What you see around The Bend today is rooted in its past.
Few attractions bring this to light better than The History Museum, which is on the same campus as the Studebaker National Museum and includes the pristine Oliver Mansion. Its exhibits paint a vivid picture of South Bend and the surrounding area — from prehistory to settlement to the rise of industry with stops along the way. It’s a must-see for any visitor, especially those looking to include a history tour on their itinerary.
Tour the Historic Oliver Mansion, Copshaholm
History doesn’t get much more vibrant than the mansion.
Once owned by the industrialist J.D. Oliver, it was built in 1895-96. A New York architect designed the 38-room home. Tour it and you’ll find what others have seen — it’s in perfect condition. All the furnishings are original, which offers a rare window into how the Oliver family lived decades later.
Some facts about the mansion:
-
It was built with Indiana field stone, which was transported to the site and cut.
-
It was one of the first homes in South Bend with electricity.
-
More than two acres of Italianate gardens surround the mansion.
-
The mansion and gardens are listed on the National Record of Historic places and registered as an American Treasure.
-
The mansion was donated in tact, meaning with most of the items inside.
Catch them While You Can
One stop at The History Museum might not be enough. Several exhibits change, giving visitors a new look every time they make the trip. Here is the current lineup of temporary exhibits.
Lifting the Roof: The World of Dollhouses: This exhibit chronicles their history from as far back as the 1700s, when some showed the wealth of European manors while others taught medieval children how to keep house. The gallery showcases over 20 dollhouses, including Barbie’s Dream House, a handmade “Mouse Mansion,” a house built to teach fire safety and even the Studebaker family’s dollhouse. View through July 2025.
City and Campus: Rediscovering Lost Landmarks: Explore the changing skyline of the campuses of the University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s College as well as the city of South Bend in this exhibit inspired by the book City and Campus, authored by the late John W. Stamper and published by Notre Dame Press.View through December 2025.
Traditions & Progress: Italian Americans in Northern Indiana: Italians began migrating to the St. Joseph River Valley in the 1880s, where many found jobs in local industries. Despite all odds and hardships, many rose to positions of prominence, progressing through hard work, family values, and religion. View through May 2025.
Fantastic Facial Hair: Italians began migrating to the St. Joseph River Valley in the 1880s, where many found jobs in local industries. Despite all odds and hardships, many rose to positions of prominence, progressing through hard work, family values, and religion. View through May 2025.
Permanent Exhibits
Voyages: The History of the St. Joseph Valley Region
Seven rooms of dioramas and interactive displays explain how the St. Joseph River Valley blossomed from dense forest to the age of French exploration and into a thriving Midwest industrial center.
Visitors can "walk" the portage that connected the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. They can see how early settlers lived in the area. This permanent exhibit tells how the native Potawatomi were forcibly removed from the area in the 1830s.
It also touches on the Grand Kankakee Marsh, which was dredged for farmland. An award-winning, 30-minute video documentary in the Free Life Theatre features stories about the African American community in the region from the 1820s through World War I.
Another area explains industrial growth in the late 1800s, including the rise of Studebaker and the Oliver Chilled Plow Works.
Guide yourself through this area so you can take in each display on your own time.
First in their Field: The Story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
Men abroad during World War II sparked an idea for Philip Wrigley – create the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
Immortalized in the film A League of Their Own, the league actually operated for 12 years. Teams propped in cities across the Midwest. South Bend jumped into the game with the South Bend Blue Sox. It was one of the original four tams and stayed in the league for all 12 seasons.
So, basically every participant in the league visited The Bend at some point.
The History Museum’s collection — a repository for the league — includes photographs, programs, film footage, scrapbooks and playing equipment used by teams. It’s a treasure for baseball and The Bend.
Colfax: Speaker for Freedom
Colfax: Speaker for Freedom is an in-depth exhibit on the life and times of Schuyler Colfax. Colfax was born in the region and went on to a storied political career. He rose to prominence as Speaker of the House under president Abraham Lincoln, during which time he guided passage of the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery. He later served as vice president to Ulysses S. Grant.
Unseen Treasures of the Oliver Mansion
Items from the Oliver Mansion that aren’t normally seen on a house tour are on display in this permanent exhibit.
Stream "A Bend in Time" Podcast
History buffs or anyone looking to dive deeper into some of the stories and local figures who featured prominently in our past, you'll want to check out “A Bend in Time,” a new podcast of curated histories of the greater South Bend area. Presented by The History Museum and hosted by Aaron Helman, a new series of 8 episodes will be released quarterly starting on October 8, 2024.