South Bend is noted for the University of Notre Dame, for its industrial heritage, and for its municipal parks. A good place to begin a campus tour is at Notre Dame's Eck Visitors' Center, which has historical displays and a 20-minute movie about the university. Notre Dame's golden-domed Main Building is the campus's central symbol; inside, the walls are lined with murals depicting the life of Christopher Columbus by Vatican artist Luigi Gregori. The five-story Victorian building recently received a $58 million renovation, restoring its woodwork, lighting fixtures, and walls. Also on the campus are a reproduction of France's Grotto of Lourdes; the ornate Basilica of the Sacred Heart; the Log Chapel, hand-built by Father Stephen Badin—the first Catholic priest ordained in the U.S.—in 1830; the Snite Museum of Art; and an 11-story library.
Young sports fans will enjoy passing and kicking a football at the College Football Hall of Fame, a 58,000 square-foot museum devoted to every aspect of football—its players, fans, cheerleaders, and bands. The museum features interactive exhibits as well as artifacts, mementos, and photographs. Studebaker Museum traces the history of the Studebaker Company from its days as a maker of horse-drawn carriages to its innovations in the manufacture of automobiles. Among the exhibits is the carriage in which President Lincoln rode to Ford's Theater on the night he was assassinated. The Northern Indiana Center for History includes Copshaholm (The Oliver Mansion), a 38-room stone mansion built in 1895; Worker House, a cottage reflecting working-class homes of the 1930s; History Center, which charts local history through industry, individuals, clothing, and even toys; and kidsfirst Children's Museum. The Potawatomi Park Zoo, founded in 1902, is the oldest zoo in the state. The 23-acre zoo is home to 400 animals, including several rare and endangered species such as tigers, red pandas, cotton-top tamarins, snow leopards, and lemurs. Visitors to the South Bend Chocolate Company can tour its factory and explore its chocolate museum. Amish Acres, in nearby Nappanee, IN, is an 80-acre, 19th-century farm that showcases the customs, beliefs, and work habits of the Amish people; featured are 18 restored buildings, craft demonstrations, farm animals, musical theatre, restaurants, and quaint shops.
The South Bend Symphony, the Broadway Theater League, Southold Dance, and other community arts groups perform at the Morris Performing Arts Center, Indiana's oldest historic theater, built in 1922. The Symphony's concert season includes six Masterworks, three pops, two family, three chamber, and a holiday concert. Broadway Theatre League presents nationally-touring Broadway shows in a season that runs between June and September. Southold Dance offers performances ranging from classic ballet to modern dance; the Nutcracker is a yearly favorite. The South Bend Civic Theatre is the largest community theatre in the state, as measured by operating budget, yearly productions, and membership; it presents a 16-play season, primarily at The Firehouse, a historic landmark.
The Snite Museum of Art, on the Notre Dame campus, holds more than 21,000 pieces in its permanent collection, featuring Rembrandt etchings, 19th-century French art, Old Master and 19th-century drawings, 19th-century European photographs, Mestrovic sculpture and drawings, Olmec and Preclassic Mesoamerican art, 20th-century art, Northern Native American art, and decorative and design arts. The South Bend Regional Art Center features a permanent collection focusing on American—especially Indiana—art, from the 19th century through the present. The Hannah Lindahl Children's museum gives young people a close-up, hands-on look at how life was lived long ago.
South Bend's parks are the location for many of the city's festivals and special events. A major event at Leeper Park is an art fair the last weekend in June. Rum Village Park hosts Old Fashioned Summer, featuring an antique car show, entertainment, a Native American program and activities, square dancing, trail activities, and more. South Bend's Summer in the City Festival, formerly known as the Ethnic Festival, features entertainment, food, rides, and a parade. Also in June, Merrifield Park, in nearby Mishawaka, hosts Summerfest, which features food, music, craft booths, and a free evening concert. St. Patrick's Park presents a number of events, including the Firefly Festival, an outdoor music, theater, and dance program on weekends from mid-June through early August; the Blues and Ribs Fest in August; and Kee-Boon-Mein-Kaa, a traditional Indian pow wow featuring food, dancing, demonstrations, and crafts, in September.
The University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is among the most famous college teams in the world. Legendary coach Knute Rockne began the school's success in the 1920s with the "Four Horsemen" and "Seven Mules." Throughout Notre Dame's history, the Fighting Irish have been known for great players, outstanding coaches, and a schedule of games against the nation's best football teams. The home schedule is played on Saturday afternoons in the fall in Notre Dame Stadium. The Fighting Irish also field competitive teams in basketball and other sports.
The Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium is the home field of South Bend's Class A minor league franchise baseball team, the Silver Hawks, who compete in the Midwest League in a season that runs from April to September. The East Race, the first artificial whitewater course in North America and one of six in the world, hosts world-class whitewater slaloms and United States Olympic Trials; this course is capable of matching the Colorado River in its power.
St. Joseph County offers numerous parks and a nature preserve for year-round outdoor fun. Rum Village Park features a nature center and hiking and nature trails, while George Wilson Park offers a disc golf course considered among the best in the country. St. Patrick's Park and Bendix Woods offer cross-country skiing. The South Bend-Mishawaka area boasts ten highly regarded golf courses, such as Blackthorn, which has been highly ranked by Golf Digest. South Bend's biggest recreational attraction is East Race Waterway, which offers kayaking and whitewater rafting in the heart of downtown. An exercise trail borders the waterway and is part of a five-mile trail that runs through the city's downtown parks and along the St. Joseph River.
South Bend-Mishawaka offers shopping opportunities ranging from enclosed malls to many small independent specialty shops. A popular stop is the Farmer's Market in South Bend, which features wares ranging from fresh produce and baked goods to flowers, pottery, hand-crafted jewelry, and antiques. Town and Country Shopping Plaza offers eclectic shops. Nearby Mishawaka boasts the second-largest retail area in the state, with its large University Park Mall, as well as numerous shops and strip malls along the Grape Road/Main Street corridor.
Northern Indiana is known for such regional food specialties as frog legs, pan-fried perch, and relishes that include bean salad, cabbage salad, and pickled beets. Other popular dining options include sushi, barbeque, pasta, prime rib, and deli sandwiches. South Bend features unique fine dining options in atmospheric settings, including Tippecanoe Place, in the restored 1888 Studebaker Mansion, resembling a feudal castle; and the Carriage House, in a converted 1850s church. Amish Acres in nearby Nappanee and Das Dutchman Essenhaus in Middlebury offer home-style Amish cooking.
Visitor Information: Convention and Visitors Bureau of South Bend/Mishawaka, Commerce Center, 401 E. Colfax Ave., Ste. 310, South Bend, IN 46634; telephone (800)519-0577