Discover the Elkhart County Historical Museum

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

Museum Address

Free admission. 

304 West Vistula St.
Bristol, IN 46507

Mailing Address
P.O. Box 434
Bristol, IN 46507

Phone: (574) 848-4322
museum@elkhartcountyhistory.org 

Directions to the Museum

Museum Hours

Tues-Sat - 9 AM-5 PM

Park hours subject to change without notice.

In 1968, the Elkhart County Historical Museum opened as a partnership between the newly-established Elkhart County Parks Department and the Elkhart County Historical Society.  Visitors to the Museum can explore the many people, places, and events that make up the history of Elkhart County.

The collection features over 30,000 artifacts reflecting the county’s cultural heritage and help tell the story of Elkhart County in both permanent and temporary exhibits.  Begin your experience in the newest exhibit Crossroads which tells the story of Elkhart County in three galleries.  The research library contains photos, diaries, family records, plat maps, census lists and more to help researchers uncover the past.

Unique and engaging programming is offered year-round. School field trips are available covering a range of topics and grade levels. Information on all Parks field trip options can be found here.

The historic auditorium is available for large gatherings and may be rented. More information is available here. 

Upcoming Events

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Mapping Revolutionary War Graves

03/31/2026 7:00 pm
Free
All
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Historical Foodways

03/28/2026 2:00 pm
Free
All
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World Water Day

03/22/2026 1:30 pm
Free
All
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Timberdoodle Trek

03/20/2026 7:00 pm
Free (Limit 12)
8+
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Yoga in the Museum

03/19/2026 6:00 pm
$5/person
13+ (under 16 must be accompanied by adult)
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Curiosity Club: Police Officers

03/18/2026 10:00 am
$4/person (Limit 12)
3-5
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Braiding Sweetgrass

02/24/2026 6:00 pm
Free
18+
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Trivia Night

02/19/2026 6:00 pm
Free
16+
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Yoga in the Museum

02/12/2026 6:00 pm
$5/person
13+ (under 16 must be accompanied by adult)
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Curiosity Club: Winter

01/21/2026 10:00 am
$4/child (Limit 12)
3-5
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Beef Canning Workshop

01/17/2026 10:00 am
$15/person (Limit 15)
18+
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Yoga in the Museum

01/15/2026 6:00 pm
$5/person
13+ (under 16 must be accompanied by adult)
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Museum Game Day

01/02/2026 10:00 am
Free
5-16
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Our Waters Exhibit Opening

02/07/2026 11:00 am
Free
All
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Yoga in the Museum

12/18/2025 6:00 pm
$5/person
13+ (under 16 must be accompanied by adult)
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Pioneers of Prehistory

12/06/2025 11:00 am
$5/person (ages 12 & under are free)
All
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Yoga in the Museum

11/20/2025 6:00 pm
$5/person (Registration Required)
13+ (under 16 must be accompanied by adult)
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Curiosity Club: Harvest

11/19/2025 10:00 am
$4/child (Limit 12)
3-5
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Community Ofrenda

11/01/2025 9:00 am
Free
All
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Community Ofrenda

10/31/2025 9:00 am
Free
All
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Community Ofrenda

10/30/2025 9:00 am
Free
All
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Community Ofrenda

10/29/2025 9:00 am
Free
All
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Community Ofrenda

10/28/2025 9:00 am
Free
All
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Día de los Muertos Family Day

11/01/2025 1:00 pm
Free
All Ages
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Exhibits

The first-floor galleries are home to Crossroads of Elkhart County. These three galleries bring audiences the story of Elkhart County, often through the voices of the people who lived it. Your adventure begins with the nomadic paleo people who passed through this area thousands of years ago. Meet the Miami and Potawatomi, learn about changes wrought by the arrival of the French, explore the years of conflict and the forced removal of Native groups from the region. Enter the industrial era with the arrival of trains and discover the rise of industry, which occurred hand-in-hand with migration and the changing population. Finally, share your own memories to help us tell the rest of the story.

Crossroads of Elkhart County is complemented by changing exhibits and galleries that showcase the museum’s extensive collection. Spend time with us experiencing Elkhart County.

Fall 2025: Hoosiers & Their Hooch: Perspectives on Prohibition Courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society, this travelling exhibit features the rise an fall of prohibition in Indiana and around the country. The exhibit spans the dawn of the temperance movement of the 1900s, the roaring 1920s and the unprecedented repeal of a constitutional amendment during the Great Depression. The sights, sounds and experiences of the time period are brought to life by images and graphics from IHS’s collections.

2024-2026: Clues Through the Lens Doing good history is an ongoing process of asking questions. This ground-breaking exhibit invites and challenges visitors to become their own history detective by investigating photographs. What can we learn about the past from looking at historic images? What might be missing? What can we learn about ourselves and our own perspectives? Put on your thinking caps and come explore!

The Collection

The Elkhart County Historical Society collections housed in the Elkhart County Historical Museum represent almost 12,000 years of human history in the area.  It ranges from stone tools to 21st-century pharmaceuticals, band instruments to vehicles, textiles to commercial artwork, covering a wide range of the material culture of Elkhart County.  Caring for, exhibiting and researching this collection is one of the primary goals of the museum.  For information on the collection or to inquire about making a donation, please contact the Curator of Collections at museum@elkhartcountyhistory.org.

Research

The research library contains a wide range of reference materials that, along with the archival collection, may be accessed by researchers.  Appointments are recommended.  The library collection is searchable through the Elkhart Public Library catalog.  The historic image collection is searchable through Indiana Memory.  For more information on available research materials or to initiate a research request, please email research@elkhartcountyhistory.org.