The Mt. Wawasee resort had a shop offering a full array of ski equipment, including skis, boots and poles.

News Release

SYRACUSE — The Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum has a new attraction based on Mt. Wawasee.

Mt. Wawasee was a ski resort in New Paris that once attracted countless skiers over its many years of operation. The titular “mountain,” once called Buzzard Hill, was bought by Loyal Wilson and turned into a resort in 1962. Wilson added 40 feet to the top of the hill, built an alpine lodge, installed tows and paved a parking lot.

A coat bearing patches for the National Ski Patrol. The Mt. Wawasee lodge display was made possible through a loan by Ed Hart, who served on the National Ski Patrol for 30 years, including three years at Mt. Wawasee.

The humble 1,041 foot-tall hill, once the highest point in northern Indiana, offered several amenities. Guests could buy pizza, hamburgers and drinks at a snack bar, relax around a fire pit, or admire the view from the lodge’s windows. The resort also housed a rental shop with a full compliment of skis and poles, a store for ski equipment and an ATV rental.

Mt. Wawasee closed in 1987.

The Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum’s Mount Wawasee display was made possible due to the loan of items from Ed Hart, who was on the National Ski Patrol for 30 years, including three years at Mt. Wawasee. Hart lives in Milford and was a 1972 graduate of Wawasee High School.

Items will be displayed until Feb 28. Admission is free, though the museum accepts donations.

Located in the Syracuse Community Center, 1013 N. Long Drive, the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday.

For more information or to make a donation, call the museum at (574) 457-3599 or go to syracusemuseum.org.