready or visit your favorite local bookstore to prepare for our upcoming book discussion of Daniel Mason's 2023 novel North Woods.🌳

This sweeping story takes place in the remote north woods of New England, following the inhabitants (human and otherwise!) of one piece of land over generations. Join us to discuss this rich, hopeful story in Elkhart County Parks' own historic home - the DeFries Homestead.

The program takes place Tuesday, September 29th, at 6pm. Find out more and register here: https://elkhartcountyparks.org/events/north-woods-book-discussion-9-29-26/

It’s Flashback Friday with Michael, our longtime volunteer at the ECHM! For today’s episode, we will be turning our atte...
08/21/2026

It’s Flashback Friday with Michael, our longtime volunteer at the ECHM! For today’s episode, we will be turning our attention to a handful of articles and advertisements from The Elkhart Review and Goshen Daily News published in 1919. The first two images in the carousel (including the front page and the C.G. Conn advertisement) appeared in The Elkhart Review, while the remainder of the images came from Goshen Daily News.

It was a great night for History of Camping in Elkhart County. Thanks to everyone who joined us at Red Pines in Ox Bow, ...
08/21/2026

It was a great night for History of Camping in Elkhart County. Thanks to everyone who joined us at Red Pines in Ox Bow, to Harding’s of Bristol for donating s’mores supplies, and to Vince for leading campfire songs!

08/20/2026

Anyone missing a mobile phone? We found it on the wooden bench by the little free library outside the ECHM on Wednesday morning. Please send us a Facebook message or call us at (574) 848-4322 and provide a brief description of the misplaced phone, if you think you left it behind.

Address

304 W Vistula Street
Bristol, IN
46507

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

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