Exploring Fort Wayne and Bloomington

Fort Wayne is located in northeastern Indiana.

The Fort Wayne Museum of Art or FWMoA exhibits a wide range of mediums in American art. You’ll find over 7,000 paintings, sculptures, and delicate glass. Highlights include Indiana Impressionists, world-famous painters, and artisan glass cutters. The museum also hosts different programs, events, and classes. Every October they have the family-friendly Dia De Los Muertos celebration.

Parkview Field is home to the TinCaps Minor League Baseball team. The stadium also hosts concerts, fitness festivals, and over 400 non-baseball events. Runners can come to stretch their legs on the track every day. The highlight here is to catch an evening game under the lights.

The Foellinger Freimann Botanical Conservatory takes you to the tropics. There are three garden areas. The Desert Garden with many cacti, the Tropical Garden with the koi pond and waterfall, and the Showcase Garden with rotating exhibits throughout the year as well as a Butterfly Garden in the spring. The botanical garden also offers several classes and programs.

Headwater Park sits at the confluence of three major rivers. It is a place to relax and enjoy the river surroundings, You can enjoy the Hamilton Sculpture Garden in the park and there is also an open-air pavilion for private events. In the winter you can enjoy skating at the Headwaters Ice Skating Rink. In July this is the place to enjoy the Three River Festival.

Historic Old Fort was reconstructed to look like the original from 1815. It is a great place to have some fun and learn about the history of the area. From Headwater Park it is located across St. Mary’s River. Visitors can explore the grounds, see the interior of the fort, and participate in some live-action history. Special events are hosted with costumed characters and guided tours.

The Arts United Center was designed by world famous architect Louis Kahn in 1973. This amazing building is home to the Fort Wayne Civic Theater, the Fort Wayne Ballet, the Fort Wayne Dance Collective, and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. Backstage tours are available.

On the Arts United campus, you’ll also find the History Center featuring over 28,000 artifacts among them the 1893 City Hall building in which it has found its home. Exhibits tell the regional story from native cultures to 20th-century technological innovations. The center also sponsors tours and events that take place at the Chief Richardville House, a preserved 19th-century residence that was once home to Fort Wayne’s most influential historical figures.

The Science Center is housed in an old 1908 coal-burning plant. This is a hands-on science museum and among the highlights is the High Rail Bike which teaches kids about gravity.

Fort Wayne Firefighters Museum is housed in the historic Old Station #3. Visitors can see firefighting relics from the past among them red fire wagons and retired operating systems. On the second floor, visitors can look into the lives and living quarters of modern firefighters.

Eagle Marsh Nature Preserve sits on the southwest edge of the city. It is a natural habitat for different wildlife and has over 10 miles of hiking trails to explore wetlands, meadows, prairies, and forests. There are organized runs, public hikes, and naturalist-led explorations.

The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo has specially themed areas and attractions among them an African Journey Safari Trail, an Australian Adventure River Ride, and the Indonesian Rainforest. Among the resident animals, you can see orangutans, lions, kangaroos, Komodo dragons, zebra sharks, and Tasmanian devils.

Exploring Bloomington in Southern Indiana

The Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University is known to be the foremost university art museum in the country. It has found its home in I.M. Pei’s iconic triangular building. The museum offers an internationally acclaimed collection of more than 45,000 artworks among them paintings by Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso, African masks, and jewelry. There are permanent collection galleries, traveling exhibitions, and special installations. You’ll also find on-site sculptures that have been arranged into nine curatorial areas across three floors. Free guided tours are available.

Indiana University is home to the Hoosiers, the intercollegiate sports team. The campus has a park-like setting with fountains and landscaped green spaces.

The IU Arboretum is a beautiful natural space on campus. It was planted on the spot where the old Memorial Stadium once stood. It is also known as the Jesse H. and Beulah Chanley Cox Arboretum, named after two influential Hoosier alumni. It is a wonderful place to relax and enjoy nature.

Monroe Lake is a reservoir that is located southeast of Bloomington and surrounded by protected forests and wilderness areas. The lake provides recreation for residents and enjoyment for visitors.

On the eastern shore, you’ll find the Ransburg Scout Reservation as well as the Fourwinds Resort and Marina with more than 800 boats. Visitors can enjoy fishing all through the year and other activities like boating, water skiing, and kayaking. The visitors center offers many different programs during the summer.

Bloomington Farmers Market is a weekly market selling many fresh farm products, handicrafts, and other items for sale from local farmers, artisans, and artists. There are more than 40 vendor stalls and during the winter months of November and December you can find varied winter produce, The market also offers live music and other kinds of entertainment.

The Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center and Kumbum Chamtse Ling Temple (means Field of Compassion) were founded by Thubben Jigme Norbu who is the brother of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet. These are the oldest and largest centers of Buddhism in the U.S. They preserve the rich culture and heritage of Mongolia and Tibet.

There are shrines, stupas, sculptures, and prayer wheels. Guided tours are available.

The Wylie House Museum was once the home of Andrew Wylie, the first president of Indiana University. The historic house has become a museum that displays life at the Wylie home in the mid-19th century. Guided tours are offered.

Oliver Winery was founded by IU law professor William Oliver. It is one of the largest wineries in the U.S. Wines are produced using high-quality grapes. Among the wines, you’ll find semi-dry and dry whites and reds, dessert wines, and sparkling wines. Also produced here are Beanblossom Hard Cider, Bubblecraft, and a light wine Camelot Mead made with honey. There are daily wine tastings and weekend tours, Visitors can enjoy gourmet picnics on the farm and purchase their choice of wine.

McCormick’s Creek located northwest of Bloomington was the first state park in Indiana. You’ll find lovely scenery, limestone caves, rushing water, and densely forested landscapes, There is also a campground. Other popular attractions include the Olympic-sized swimming pool, the Nature Center, and various hiking trails. Visitors can enjoy guided horseback rides at the Saddle Barn.

The Hoosier National Forest is located in south-central Indiana. The northern part of the forest offers lots of recreation like backpacking, fishing, scenic driving, rock climbing, and viewing wildlife. There are many campgrounds for regular campers and RV dwellers. One of the most scenic areas is the Charles C. Deam Wilderness which is a federally designated wilderness area. It is the only one of its kind in the state, During the spring wild hyacinths bloom.

The B-Line Trail is a paved pedestrian path that goes through Bloomington and was once a railroad corridor. It connects with many of the top attractions in the city and natural spaces. Downtown you can connect with the Farmers’ Market, the WonderLab Museum, and other city venues. Along the path are energy-efficient lights that illuminate the trail from dusk to dawn. Public art is displayed all along the trail.

The WonderLab Museum offers different permanent exhibits like a Kaleidoscope Cave, Bubble Atrium, and Hall of Natural Science. On the grounds, you can enjoy the Lester P. Bushnell Wonder Garden which is a natural space with living exhibits. Wonderlab also offers different programs like STEM-oriented IDEA Labs, adult social functions, and Wonder Camps for kids.

Lower Cascade Park offers a place to relax and enjoy recreational activities. Kids enjoy the playground and adults can relax with views of the landscaped creek. There are picnic shelters and creek-side picnic tables. You’ll find open spaces for throwing footballs or Frisbees and other lawn activities. The Cascade Park Trial is a paved, non-motorized pathway, taking in the natural surroundings of the area,