Munster, IN
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Munster is a suburban town in North Township, Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is in the
Chicago metropolitan area The Chicago metropolitan area, also referred to as Chicagoland, is the largest metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Illinois, and the Midwest, containing the City of Chicago along with its surrounding suburbs and satellite cities. ...
, approximately southeast of the
Chicago Loop The Loop is Chicago's central business district and one of the city's 77 municipally recognized Community areas in Chicago, community areas. Located at the center of downtown Chicago on the shores of Lake Michigan, it is the second-largest busi ...
, and shares municipal boundaries with Hammond to the north,
Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...
to the east, Dyer and Schererville to the south, and
Lansing Lansing () is the capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan. The most populous city in Ingham County, parts of the city extend into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. It is the sixth-most populous city in Michigan with a popul ...
and Lynwood directly west over the
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
border. Its population was 23,894 at the 2020 US Census.


Geography

Munster is located at a point on an ancient shoreline of
Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...
(known as the Calumet Shoreline) which is today Ridge Road. This ridge runs east and west through the north part of town, hence the town's nickname "Town on the Ridge". The town's boundaries contain three small lakes, one of which, located within Centennial Park, is marshy and undeveloped. Munster is bordered on the north by the
Little Calumet River The Calumet River is a system of industrialized rivers and canals in the region between the South Side, Chicago, south side of Chicago, Illinois, and the city of Gary, Indiana. Historically, the Little Calumet River and the Grand Calumet River ...
, a shallow river surrounded by a thin strip of wooded area; and on the West by the
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
state line. According to the 2010 census, Munster has a total area of , of which (or 98.95%) is land and (or 1.05%) is water.


History

The Ibach House and Stallbohm Barn-Kaske House are listed in the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
.


Early history

The earliest known inhabitants of the area were the
Potawatomi The Potawatomi (), also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American tribe of the Great Plains, upper Mississippi River, and western Great Lakes region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, ...
. Although a village did not exist in what was to become Munster's town boundaries, a trail along the dry sandy ridge now known as Ridge Road was well traveled by the indigenous inhabitants. Today, Munster's downtown area, the Town Hall, Police and Fire Department headquarters, the Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, and the Munster Post Office are all situated on Ridge Road. In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the area that is today Munster was part of land claimed by France as French territory. In the 1760s the British claimed the land where the Potawatomi lived as part of the
British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...
. Twenty years later
George Rogers Clark George Rogers Clark (November 19, 1752 – February 13, 1818) was an American military officer and surveyor from Virginia who became the highest-ranking Patriot (American Revolution), Patriot military officer on the American frontier, nort ...
overran the British in the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
, claiming the land for the newly independent
United States of America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...
. In the 1850s, as the numbers of Native Americans dwindled, pioneer settlers began to inhabit the area which would become Munster to grow crops and provide dairy products to the profitable markets in Chicago. When Jacob Munster, a young man from the Netherlands who until the 1860s spelled his surname "Monster," opened an area general store complete with a U.S. postal station on the back, the local farmers and settlers came to rely on the postal station, which soon became a
United States Post Office The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal serv ...
. The post office was named Munster, as it was located in Jacob Munster's general store. Before long more and more people moved to the "Munster" area, and in 1907 Munster was incorporated as a town, with 76 residents voting "yes" for the incorporation and 28 voting "no."


Modern times

Munster soon became a booming town that attracted many people. Munster saw difficult times through the rough years of the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
. During the Cold War, Munster served as the site of the Nike-Zeus Missile defense base C-46. The site was closed in 1971 and is now under private ownership. In September 2008, Munster's northern portions suffered flooding resulting from the impact of
Hurricane Ike Hurricane Ike () was a powerful tropical cyclone that swept through portions of the Greater Antilles and Northern America in September 2008, wreaking havoc on infrastructure and agriculture, particularly in Cuba and Texas. Ike took a sim ...
, which caused the Little Calumet River to overflow. A main break occurred in the levee located near the intersection of Calumet Avenue and River Drive in the northwest quadrant of the town. Munster has requested the Army Corps of Engineers to elevate the levee in low-lying areas. The levee improvements have been completed and the majority of homes destroyed have been rebuilt, in most cases, with larger, more amenity-filled homes. The 2010 Comprehensive Plan for Munster's next twenty years includes plans for a new town center with shopping and dining to be organized around a proposed train station.


