Special events... just for you!

In celebration of National Carriage Driving Month, on May 18, 2008, Buckley Homestead County Park will be the place to be. Members of the Carriage & Sleigh Association of Northwest Indiana will be driving many horse drawn vehicles throughout the park during the day. Horses and ponies will be put to a variety of vehicles from an all-but-forgotten time in history. During the lunch hour you will be able to view the assorted vehicles up close and personal, while horses are rested and drivers enjoy a picnic lunch. Drivers will be there to answer your many questions about their turnouts and equine friends. (Rain Date June 1, 2008).

At the turn of the last century, during the heyday of carriages, most people were familiar with the style and skill of carriage driving. Horses and carriages were not only a means of transportation for businesses and private citizens alike, but their use was a social institution in itself. A Sunday drive to visit friends and relatives, a lady driving to tea, a picnic drive with the family to a park, a drive to visit a fair or the races or a polo match —all were part of the fabric of a quieter, gentler way of life. The style and skills of yesteryear are still evident any time today’s carriage drivers focus on “traditional” ways and styles of driving. Drivers and spectators alike can enjoy the lovely and exciting spectacle of carriage driving at casual or more formal gatherings, sleigh rallies, and pleasure-driving shows and competitions.

The Carriage Association of America was founded in 1960 and is the oldest and largest international organization devoted to the preservation and restoration of horse-drawn carriages and sleighs. The CAA serves its thousands of members (in all 50 states and in 40 other countries) through the publication of the award-winning Carriage Journal; its conferences and learning weekends; educational trips; and many publications on safety, turnout, and traditional driving.

For more information on the Carriage Association of America or to join, visit www.caaonline.com send an e-mail to info@caaonline.com or call (859) 231-0971.

The Potawatomi, a tribe of the Woodland Indians, lived in Lake County before the white man settled here. The Potawatomi came from the woodlands north of here in Wisconsin. They subsequently prospered and expanded into Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and Indiana before being removed to Kansas and Oklahoma in the 1830s.

Now you can see how the Potawatomi lived – the wigwam home, clothing with decorations, wild and cultivated foods – nestled in the hardwood and pine trees. Hear the stories, smell the cooking fire, and feel the bark of the willow saplings in the wigwam frame as reenactors live the lifestyle of those who lived here in 1750.

The camp of the Callumic Band of Great Lakes Woodland Alliance is in the Buckley Homestead back 80 acres, just southeast of the pioneer farm. Follow the pathway behind the cabin.

Learn the many ways people started their cook fires. Test your skills with a flint and steel, and watch a hunter as he practices his archery skills. Compete in traditional games of skill such as two ball and foot races, and see how you would fare as a warrior in training. Scrape a deer hide and identify the many animal furs found in our village while you learn their names in our native language. See the painted elk robes, listen to a storyteller, and paint your own piece of hide. Take part in planting a children’s garden while using native tools and seeds of the 1700s. Discover the role children played in a village garden and take home a sample of seeds. Make a doll from the leaves of our corn plants. Hear the sound of a woodland flute, feel the pounding of the drums, and pick up a rattle and join the song. You’ll even learn how the instruments are made. The village will be open for all public experience during program hours.

Summer Lifestyles Walking Tour for Adults

Experience farm life from 1910 to 1917 during June and July
Includes a tour of the Buckley main house museum
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday tours 1:30 p.m. until 2:30 p.m.
$2 per person
(Minimum of 10; Maximum of 25)
Reservations and pre-payment required at least ten days in advance by calling 219-945-0543

Discover “women’s work” and “men’s work.” While times have changed, you might be surprised to find out how much has remained the same. The gardens, the orchards, the chickens, and the main house fell to the responsibility of the womenfolk. Men had a full day as well from feeding the livestock and milking the cows, to harnessing horses as large as a small tractor. Harvesting wheat, oats, barley, and corn fell on the shoulders of the menfolk.

