Don’t we all just want a break from the fast-paced everyday life? A little comfort here and there, beaches to relax and catch your breath, something just soothing. Well, Elkhart (IN) offers you that and more.
Elkhart is the northernmost town in Indiana. The city offers a wide range of activities for a fun and memorable vacation.
Perhaps you want a feel of adventure, or you just want to spend more time outdoors; Elkhart has you covered.
It has something exciting for everyone and is a great place to visit and enjoy as a family.
Elkhart is known for its colorful jazz festivals and many other significant events. Participate in these events and have yourself a great time.
Find things to do in Elkhart, Indiana, for a Vacation to Remember.
Fun Things to Do in Elkhart (IN)
1. Visit the RV-MH Hall of Fame and Museum
The RV-MH Hall of Fame and Museum is a unique museum featuring a variety of historical and recreational vehicles such as the Airstream, Winnebago, and more.
The museum showcases technological advancements and provides a chronological account of his recreational vehicle history, including the World War I prefabricated housing industry.
Rv Founders Hall showcases vintage caravans, memorabilia, and photographs from the 1920s and 1930s.
The Exhibit Hall showcases images of the RV industry’s products and its history. The 1913 Earl Travel Caravan is the museum’s oldest exhibit.
The primary purpose of the RV-MH Hall of Fame and Museum is to recognize, honor, and preserve the histories, individuals, and pioneers who played a key role in making the recreational vehicle and manufacturing housing industry what it is today.
The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm and Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm.
There is a lot to see here. The exhibits are always getting bigger and more unusual.
2. Go for a Boat Ride at Simonton Lake
Lake Simonton is a beautiful place not to be missed in Elkhart.
Simonton Lake is a unique blend of nature and beauty, making him one of the city’s most popular lakes.
Lake Simonton is one of the best fishing spots in the state, and you can find fish such as largemouth bass, walleye, and bluegill.
Simonton Lake also allows you to go on a hike or boat ride, as there are many paved trails along the lake.
Visit Lake Simonton. You can not only embrace nature but also enjoy it.
3. Don’t Miss a Thing at NIBCO Water and Ice Park
A family-friendly amusement center, the NIBCO Water and Ice Park is the perfect place to lose track of time and have an unforgettable experience.
The park offers excellent opportunities for outdoor activities and serves as a great paddling pool in the summer.
The NIBCO Water and Ice Park have a very smooth winter ice floor that the public can slide on to their satisfaction.
Offers delicious snacks. Try freshly brewed coffee and snacks before or after the fun.
The NIBCO Water and Ice Park consist of two sections: a circular pond and a trail.
The skating rink is well-maintained and perfect for beginner to intermediate skiers. Children under 2 years old are admitted free.
Things to Do in Elkhart (IN) at Night
1. Grab a Beer at Westwind Brewery
West Wind Brewery allows visitors to have a good time and enjoy a locally brewed craft drink together.
The brewery’s friendly, welcoming atmosphere and high level of hospitality will surprise you.
Westwind Brewery offers drinks such as Better Days Raspberry Wheat, Kingsmen Kolsch, Persephone Amber Ale, Sacrifice, Twenty-Four Elders, This Is the Way, and Ice Delay (Black Cherry).
Holland Country Pretzels, Chips & Queso, Better Dunn Potato Chips, Pretzels & Pimento Cheese, WWB Cuban Sandwich, Grilled Chicken Parmesan Fettuccine, and other smaller items.
2. Hang Out With Friends at Iechyd Da Brewing Company
Iechyd Da Brewing Company is a great place to relax with family and friends in Elkhart.
The brewery is a beautifully designed shop with a friendly atmosphere and delicious food and drink.
The brewery has a taproom where guests can sample the latest and greatest products.
Bar hours are Wednesday and Thursday, 3 pm to 9 pm, Friday 11 am to 9 pm, Saturday 12 pm to 9 pm, Sunday 12 pm to 8 pm Until.
Iechyd Da Brewing Company offers a small menu of chicken and ricotta sandwiches, salads, bacon and fig pizza, cheese and crackers, and pork pizza.
This brewery also offers a wide variety of beverages, including Big Pit Porter, Local Blonde, Fresh Brew Iced Tea, Murray The Hump Pale Ale, Lemonade, Ginger Lime, and Blackberry.