Demographics

As of 2011, the median income for a household in the town was $75,349 while the mean income for a household in the town was $97,222. The median income for a family was $95,108, and the mean income for a family is the highest in Lake County at $117,985. The estimated per capita income for the town was $36,914. About 2.3% of families and 3.1% of the population were estimated to be below the poverty line.


2010 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 23,603 people, 9,015 households, and 6,540 families residing in the town. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 9,393 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 85.6%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 3.5%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.2% Native American, 5.8% Asian, 3.1% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 10.2% of the population. There were 9,015 households, of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 27.5% were non-families. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.10. The median age in the town was 44.8 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.1% were from 25 to 44; 30.9% were from 45 to 64; and 18.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.0% male and 52.0% female. The average was done in 1999.


2000 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 21,511 people, 8,091 households, and 6,141 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 8,339 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 92.28%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 1.03%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.06% Native American, 4.49% Asian, 0.02%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 1.10% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 4.88% of the population. There were 8,091 households, out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them; 65.5% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.1% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.07. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $63,243, and the median income for a family was $74,255. Males had a median income of $53,387 versus $34,490 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the town was $30,952. About 2.8% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.


Political affiliation

Munster consistently leans towards the Democratic Party nationally while for municipal elections, the town leans towards the Republican Party. Federally, Munster is situated in
Indiana's 1st congressional district Indiana's 1st congressional district is an List of United States congressional districts, electoral district for the United States Congress, U.S. Congress in Northwestern Indiana. The district is based in Gary, Indiana, Gary and its surrounding s ...
, which is represented by Democrat Frank J. Mrvan. Munster also supports Democrats in Presidential elections;
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...
;
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...
and
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
both defeated Republican
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
.


Businesses and attractions

The town is home to a number of local, regional and national companies and extensive community resources. Among them are the Community Hospital, the Center for Visual and Performing Arts, ''
The Times of Northwest Indiana ''The Times of Northwest Indiana'' (NWI) is a daily newspaper headquartered in Munster, Indiana. It is the second-largest newspaper in Indiana, behind only ''The Indianapolis Star''. History The paper was founded on June 18, 1906, as ''The Lake ...
'' newspaper, a
PepsiCo PepsiCo, Inc. is an American multinational corporation, multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation headquartered in Harrison, New York, in the hamlet of Purchase, New York, Purchase. PepsiCo's business encompasses all aspects of the f ...
bottling and distribution facility, a
Whole Foods Market Whole Foods Market, Inc. (colloquially referred to as simply Whole Foods) is an American multinational supermarket chain store, chain headquartered in Austin, Texas, which sells products free from Hydrogenated fat, hydrogenated fats and artificia ...
distribution center, the Community Veterans Memorial, the LEED-certified Centennial Park and Golf Course, Kaske House Museum at Heritage Park, Bieker Woods Nature Area, eleven miles of bike paths, an innovative Public Art and Sculpture Program, the new Munster Music Festival, the Munster Centennials Vintage Baseball Team, and the Babe Ruth Baseball. Munster is also home to the Three Floyds Brewing Company, a microbrewery and
craft beer Craft beer is beer manufactured by craft breweries, which typically produce smaller amounts of beer than larger "macro" breweries and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as emphasising enthusiasm, ne ...
-drinker's destination noted for its "Dark Lord Day" event, which draws 6,000 people every April.


Lake Business Center

In spring 2011, Simborg Development revitalized plans for a $60 million renovation of the 72-acre Lake Business Center site fronting Calumet Avenue that will open new commercial opportunities for the Town of Munster. This development, originally to be named Munster Town Center that would have created a mixed-use center of retail shops and restaurants, commercial offices, medical facilities as well as an extended-stay hotel, was modified to maintain the warehouse facility and maintain a high-tech image exterior for the development. A
Homewood Suites by Hilton Homewood Suites by Hilton is an American chain of all-suite Extended stay hotel, residential-style hotels owned by Hilton Worldwide. , the chain consists of 505 hotels in 4 countries and territories with 57,545 rooms. 490 Homewood Suites hotels ar ...
hotel anchors the north end of the development.