A visit to the farm is truly an experience you won’t forget. Come learn something new or share your own experiences. Some walking is required on a grass and gravel path. It’s about .16 of a mile from the visitor center parking lot to the farm.

Fun on the Farm "How Does Your Garden Grow?" – Summer experience for groups K-8th grade

June and July
One hour program available Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings
9-10 a.m. or 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
$2 per person
(Minimum of 10; Maximum of 20)
Reservations and pre-payment required at least ten days in advance by calling 219-945-0543

Groups with children are invited to visit the farm for lots of fun. The children will have a chance to work in a children’s garden. Learn how to plant, how to keep the garden clean and build a secret story place. Come once or repeat your visits, no matter how many times you visit it will always be a fun new experience. Program progresses as the garden grows.

Tour Description: This tour is designed to enhance Indiana history taught in the 4^th grade. It can be adjusted to fit the needs of younger grades, but is not recommended for Kindergarten or Pre-school groups.

Students will divided into groups of not more than 30 students each. (Schools with larger groups can be accommodated if chaperones remain outside of buildings.) Students will visit each of three different sites; the 1910s farm, the 1900 one-room schoolhouse, and the 1850 log cabin. Interpreters are dressed in historically accurate clothing to add to the visual comprehension.

On the farm, the interpreter asks, "What do you see and why is it here?" From the animals, to the buildings, to the pastures and gardens, there is much to see and understand about subsistence living. Animals on the farm include chickens, geese, rabbits, sheep, cows, pigs, horses, and cats.

In the schoolhouse, children will learn what a school day was like at the turn of the 20^th century. They will be asked to compare and contrast their school with Buckley’s. They will notice similarities and differences in the building, the teacher, and the curriculum. Many things have changed, and yet, some things we do today are derived from our early agrarian days.

At the cabin, children will be asked to imagine moving here before the Civil War. What did they need to survive? What was their priority once they got here? Students will be asked to compare and contrast living in their modern home with living in the 1850 Buckley cabin.

The path is just under one mile of gravel and bark chip trail. Students will be outside much of the time and should dress for the weather. If a teacher has a student in a wheelchair or other special needs, it should be disclosed at the time of the reservation. Arrangements will be made to make the tour as accessible as possible.

Picnic shelters and a visit to the Gift Shop may be included. Call 219-755-3685 M-F to make a reservation.

Buckley Homestead - Enjoy the quiet, steady pace of the horses as they pull the hay wagon around the back 80 acre trail. Look for pheasant, deer, and coyote as you travel through the wooded areas and open fields past the pioneer log cabin. Individuals and families may ride on a first-come, first-serve basis on Saturdays and Sundays, September 21 through October 26 (except October 4 & 5 during the Fall Festival) at 1 and 2 p.m. for only $3 per person. Remember: Groups may reserve evening hayrides by calling the business office at 219-769-PARK.

Deep River - Take a ride over the river and through the woods along the trails of Deep River. Individuals and families may ride on a first-come, first-serve basis on Saturdays and Sundays, October 4 - 26 at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. for only $3 per person. Groups may reserve evening hayrides by calling the business office at 219-769-PARK.

Bring the family and friends to a day of fun, great food and some of the best entertainment in all of Northwest Indiana.

Entertainment for all -- Always a pleasure, the good Dr. and Mrs. Quackenbush return with their quick wit and slight-of-hand. The every popular Coles County Regulators Cowboys shoot it out at the Buckley corral and roam the countryside looking for bad guys. Susan and Gary Brown entertain with old-fashioned music and dancing at the pioneer farm. Are you feeling lucky? Figure out who's lying and who is telling the truth at the "Liar's Bench."

Traditional Crafts and Demonstrations -- Wood crafters, china painters, spinners, quilters, weavers, and a broom maker, along with others, will demonstrate their skills and sell their wares. The farmers will be in the west pasture and Lake County Master Gardeners will be in the garden.

