VALPARAISO’s urschel PAVILION
Valparaiso’s Urschel Pavilion is an open-air facility utilized in all seasons for a variety of functions, rentals, and events located in the central downtown district of Valparaiso, the county seat of Porter County in Northwest Indiana. The facility opened in 2015 and has seen ever-increasing usage from the area residents and visitors as it continues to serve as an anchor attraction in the revitalized downtown community.
The William E. Urschel Pavilion opened in November 2015 and instantly became the place to see and visit in Valparaiso. The 12,000 square foot pavilion in the revitalized downtown is just one block west of the county courthouse and serves as a market, a venue for parties and receptions, a training facility for young skaters and hockey players, an exhibition space, and a myriad of other uses throughout the year.
The state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems transform the facility from a great venue to an awesome one, allowing for specialized events utilizing various colors as a backdrop (for example, baby and bridal showers, receptions, seasons, holidays, and business functions with corporate logo colors highlighted, etc.). Locating the pavilion downtown adjacent to the amphitheater expands the Central Park campus so the area serves as an anchor in attracting small groups and families as well as larger organizations and businesses to the downtown area, helping to support nearby restaurants, breweries, and shops.
Activity in the area has increased significantly, along with the number of Valparaiso Parks Department programs for children and young adults. Crowd visitation was five times more than anticipated, recording over 50,000 skaters in the inaugural year alone. On the west end of the facility, the Activity Center includes skate rental, restrooms, public seating with food service, and a large window wall to allow non-skaters to enjoy watching the Pavilion activities. In 2016, the American Planning Association recognized the park as one of the nation’s Best Public Spaces.