Centennial Village

One of Munster's newest redevelopment projects is the area immediately surrounding the former Munster Steel site, located to the north of the town's Centennial Park. The area, named "Centennial Village," will be a mixed-use
transit-oriented development In urban planning, transit-oriented development (TOD) is a type of Real estate development, urban development that maximizes the amount of Residential area, residential, business and leisure space within Pedestrian, walking distance of public t ...
that will feature both retail and multi-unit residential housing once it is completed. The Calumet Avenue
grade separation In civil engineering (more specifically highway engineering), grade separation is a method of aligning a junction of two or more surface transport axes at different heights ( grades) so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other tr ...
has been planned since the early 1940s, with
Henry Ford Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American Technological and industrial history of the United States, industrialist and business magnate. As the founder of the Ford Motor Company, he is credited as a pioneer in making automob ...
leading the change. However, American involvement in World War II and the creation of the federal highway system stopped these plans until the present day. The project will be completed in two phases; it is part of the larger 45th Avenue/Calumet Avenue underpass and realignment project in which Phase 1 includes extending 45th Avenue east into the Centennial Village development with two new stoplights and creating an underpass under the
Canadian National The Canadian National Railway Company () is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN is Canada's largest railway, in terms of both revenue an ...
railroad tracks to align with 45th at Columbia Avenue. Meanwhile, Phase 2 includes creating an underpass at Calumet Avenue. So far, Phase 1 has been completed.


Transportation

The commercial airport closest to Munster is the
Gary/Chicago International Airport Gary/Chicago International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport in Gary, in Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is three miles northwest of the city center of Gary, and southeast of the Chicago Loop. It is operated by the Ga ...
in Gary, but most Munster residents and visitors travel from Chicago's
O'Hare International Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport is the primary international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, United States, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Chicago Loop, Loop business district. The airport is ope ...
or the
Chicago Midway International Airport Chicago Midway International Airport is a major commercial airport on the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, located approximately 12 miles (19 km) from the city's Loop business district, and divided between the city's Clearing and ...
. Lansing Municipal Airport, located immediately west of Munster in
Lansing, Illinois Lansing is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Lansing is a south suburb of Chicago. The population was 29,076 at the 2020 census. History The first family to settle in Lansing was that of August Hildebrandt in 1843. Henry, Georg ...
, serves the area's
general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...
market. Munster lies just south of the Borman Expressway (I-80/94). Calumet Avenue is a major North-South artery in the town, and becomes
U.S. Route 41 U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miam ...
just north of the Borman.
Interstate 65 Interstate 65 (I-65) is a major north–south Interstate Highway System, interstate highway in the central United States. As with most primary interstates ending in 5, it is a major crosscountry, north–south route, connecting between th ...
, the
Indiana Toll Road The Indiana Toll Road, officially the Indiana East–West Toll Road, is a controlled-access toll road that runs for east–west across northern Indiana from the Illinois state line to the Ohio state line. It has been advertised as the "Main ...
, and U.S. Routes 12, 20, and 30 are within a radius.