A Walk Through Time – You’ll travel back in history as you walk along the trail by the pioneer cabin. Reenactors from the Fur Trade Era to the Civil War portray military, civilians and artisans. For good old-fashioned fun, adults and children alike are encouraged to partake in games from days gone by.

Old-fashioned fun for young and old -- Sheep Toss, Frying Pan Toss and Rolling Pin Toss. Hands-on activities for the kids like rope-making, candle dipping, and more. Save your memories of your Buckley visit when you get your photo taken in historic costumes.

Great Treats -- Come hungry and eat often. We have ham & bean soup, chicken noodles, steak sandwiches, baked potatoes with everything, apple dumplings, kettle korn, Indian fry bread, and more.

Lots More – Take a hayride ($1 per person for the hayride shuttle around the farm), make a candle or a piece of rope, walk on stilts, jump in a straw pile, visit the museum, learn about the root cellar, and more. The barnyard is filled with activity and most of the animals are in the pasture. Farmers take the opportunity to get the thresher and corn binding machine working. Taste a sample of freshly baked cornbread cooked in the wood-burning stove at the hired hands house. Watch as soap is made in the carriage house or take the hayride shuttle around the historic areas of the park for only $1 per person. Get off the wagon at the pioneer farm and schoolhouse and catch the next shuttle back to the barnyard.

Corn Maze – The corn maze, north of the parking lot, is open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. A separate fee is charged for the maze. See information elsewhere on this web page.

Historical Buildings – Buckley Homestead Museum Ž Pioneer Log House Ž One-room schoolhouse Ž Hired Hands Quarters Ž Buckley Barn

Please note that dogs are not permitted at this special event or in the corn maze.

Old Time and Traditional Craftsmen should call 219-663-8170 if interested in a booth.

Pay admission and pick up your program pass at the Visitor Center parking lot on Hendricks Road. Please remember to dress accordingly for the weather and the walk along the trail. It can be muddy in December on the farm.

Tours for groups may be scheduled by contacting the Lake County Parks office at 219-755-3685 or 219-945-0543 beginning October 3. Advance reservations and a $20 deposit is required. The fee for the one and a half hour tour is $2 per person (minimum of $20 per group). Students will visit the hired hands quarters at the 1910 farm, the 1850 pioneer log house, and the one-room schoolhouse, where they will take on the role of pupils from the early 1900s. Teachers and group leaders will receive a pre-visit packet when their reservation is confirmed. The "first person" experience is one students of all ages will remember for years to come.

Help decorate the farm for Christmas. Enjoy a cup of hot cider in the upper barn while you help make our enchanting green reindeer. Then travel back in time to the pioneer cabin as we decorate for Christmas Eve and the schoolhouse for the Christmas pageant. We’ll decorate inside and out of the main house with fresh greens. What a pretty sight it will be with the lights shimmering through the windows. Dress for the cold and bring work gloves.

The labyrinth is not a maze, but instead an elliptical winding path in the form of the Classical 7-Circuit pattern. The two-foot pathway goes into the center and back out so there are no dead ends and no decisions to be made. When you walk the labyrinth, you meander back and forth, turning 180 degrees each time you enter a different section.

Why walk a labyrinth? Many people use the labyrinth for reflection, meditation, inspiration, and comfort. Some use the walk for clearing the mind. Others enter with a question or concern. Each person's walk is a personal experience. But, the experience should be free and open. Don't be afraid to dance, skip, run, walk very slowly, or even stop. School children during their daytime tours may experience the labyrinth joyfully. Other visitors may choose the quiet dawn and late afternoon hours to experience a calming effect.

Labyrinths have been around for more than 4,000 years and have been found in just about every major culture around the world. The Hopi called the labyrinth the symbol for "mother earth." The Buckley labyrinth, located just east of the visitor center, is a path designed from two levels of grass covering about 60 feet in diameter. There is no cost to walk the labyrinth which is available spring through fall or when ground cover permits.

