Visit Ruthmere Museum in Elkhart, Indiana: An Historical Experience

The Ruthmere Museum is an Historic Mansion originally built in 1908. Albert and Elizabeth Baldwin Beardsley commissioned Chicago trained architect E.Hill Turnock to design and build the Ruthmere Mansion. It is a magnificent structure that is not a common design in the Elkhart, Indiana area. The Beardsleys entertained their friends and business associates in this famous house for 14 years. After their deaths, two different families owned Ruthmere.

Later the Beardsley Foundation purchased the Ruthmere house. The foundation has refurbished it and returned it to its original magnificent splendor. It is now a museum open to the public for tours and as a teaching tool for children on field trips. You will also learn much local history by engaging in one of these tours.

E. Hill Turnock was a well-known architect whose family immigrated to the Elkhart area from England. He was born in 1854. He studied architecture in Chicago under William LeBaron Jenney, after working as a pattern maker as a young man. He later worked with Frank Lloyd Wright. He designed many famous structures in Chicago as well as many in the Elkhart area, including Lexington House, the old Elkhart High School, and many private homes.

Museum Services as well as available times and tours are listed below.

Large Group Tours: are available by reservation. Please schedule large group tours four weeks before the desired date. Tour and luncheon packages are also available.

Daily Guided Tours: available Tuesday - Sat at 10 & 11 am, 1, 2 & 3 pm. For groups larger than 12, please call in advance to make a reservation.

Guided Tours:
April 1st through December 31st

Tuesday through Saturday
10 & 11 a.m. & 1, 2 & 3 p.m.

Sunday
1, 2 & 3 p.m.

The museum operates
on Eastern Time.

Admission:

* Adult $8
* Seniors (62+) $7
* College Students with valid ID $5
* K-12 Students $3
* Children under 5 admitted free.

In the summer keep an eye on your local newspaper, The Elkhart Truth, as many times you will find that you can visit the museum for free on a Sunday afternoon.

Robert Buchanan Beardsley is a great-great nephew of Albert Beardsley. He has supervised the restoration of the Ruthmere Museum, which began in 1969. Robert Beardsley is the Director of the museum that opened to the public in 1973. Ruthmere has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Not only is Ruthmere open to the public as a museum but also can be obtained for weddings and garden parties and for special events. It is pricey but for the elite you can not find a more elegant place for your special day.

One of the many possibilities to become involved in at Ruthmere is a writer's circle, which meets on Saturday afternoons. You can find more information on this group on the Ruthmere site. You can read some of the writing of local artists as well as observing many of the photos of this beautiful architectural masterpiece.

Ruthmere also has many original fine art pieces in the museum. If you live in the area or are visiting this is a must see.

Please visit the Ruthmere site for more information on the many different events scheduled at Ruthmere web site. http://www.ruthmere.org/toursservices.asp