Indiana Dinosaur Museum in South Bend is off to a fast start, already drawing over 26,000

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Indiana Dinosaur Museum in South Bend is off to a fast start, already drawing over 26,000

SOUTH BEND ― In just its first 12 weeks of existence, the

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has already drawn 26,294 visitors and is on pace to easily break through the 100,000 mark in its first year.

That’s a fast start for an attraction that no one knew exactly how well it would do when Mark Tarner, the founder and president of the

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., started pitching his idea for a 90-acre complex at 7102 Lincoln Way W. that could serve as a new home for his chocolate factory as well as a museum to house the thousands of dinosaur fossils he’s collected through decades as an ******** paleontologist.

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Mark Tarner, left, owner of the Indiana Dinosaur Museum, speaks during a press conference at the museum on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, celebrating the completion of the museum and the number of visitors it has attracted in its opening months. South Bend Mayor James Mueller, center, and David Holt, chief operating officer for the Indiana destination development corporation, stand in the background. MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE

On Wednesday afternoon, Tarner was on hand with South Bend Mayor James Mueller, one of the earliest believers in the project, Caleb Bauer, the city’s executive director of community investment, and tourism officials to discuss the fast start at the new attraction.

“We think our total numbers are going to be about 104,000, but maybe it could be 135,000,” Tarner said, adding that it’s hard to make an exact prediction since he’s never run a museum before.

The total includes only paid admission to the museum and excludes the thousands of additional visitors who are dropping the chocolate factory for a tour, the new

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.

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4-year-old Easton Kurnyak of South Bend points up at a dinosaur during opening day at the Indiana Dinosaur Museum on Friday, July 12, 2024, in South Bend.

And Tarner is just getting started as he has many other ideas for the land that also includes scenic overlooks, bison, picnic spots, a sledding hill and more.

This week, the city officially forgave a $2.7 million loan it provided for the project in addition to a discount price for the underused land overlooking the St. Joseph Valley Parkway near the

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, since Tarner already has far exceeded the job creation and investment requirements that were part of the agreement.

“This was a pretty standard deal just for the relocation and expansion of the chocolate factory,” Mueller said, adding that the city also invested $1.4 million in infrastructure improvements that will benefit more than just the dinosaur complex. Everything else that Tarner has developed ― a tourism draw and a place for the community to enjoy ― are bonuses, he added.

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Bison roam a field on the property during opening day at the Indiana Dinosaur Museum on Friday, July 12, 2024, in South Bend.

It’s been estimated that the dinosaur museum eventually could reach 150,000 visitors a year, which would put it in fourth place behind the

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, the

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and the

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as the top visitor draws in the county.

But based on its fast start and additional development in the future, officials were speculating that it could perhaps draw as many as 300,000 visitors a year since Tarner has additional ideas for the project, including a possible wine-tasting room in one of the existing buildings on the property.

Besides improving the quality of life for those living in the region and providing 188 jobs, the new development will also provide additional spending at area restaurants, stores and hotels, said David Holt, chief of staff and chief operating officer for the

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Mark Tarner, left, owner of South Bend Chocolate Company, and his director of operations, Kristina Tressler, pose for a portrait together at South Bend Public House on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, before the restaurant’s opening day on Thursday in South Bend.

“The Indiana Dinosaur Museum is quickly cementing itself as an anchor for the community and is playing a vital role in supporting local tourism,” said Holt, adding that the new attraction adds to the state’s overall tourism fabric ― which he says continues to expand since it started promoting itself in neighboring states.

In 2022, St. Joseph County drew 5.7 million visitors, who spent $1.5 billion at area hotels, restaurants and stores, said Jeff Jarnecke. He said the attraction will draw new visitors to the community and provide another reason for tourists to extend their stay.

“We’re thrilled to see the economic driver that this brings to the west side of South Bend,” Mueller said. “This is an attraction for the state, this is an attraction for the region, and this will continue to place South Bend squarely on the map.”

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune:

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#Indiana #Dinosaur #Museum #South #Bend #fast #start #drawing

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