3. See a Show at The Lerner Theatre
Lerner Theater was built on November 24, 1924, by Harry E. Lerner.
Theater went through numerous ownership changes before being purchased by the City of Elkhart from Ruth Miller in 1990, protecting the theater from vacancy damage.
Many locals banded together to form the non-profit Premier Arts and agreed with the city to operate the facility as a performance center.
Lerner Theater was renovated in 2011 with an $18 million restoration grand lounge, new carpet, ground floor interior paint, lighting, and new seating.
Things to Do in Elkhart (IN) For Couples
1. Go Shopping at Southgate Crossing
Southgate Crossing is a 51,000-square-foot, three-story building built in 2006 and valued at over $4 million.
It opened in 2007 and featured more than 490 indoor and outdoor farmers’ market stalls.
For a unique and incredible experience, add a visit to Southgate Crossing to your list of things to do in Elkhart.
Southgate Crossing is one of the country’s largest Amish-built peg and beam structures.
It serves as a retail center for both local communities and tourists.
Offer goods and services to the general public, provide family-centric experiences and support vendors on their behalf.
Southgate Crossing offers daily dining options, in-house catering, extensive agricultural development programs, and weekly entertainment.
Find products that reflect the theme of American, homemade, and do-it-yourself. The complex is the perfect venue for a special occasion.
Southgate Crossing is open Saturday from 8 am to 4 pm, Tuesday from 11 am to 6 pm and Wednesday to Friday from 11 am to 8 pm.
2. Take a Walk Around Linton’s Enchanted Gardens
Linton’s Enchanted Gardens is a true gem and should be added to your Elkhart list of things to do.
The Gardens is a 50,000-square-foot indoor shopping facility filled with stunning displays that exceed expectations.
Lynton’s Enchanted Gardens, often called the “Disney of Garden Centers,” is the largest facility in Indiana, with over 11 acres of outdoor space.
The indoor shop offers a wide selection of unusual gifts, women’s fashion and accessories, handcrafted jewelry, and seasonal decorations.
Linton’s Enchanted Gardens offers children’s tours of the enchanting gardens, the Enchanted Garden Train, and free petting zoos with beautiful animals.
Swan pedal boats, gem mining, pedal trains, quad bikes, pedal go-karts, and much more are here.
Lynton’s Enchanted Gardens also has a lovely cafe serving fresh, high-quality, healthy breakfasts and lunches.
Handcrafted hot and cold beverages and desserts are also available.
3. Visit Quilt Gardens
If you are a nature lover, visit the Quilt Gardens of Elkart. Its beauty and peaceful nature will fill your soul.
From May 30th to September 15th, Quilt Garden features more than a million vibrant flowers, oversized hand-painted murals, and 16 large gardens.
Located along the Heritage Trail, Quilt Gardens is a fusion of gardening, art, and quilting combined with a unique patchwork of quilt murals and quilt-inspired gardens united by street creations.
Each quilt garden around the state features its own pattern and design, highlighting its own story.
Things to Do in Elkhart (IN) For Kids
1. Let Them Play at ETHOS Innovation Center
Another great thing about Elkhart is visiting the ETHOS Innovation Center, a five-day virtual focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
It was built as a platform to help develop children’s and adults’ interest in technology and science through interactive events and programs.
The ETHOS Innovation Center connects science to everyday life through problem-solving, discovery, etc.
The center offers programs such as the Science2Go bus, ETHOS academy, after-school programs, fall break, spring break, Science His Camps held in the summer, and many other community events.
The ETHOS Innovation Center allows teachers and students to meet and exceed nationally standardized testing standards.
2. Take Them to Walker Park
The best thing to do in Elkhart is to stop by Walker Park with your fellow travelers. It’s a public facility.
The park features a uniquely structured, fun playground, well-equipped and designed for maximum excitement for young children.
Walker Park has well-maintained and clean picnic areas perfect for a romantic date or family picnic.
A multi-use sports field and walking trails allow you to explore the grounds in a peaceful setting.
3. Visit Island Park
This beautiful park in Elkhart offers all the fun and exciting amenities your family needs to have a great time.
The park has a beautiful playground with lots of play equipment for children to explore and have fun.
Sand valley courts, walking trails, drinking fountains, and fishing areas.
Island Park also has a picnic area with picnic tables, picnic shelters, and gazebos to meet the needs of family reunions and gatherings.
