The Portage area is packed with theaters that host performances ranging from operas to comedies, children’s workshops to symphonies, Broadway musicals to college drama productions. Even the venues vary from the acoustically intimate Star Plaza Theater to the 125-year-old St. Patrick’s Church.

Artist studios and galleries also dot the landscape, offering visual pleasure of everything from original jewelry to oil paintings. At the Art Barn, artists from around the country hold weekly classes and spring/summer workshops to further the interest in their mediums. The Bauer Museum of Art at the Valparaiso University campus devotes its display space to 19th and 20th century American artists like Frederick Edwin Church and Georgia O’Keeffe.

Efforts by historical preservationists mean you can still explore settler Joseph Baily’s trading post that established Portage nearly 175 years ago. His home on the grounds features a 2 1/2 story structure made of cut lumber fastened with wooden pegs. History lovers also find themselves strolling through the 80-acre Chellberg Farm, a living history museum presenting life as Swedish immigrants knew it in 1874.

Architecture lovers find plenty to check out in the World’s Fair Homes near the Dunes. For a real kick, put the Porter County Old Jail Museum on your list of stops.

For the athletes in the family, it doesn’t get much better than Notre Dame football, Cubs and White Sox baseball, Bulls basketball and, of course, the Chicago Bears. The area also offers the minor league action of Gary Railcats baseball and Gary Steelheads basketball. All stadiums are within an hour of Portage, making season tickets a reality.

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