Education

The School Town of Munster is the public school system for all portions of the town. All five schools in the system are recognized as Indiana Blue Ribbon schools and have been awarded five-star ratings. Munster High School is one of several schools from Indiana on ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...
'''s 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 Top Schools list. The school is also ranked on ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'''s 2011 "The High School Challenge". Additionally, Munster was cited by Neighborhood Scout for offering the best combination of public school quality and affordable neighborhoods in the Chicago Metropolitan Area. In 1875, Munster's school board (which at the time was not officially designated School Town) operated a single three-room school house located on the corner of Calumet Avenue and Ridge Road. According to local records, enrollment did not exceed 50 students in any given year before 1920. In 1913, the school board decided to add a second school building due to increased enrollment. The new Munster school was dedicated in 1915. By the 1940s, the building had expanded to include twelve classrooms, a new gymnasium, and a 60-seat basement auditorium. The school was renamed Lanier School in 1950. These new additions were not enough to accommodate Munster's rapidly growing population. By 1948, James B. Eads Elementary School was built on Harrison Avenue, for students residing west of Calumet Avenue. In 1952 Earnest R. Elliot Elementary School was built on White Oak Avenue. With the two new elementary schools in operation, Lanier School became a Junior High School (grades 7–9). Following graduation from grade 9, students attended high schools in either Hammond or Highland to complete grades 10–12. A new, modern facility was planned for the junior high students in the late 1950s. Wilbur Wright Junior High opened in 1960, causing Lanier to downsize to an elementary school. Several classrooms and a resource center were added in the following years. Amid the continuing expansion of the school system, the board gave serious consideration to adding a high school. The initial proposal encompassed a spacious building designed for 1,200 students and included an athletic facility with a swimming pool. However, the cost of more than $6.2 million did not appeal to the public. In response, a modified design was submitted, and construction began in June 1965. The doors to the new high school opened to students in September 1966. In 1969, a new elementary school was added. Frank H. Hammond boasted 25 classrooms, an auditorium, and a learning center. When the outdated Lanier school's enrollment dipped in the late 1970s, the board decided to close the facility in 1980.


Modernization

As of 2011, two of Munster's three elementary schools have since been completely rebuilt; the new buildings for James B. Eads Elementary and Earnest R. Elliot Elementary were completed in 2003 and 2006, respectively. Wilbur Wright Middle School has undergone significant expansions and renovations as well. Munster High School dedicated a state-of-the-art football, track and soccer complex in 2010, as well as a $17,000,000 Aquatic Center in January 2011. The latter facility is one of two scholastic aquatic centers in Indiana and the only one that is connected to a high school (the other is IUPUI's natatorium). In 2012, a two-story classroom addition was constructed at Munster High School to accommodate the growing student population. The School Town of Munster implemented a curriculum/technology initiative termed ''1 to 1 Technology'' for the 2011–2012 school year. Designed to enhance the school system's instructional technology infrastructure, the program provides leases on laptop computers to all students in grades 5–12. Initially focused on
STEM fields Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is an umbrella term used to group together the distinct but related technical disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The term is typically used in the context o ...
curricula, the impact of the initiative is eventually expected to reach all subjects, and will better accommodate web-based student assessments.


Private Schools

Two private schools are located in Munster; St. Thomas More Parish added a school in 1949, available to and St. Paul's Lutheran school is located at 8601 Harrison Ave, and was founded in Hammond in 1886. The church and school moved to Munster in 1981. Both schools are available to elementary and middle school students. ;List of schools - School Town of Munster * Munster High School * Wilbur Wright Middle School * Ernest R. Elliott Elementary School * James B. Eads Elementary School * Frank H. Hammond Elementary School ;List of schools - Private/Parochial * St. Paul's Pre-school, Elementary, and Middle School (
Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
) * St. Thomas More Elementary and Middle School (Catholic, Diocese of Gary)


Recreation

Munster has ten parks, three lakes, a nine-hole golf course and driving range, of bike paths, an innovative public art and sculpture program, and two recreational points of interest. Centennial Park, the newest and largest of these facilities, was built on a former landfill and opened in 2007. This award-winning park incorporates several environmentally-friendly design elements conformant to the
LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a Green building certification systems, green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating ...
Silver guidelines. Methane gas from the landfill is captured and converted into electricity to power the park. Centennial Park's amenities include a clubhouse with green roof and banquet facilities, ''The View'' restaurant with outdoor seating, a nine-hole (Tim Nugent of Nugent Golf in
Vernon Hills, Illinois Vernon Hills is a suburb north of Chicago, Illinois in Lake County, Illinois, Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 26,850 at the 2020 census. Vernon Hills serves as a retail hub for its surrounding area (Libertyville, Illinois ...
.) designed golf course and driving range, a live stage amphitheater, a lake with two bridges, three fountains, fishing opportunities, and a boardwalk, a sculpture walk (in progress), formal botanical gardens, outdoor pavilions, walking trails, access to the Pennsy Greenway, a 3-acre dog park, and soccer fields. Events held at Centennial Park include Munster Music Festival, Grape Escape Wine Festival, July 4 fireworks displays over the lake, and an outdoor movie series. Community Park is another popular Munster park and hosts the town's annual Car and Motorcycle Show. Features of this facility include an outdoor swimming complex, a skate park, lighted tennis courts, playgrounds, baseball fields, a basketball court, a social center, and picnic areas. The park is located immediately east of the Lake County Public Library's Munster branch. Little League Baseball was first organized in the town in 1952, and Babe Ruth Baseball was established in 1954. Munster's Babe Ruth All-Star teams have won six state championships since 1985. ;List of parks and recreational facilities – Munster Parks & Recreation *Beech Park *Bieker Woods Nature Area *Bluebird Park *Briar Creek Park *Burlwood Park *Centennial Park *Cobblestones Park *Community Park *Circle Park *Evergreen Park *Frank H. Hammond Park *Grove Park *Heritage Park & Kaske House Museum *Military Memorial Park *Munster Pool *Orchard Park *Rotary Park *Sommerset Park *Stewart Park *Sunnyside Park *Twin Creek Park *White Oak Park *The Veterans War Memorial