Island Park is well-maintained and clean, with beautiful views and inexpensive restrooms.
Indoor Activities to Do in Elkhart (IN) For Adults
1. Explore Fascinating Art at Midwest Museum of American Art
A visit to the Museum of American Art in the Midwest, a 25,000-square-foot arts facility in downtown Elkhart, should be on your list of things to do in Elkhart, especially if you’re an art lover.
The Midwest Museum of American Art is a nonprofit organization housed in a beautifully restored neoclassical bank building run by donations, grants, and memberships.
Showcasing an outstanding collection of American art from the 19th century to his 21st-century focus.
The Midwest Museum of American Art houses more than 7,000 permanent works of art, of which 1,200 are on display year-round.
This arts facility houses several signed lithographs by renowned American illustrator Norman Rockwell, including the world’s largest collection of Overbeck art ceramics.
2. Go Bowling With Friends at Signature Lanes
Offering a unique and wonderful experience, Signature Lane is the perfect place to spend time with family and friends.
Signature Lane features cosmic laser light bowling options and bowling leagues that pit you and your team against other players of the same skill level.
There is also an arcade room with various games and a pool table for all ages.
In addition, there is a banquet and convention center for company meetings, officials, and teams with screens, projectors, podiums, and tables.
Don’t forget our full-service sports bar lounge with various drinks and our beautiful restaurant that seats up to 70 people and serves delicious food.
3. Check Out Eastlake Athletic Club
The Eastlake Athletic Club is Elkhart’s facility for athletes and those who want to stay fit.
Tennis and fitness center with all the equipment you need for individual or team practice and training.
The Eastlake Athletic Club has basketball and racquetball courts for beginners to advanced players.
This center offers tennis lessons and personal fitness training by experienced professional coaches.
Romantic Things to Do in Elkhart (IN)
1. Have a Meal Together at Antonio’s
Antonio’s is the #1 restaurant serving authentic Southern Italian cuisine made from scratch with special ingredients.
This family-run restaurant is owned by the Cataldo family, who brought their branch to the US from Italy in 1966.
Antonio’s offers an extensive menu of burrata, mozzarella sticks, eggplant and arugula salad, lasagne bolognese, and pasta.
Known for creating delicious gourmet pizzas such as the Italian Stallion, Margarita Pizza, Tony Russo Pizza, and Vegas Fortuna Pizza.
Antonio’s serves a wide selection of wines, beers, vodkas, whiskeys, gins, signature barrels, orange juices, limoncello, Stella Artois, Abu Blue Moon, and Miller Light cocktails.
Antonio’s has a cozy bar perfect for relaxing and beautiful banquet rooms for all kinds of special events and private parties.
2. Visit Wellfield Botanic Gardens
An incredibly beautiful place that brings you closer to nature is Wellfield Botanical Gardens.
It should be on your Elkhart to-do list. It is surrounded by flora and fauna and a pond surrounded by benches.
The garden, a ‘living museum,’ is a viable source of drinking water and hydroelectric power.
A non-profit organization, Wellfield Botanical Gardens is funded through individual donations, memberships, grants, and income.
Wellfield Botanical Gardens features a variety of themed garden areas, including nurseries and Japanese ‘island gardens.’
Lakes, waterfalls, streams, and other water resources cover approximately 18 hectares of the site.
Additionally, Wellfield Botanic Gardens hosts family-friendly events throughout the holiday season, including a stunning Winter Wonderland Christmas Lights and Summer Concert Series.
Wellfield Botanical Gardens offers recreational and educational programs for all ages.
Also available for rent for weddings, corporate events, and other private events.
This is the answer to what to do to have a good time in Elkhart. Add it to your bucket list of things to do in Elkhart (IN).
3. Experience the Secret Door Games
Another great thing to do in Elkhart is to visit the Secret Door game. Founded in 2015 and is located in downtown Elkhart.
Secret Door Games has grown tremendously and is the premier source for books, graphic novels, games, and gifts.
We also sell unique toys and comics. Secret Door Games should come to mind when you want to do something new and fun.
Secret Door Games is beautiful, with friendly staff and a wide range of great items.
Free Things to Do in Elkhart (IN)
1. See the National New York Central Railroad Museum
This Railroad Museum was built to honor the “glory days” of America’s railroads, which included icons of progress and goodwill ambassadors across the country.
