Beardsley Discovery Center
The Beardsley Discovery Center is where your Ruthmere experience begins. Located directly north of the Havilah Beardsley House at 819 N. Main Street, this historic building serves as the Ruthmere Museum Campus welcome center, housing the museum store, visitor orientation screenings, the Family Tree Explorer program, and event space. Visit this location to:
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| History of the Beardsley Discovery Center The Beardsley Discovery Center (BDC) was originally part of the Havilah Beardsley House (HBH) property, serving as the carriage house and stables. James Rufus and Susan Ray Beardsley (son and daughter-in-law to city founders Havilah and Rachel Beardsley) likely had the building constructed during an 1874 remodel of the HBH. Susan Ray Beardsley sold the HBH, including the carriage house, in 1913. The carriage house was converted from an agricultural building into a residence in 1926, and was owned by ten different families until 2020, when a devastating fire made the home unlivable. The Ruthmere Foundation then acquired the building and worked closely with Indiana Landmarks and Kil Architecture to stabilize the damaged structure. The exterior shell of the building was kept to maintain the carriage house appearance and the inside was renovated to fit the museum's growing need for additional accessible orientation and event space, a larger museum store, and storage. The BDC was opened to the public in 2026 with a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony on May 1st. |
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