A new self-guided driving tour connects five Jackson family landmarks across Gary, steering visitors from the childhood home on Jackson Street to three murals and a historic high school on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's endangered list.

Visit Miller Beach published the route, which starts in the Jackson family's neighborhood, moves through downtown Gary and ends in the Miller Beach community. The guide suggests allowing a half-day for photographs, driving and a meal.

The first stop is the Jackson family home at 2300 Jackson Street. The modest house was Michael Jackson's childhood home and the starting point for the family's musical career. Visitors from around the world come to pay tribute, according to the tour guide. The home is not open to the public; the guide advises taking photos from the sidewalk and keeping neighboring driveways clear.

Roosevelt High School faces uncertain future

Stop two is Roosevelt High School at 730 West 25th Ave. Jackie and Jermaine Jackson attended the school, and Michael Jackson gave a concert there for students in 2003, according to the tour guide.

Built in 1930, Roosevelt was one of only three Indiana high schools constructed specifically for Black students during the Jim Crow era, according to Indiana Landmarks. At its peak, the Colonial Revival building housed more than 3,000 students. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The school closed in 2019 and faces an estimated $20 million in repair costs, according to Indiana Landmarks. In 2024, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Roosevelt one of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.

Three murals anchor the route

The tour's third stop is a Janet Jackson mural at 2468 Broadway. The mural depicts Janet Jackson as a young girl during her role as Penny on the late 1970s television sitcom Good Times, according to the tour guide. Born May 16, 1966, in Gary, Janet Jackson was the youngest of Joseph and Katherine Jackson's nine children, according to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which inducted her in 2019.

Stop four is a downtown Jackson 5 mural on Broadway. The city of Gary commissioned the work, which replaced an earlier mural destroyed in a building demolition, according to the tour guide. Local artist Felix Maldonado painted the piece, depicting Tito, Marlon, Jermaine, Michael and Jackie Jackson.

The final stop is The Jacksons mural at 610 S. Lake St. in Gary's Miller Beach neighborhood, painted on the north wall of the former Vogue Cleaners & Shirt Laundry building. Local philanthropists Karren and Pat Lee and Tom and Sylvia Collins privately funded the mural, which is three times larger than its predecessor, according to a Gary city government press release. The original Lake Street Jackson 5 mural went up in 2013 but was removed in 2018 after weather and building deterioration.

Mayor Eddie Melton and community members dedicated the new mural in 2025. Maldonado also created this piece.

The tour arrives as Gary's Jackson family connection draws fresh attention. A free screening of the Michael Jackson biopic "Michael" drew long lines at West Side High on April 13, CBS News reported. Jaafar Jackson, who portrays his uncle in the film, and members of the Jackson 5 walked the red carpet.

Peggy Blackwell, president of Visit Miller Beach Gary, said in the city press release that visitors can take the South Shore train from Chicago, get off at Miller Station, see the mural, shop or dine in the Miller business district and ride to the beach.

The tour guide is available at visitmillerbeachgary.com.