Notable people

*
Stephan Bonnar Stephan Patrick Bonnar (April 4, 1977 – December 22, 2022) was an American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. Bonnar competed as a Light Heavyweight in the UFC for most of his career. Bonnar was the runner-up on The Ultimate Fig ...
, mixed martial artist. * Todd Donoho, a radio and television sportscaster, who hosts the post-game show for Missouri Tigers basketball on the statewide Tiger Radio Network. *
Nan Hayworth Nan Alison Hayworth (née Sutter; born December 14, 1959) is an American ophthalmologist and former congresswoman for . A Republican, she was elected in 2010. In 2012, after redistricting, Hayworth ran for reelection in the new 18th district ...
, former U.S. Representative for New York's 19th congressional district. * Sue Hendrickson, paleontologist. * Jack Hyles, minister and pastor of First Baptist Church of Hammond. *
Tony Kanal Tony Ashwin Kanal (born 27 August 1970) is a British-American musician, songwriter and record producer who is known for his work as the bassist and co-writer for the rock bands No Doubt and Dreamcar. His career outside of performing include ...
, musician from band
No Doubt No Doubt is an American rock band formed in Anaheim, California in 1986. For most of its career, the band has consisted of vocalist and founding member Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal and drummer Adrian Young. Keyboar ...
. * Mark Kruzan, former mayor of
Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in Monroe County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. The population was 79,168 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the List of municipalities in Indiana, seventh-most populous city in Indiana and ...
, State politician. * Jeff Lee (swimmer), a former international freestyle swimmer from the United States. *
Joe Mansueto Joseph Daniel Mansueto (born September 3, 1956) is an American billionaire entrepreneur; the founder, majority owner and executive chairman of Morningstar, Inc. He is also the owner of Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire FC and Swiss Super Leag ...
, founder and CEO of
Morningstar, Inc. Morningstar, Inc. is an American financial services firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, founded by Joe Mansueto in 1984. It provides an array of investment research and investment management services. With operations in 29 countries, Mornin ...
* Don McCune, former professional bowler, member of the PBA and USBC Halls of Fame * Ryan McMahen, professional soccer player. *
Hal Morris William Harold Morris III (born April 9, 1965) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman who played for several teams from 1988 to 2000, including a ten year stint with the Cincinnati Reds. From until 2016, he was the direc ...
, Major League Baseball player. *
Mara Candelaria Reardon Mara Candelaria Reardon is an American politician who is a member of the Indiana House of Representatives, representing the 12th District from 2007 - 2015, and then 2017 to present. Candelaria Reardon is a member of the Democratic Party. She wa ...
, former Democratic member of the Indiana House of Representatives. * Jerome Reppa, lawyer and politician. *
Todd Rokita Theodore Edward Rokita ( ; born February 9, 1970) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 44th and current Indiana Attorney General, Attorney General of Indiana. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives fro ...
, Attorney General of Indiana; Secretary of State of Indiana; U.S. Representative.


See also

* Calumet Shoreline


References


Further reading

* Hmurovic, Edward N. ''Munster, Indiana''. 2003 ()


External links

* {{authority control Towns in Lake County, Indiana Towns in Indiana Populated places established in 1907 1907 establishments in Indiana