The History Museum in South Bend, IN, is a regional historical society that began in 1867 and continues to operate in the West Washington Street Historic District. It provides knowledge to make a positive impact on the future by collecting, preserving, and interpreting our region’s heritage.

The History Museum achieved accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums in 2015, the highest national recognition afforded to the nation’s museums. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, governments, funders, outside agencies, and museum-going public. All museums must undergo a reaccreditation review at least every 10 years to maintain an accredited status.

Since 1867, The History Museum has been collecting the memories of the St. Joseph River Valley region. This has resulted in our archives containing approximately 600,000 two-and three-dimensional materials.

Some of these items are currently available to search and view. Click the button below to search our archives.