Visit Michael Jackson's Childhood Home in Gary, Indiana

When visiting the city of Gary, Indiana you may wonder if the city itself has even heard of Michael Jackson.

The city did hold a public memorial for the fallen superstar. The mayor of Gary even expressed interest in having Jackson's body buried there. But, if you are planning a mecca to Gary, Indiana to pay your own tribute be prepared to ask for directions.

There are no billboards or signs in the northern Indiana town that point to Michael Jackson's childhood home. If you Google it or search it on the internet you may probably be able to come up with the address of 2300 Jackson Street. Searching directions on the internet and actually finding a location in real life can be sometimes sound like speaking two languages in one sentence.

Michael Jackson grew up in a small, square ranch house in a Chicago suburb on Lake Michigan. He was born on August 28, 1959 and was the seventh child to join the family. The Jackson Family originally included brothers Tito, Jermaine and Jackie. At the age of five Michael joined and so did the eldest brother, Marlon. At this time The Jackson Family evolved to become The Jackson 5. Many movies and biographies have told stories of a hot tempered Joe Jackson demanding the boys have countless hours of practice perfecting their act. It was in this Gary home where Joe Jackson turned his sons into performers.

Driving on US Highway 12 into Gary, it is abundant that steel mills once ruled this town. In a city where crime ruled the 1980's and 1990's and the murder statistics have been more than eight times the national average; I would rather not speculate on what Michael Jackson's life would have been like without the drive of his father. Many people have questioned whether or not Michael had any sort of legit childhood. When driving through Gary you may change your mind when wondering how a child with so much talent would have been able to use any of it there.

With myself, a twenty-eight year old legally blind woman and four children all under the age of nine I was not afraid of the town. Being from Indiana, I felt as if Gary were another local Indiana town. At the same time, I wasn't looking forward to filling up my gas tank there either. However, I did not expect to have to stop and ask for directions once we were in the town. I was sure that the first home Michael Jackson had lived in would be the biggest and possibly tourist destination in Gary; surely there would be signs pointing us there. Even though when we visited, Michael had only passed away within the last two weeks there would be no signs, no billboards, nothing... nada.

The only local people that I could find to stop and ask for help were men in their twenties sitting on porches in a residential neighborhood. Though the two men we asked for help couldn't give us actual directions by street name, they did help. The key to finding the former Jackson family home was finding Roosevelt High School. Roosevelt High School sits at 730 West 25th Avenue. Look behind the school and you will find an ally named Jackson Street.

Being that the world was till mourning the loss of Michael I assumed there would be other tourists there as well. The actual street block of 23rd St and Monroe Avenue was blocked by police cars. Parking was available at Roosevelt High School and was just a walk across the ally. There were a couple of media outlets there and many more tourists. The house was surrounded by hand made cards and moments left from the previous visitors. The neighbors across the street from the home had become vendors selling Michael Jackson souvenirs.

The Gary locals that were there informed us that the house is still in the Jackson family name and that an uncle still maintains it. I have not been able to find out if this is fact or rumor, but either way this is how the locals tell it. My friend Stefany and I decided to make the trip out of curiosity for a local destination. As we left 2300 Jackson Street I hoped my own children appreciated our own small white square house a little more.

Sources: www.biography.com
www.citydata.com