The Cobe Cup was the name of the trophy given to the winner of the original race held June 19, 1909. The first (and only) 25-mile Cope Cup was an enormous financial flop. Promoters anticipated an onslaught of race fans, all eager to buy tickets and flock to waiting stores to purchase souvenirs. What happened, however, was quite the opposite: the Cope Cup had a grand total of one paying ticket holder. More frugal race fans opted for lawn chair seating along the race route, as opposed to the ticket-charging grandstand. What was once a financial flop has become a sentimental success.

The re-creation is now a friendly cruise consisting of some of the finest vintage cars in the region, following a route through scenic south Lake County. Owners who want to drive in the cruise should contact the Crown Point Chamber of Commerce at 219-663-1800.

Watch the Cobe Cup from the front yard of historic Buckley Homestead. Can you think of a better place to put down a blanket or sit back in a lawn chair, and enjoy a picnic lunch while watching vintage cars file by?

Cars leave the Fairgrounds in Crown Point at 1 p.m. and should arrive at Buckley about 45 minutes later. Come to the farm early and take a look at Buckley’s own 1916 Model T. We will have ice cold sarsaparilla for sale, adding to the flavor of this old-fashioned day in the countryside.

After the last vintage car has passed, take a stroll to the back 80 acres for a visit to the Woodland Indian Village. Talk with reenactors and learn how Native Americans lived in Indiana.

SHEEP SHEARING: Sunday, June 1, 2008 Noon - 4 p.m. Sheep will be sheared at 1 p.m. Free

Enjoy a couple of afternoons on the farm and learn about the Buckley sheep, from Andy to Waldo. Not only will you see their wool being sheared, but you will get to clean it. The next weekend, volunteers from around the county bring their 4-H animals to show. Learn about their care and feeding and the practical uses animals have. Visitors are encouraged to ask questions and pet the animals. These programs are great for the whole family and free.

Make a useful basket guided by experienced teacher, Julie Duttlinger. You are guaranteed a finished basket by the end of the class. Two classes are offered for each basket. Reservations and prepayment are required and may be made by calling 219-769-PARK M-F 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Participants should bring a 3+ gallon bucket, 8+ clip clothes pins, old scissors, a pencil, tape measure or ruler, awl or small flat screwdriver or knitting needle and an old towel. Baskets are made under the shade of the Buckley Homestead trees. Come in your work clothes. The class will last through lunch so bring a sack lunch and a cold drink.

For registration please call 219-945-053. If you have any questions please phone 219-796-PARK

This daylong experiential educational program is guaranteed to create memories for years to come. Students learn about life during the early settlement period of southern Lake County. They learn about chores, recreation, school work, and challenges of life during 19^th century.

Students prepare their own dinner, recite lessons, learn spelling words and tongue twisters, bake cornbread and squeeze lemons, and help prepare the gardens for the coming season. They also make a craft item to take home.

Time: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (please arrive at 8:45 a.m.). It is important that groups are on time.

Age: Recommended for 4th and/or 5th graders. Not appropriate for younger than 2^nd grade.

Capacity: 120 students (do not include adult chaperones in this count). Minimum number per individual school is 30 students. School groups are combined to fill to the capacity. Groups are further divided into four activity areas and rotated throughout the day.

$50 deposit required at time of reservation, balance due in full at the park site.

Reservations: Taken beginning Wednesday, November 28, 2007. Call the Lake County Parks at 219-769-PARK. Reservations are open until filled or March 12, 2008. .

Payment/Deposit: Staff and volunteers are assigned after reservations are processed. Without advance payment, assignments cannot be made.

*April 9 is devoted to home school and smaller groups that cannot meet the minimum number. All groups will be combined to meet the capacity number.

We recommend schools arrange for PLENTY of chaperones and remind everyone to dress according to weather conditions. We will be prepared to continue with the program rain or shine, except during major thunderstorms. Schools are required to furnish certain supplies. A list of instructions, activities, and a schedule will be mailed to the school upon registration.