Big shout out to Pastor Joy and the amazing people at Bethel Lutheran Church. Our group has taken photos at their cemetery for years, so it was nice to come out with the team and help with a little spring cleanup alongside their sister church to help get the grounds together.
Discover. Preserve. Grow.
Fun fact… the very first Decay Devils project ever was with St. Monica St. Luke Church. Sounds a little unexpected for an urbex and preservation group, but we’ve actually built strong connections with a number of churches and faith communities over the years. A lot of these spaces hold deep history, memories, and community roots, and it means a lot to play even a small role in helping preserve them. 🤝
Yesterday was a long day. Planted a few trees with the SCA, Gary Parks Director, and colleagues. Then made a few pamphlet drops to the Gardner Center and the library.
Thank you all for sending recommendations for drop off sites. Looking forward to getting all these distributed across the region!
DISCOVER • PRESERVE • GROW
Northwest Indiana… we need your help 🗺️
The Landmarks + Art Guides are rolling out across the Region, and we’re looking for businesses, coffee shops, breweries, museums, libraries, visitor centers, boutiques, restaurants, and community spaces that would be interested in hosting:
📍 Free brochures
📍 Stickers
📍 Window decals
📍 Local exploration materials
The goal is simple:
Help people discover the incredible landmarks, murals, history, public art, and hidden gems right here in Northwest Indiana.
If you’d be interested in having guides available at your location, send us a message! We’d love to partner with you and hopefully bring more visitors and explorers through your doors.
ALSO… drop your recommendations below!
We already have a growing list of locations, but we want to make sure we connect with as many great spots and community partners as possible.
Let’s build something regional together.
Discover. Preserve. Grow. 🌎✨
Update:
75% website
95% guides
Almost there.
We’re a little behind schedule, but finishing strong.
Full launch coming next week.
Stay tuned.
@indianalandmarks@inhumanities@legacyfdn
Sneak peek 👀
Our new Crown Point Landmark + Art Guide is almost here.
We’re excited to share this next chapter in celebrating the places, stories, and creative spaces that make Crown Point special. From historic icons to local gems, this guide was built to help residents and visitors explore the city in a new way.
Our first event of the year will be happening in Crown Point alongside an amazing local partner. We’ll be sharing details soon, and trust us… you’ll want to be there.
Huge thank you to our supporters who helped make this possible: Legacy Foundation, Indiana Humanities, Indiana Landmarks, and everyone who continues to believe in community storytelling and local pride.
Stay tuned. More to come. 🔥
#CrownPoint #NorthwestIndiana #LandmarkGuide #ArtGuide #HistoricPreservation CommunityPride ExploreIndiana DecayDevils
Big things are on the way. The revamped Landmarks + Art Guide series is almost here, and we’re excited to celebrate the stories, history, creativity, and pride that make our Region communities special.
A huge thank you to all of our local collaborators, Decay Devils (photographers, researchers, advocates, & designers), and partners at Legacy Foundation, Indiana Landmarks, and Indiana Humanities for helping bring this vision to life. This project is powered by people who care deeply about preserving the past while building new energy for the future.
We’ll be hosting a collaborative event in each city this year, and two are already on the books. We can’t wait to share the dates, locations, and details very soon.
Stay tuned… this is just the beginning. #LandmarksAndArtGuide #NWIndiana #CommunityPride #HistoricPreservation #PublicArt StayTuned
Big appreciation to Gretchen and Greg for leading a memorable downtown Gary tour for The Common Good Collective. Moments like this show how powerful public art, history, and storytelling can be in changing how people experience a city.
We also want to thank all of our members who keep this work in motion. Those who service the grounds, lead projects, plan events, and lend a hand whenever they can. Every effort matters, and every contribution helps us make an impact in Northwest Indiana.
We appreciate you all. 🙏
#DecayDevils #GaryIndiana #PublicArt219 #HistoricPreservation #CommunityFirst NorthwestIndiana
On this day in 2017 we embarked on a project bigger than we anticipated. So greatful for the love and good energy shared with us over the years. Let's see if we have one more rabbit up the sleeve 🎩
A small house with a big story.
This is the Land Company House in Gary. Built during the earliest days of the city, it once served as an office responsible for selling lots and helping shape the brand new steel town being built around U.S. Steel in the early 1900s. (And a school / post office)
Over the decades the little building has been moved multiple times, adapting as the city around it evolved. What remains is one of the few physical reminders of Gary’s earliest planning and development years.
In 2019, we did some small beautification work here to help draw attention to the site and its story. Behind the house sits the historic EJ&E 765 Steam Locomotive, which our team resurfaced and repainted in 2022 to help preserve another piece of regional history.
It’s encouraging to see the house now showing signs of stabilization work. Places like this may be small, but they hold big pieces of the story of how cities are built, changed, and remembered.
Gary’s history is still standing... sometimes it just needs a little help to keep doing so.
#GaryIndiana #HistoricPreservation #DecayDevils #RustBeltHistory #GaryHistory PreserveHistory IndustrialHeritage
On 3/1 I had the chance to visit Fernwood Botanical Garden and talk about Decay Devils, travel, and photography.
Slipped in a few slides about the books and short film too because all of it connects.
Art opened more lanes than I ever planned for. New places. New rooms. New growth.
Grateful for spaces that make room for the story.
Atlanta. 2019. Jackson Street Bridge.
Light trails slicing through the city.
Skyline glowing. That one clean shot.
But scroll back.
Tripods. Missed exposures. Adjusting settings.
Timing traffic. Shooting again.
We’re preservationists now,
But photographers at heart.
The magic isn’t luck. It’s practice.
#DecayDevils #JacksonStreetBridge #AtlantaNights #PhotographersAtHeart