The museum was established in 1987 to preserve national and local railroad heritage directly associated with the New York Central System.
With 7,000 miles of track spanning 11 states and two Canadian provinces, the National New York Central Railroad was once the second busiest railroad in the world.
In 1851 the railroad reached Elkhart, making the town an important bridge between the Midwest and the Atlantic coast and beyond.
2. Explore the Elkhart Environmental Center
The Elkhart Environmental Center is home to several wildlife habitats and is part of the larger 120-acre River Greenway system.
This center was established in 1991 as an educational center offering educational events, programs, and volunteers.
Elkhart Environmental Center has five wetlands that serve as wildlife habitats and also help reduce stormwater runoff.
The center consists of native wildflower beds, wooded buffers, and riverside meadows for additional habitat.
The Elkhart Environmental Center has multiple outdoor environments, including Boat Launch, Reflecting Grove, Hiking Trails, and Boat Launch, and ecosystems, including forests, prairies, and wetlands.
The environment is a mixture of nature and the city, showing how well they can coexist.
3. Visit the Historical Ruthmere
For history buffs, Lusmere is one of the most fun things to do in Elkhart, Indiana. It was built in 1908 by Elizabeth and Albert and her Beardsley.
Ruthmere was initially called the Heart of Elkhart and has undergone a series of renovations to attract people and offer a glimpse into the city’s history.
The facility consists of two of her historic buildings and offers the public a wonderful experience of architecture, history, and art.
Take a tour of the Ruthmere Mansion and the historic Havilah Beardsley home.
The home has period furniture, beautiful décor, works of art such as Tiffany lamps, Rodin sculptures, and vintage cars.
Ruthmere offers opportunities to attend educational programs, attend concerts and host special events such as spectacular garden weddings.
Open to everyone Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm and Sunday from 1 pm to 3 pm.
Cheap Things to Do in Elkhart (IN)
1. Grab a Burger at Five Star Dive Bar
For your next al fresco family and friends meal in Elkhart, add a visit to the Five Star Dive Bar to your Elkhart to-do list.
Five Star Dive Bar was established in 2012 and has consistently served delicious food from top chefs.
Offers an extensive menu of shrimp tacos, burgers, chicken quesadillas, ribeye Philly cheesesteaks, Atlantic cod baskets, sandwiches with French dips, and personalized flatbread pizzas.
Five Star Dive Bar serves cold and delicious beverages, including bottled sodas, coffee, lemonade, iced tea, and root beer.
The restaurant hosts live bands, comedy, quiz nights, and other exciting live entertainment.
Five Star Dive Bar staff are courteous and professional in taking orders from visitors.
2. Go For a Massage at Body Language Relaxation Spa
As much as you have a great time at Elkhart, don’t forget to take a break and treat your body.
These services are the perfect way to nourish your body, mind, and soul and escape the hustle and bustle of the world.
Body Language Relaxation Spa offers quiet moments for imagination, healing moments for self-preservation, and peaceful moments for rebirth.
Offers the best body treatments, amazing massages, brow, and lash contouring, facials, yoga, and other fitness classes.
Body Language Relaxation Spa offers a different service, especially in the beauty and body care section, provided by experienced and qualified staff.
3. Visit the Hall of Heroes Superhero Museum
Elkhart claims to be the only superhero and comic book museum not just in the United States but in the entire world.
From Marvel to his DC, Hall of Heroes chronicles his 80+ year history of being a famous superhero in various media.
A private museum boasting an overwhelming collection of over 70,000 comics and over 10,000 toys.
Outstanding memorabilia on display include Adam West’s Batman costume and Captain America’s original shield.
Specializing in comics and memorabilia from the Golden Age of Comics (1938-1956) and the Silver Age of Comics (1959-1969), including 1941’s Captain Marvel number one.
Cool Places to Visit in Elkhart (IN)
1. Ox Bow Park
Ox Bow Park sits on the banks of the Elkhart River just upstream from downtown Elkhart.
The surroundings are beautiful, and you can find your bearing while enjoying the distant view from the park’s observatory.
There’s plenty to do on this 110+ acre property with fishing, archery, 24 holes of disc golf, field sports, and winter snow sports facilities.
The extensive trail network, canoe/kayak ramps, horseshoe pits, volleyball courts, and various playgrounds for children.
Ox Bow Park has more than eight shelters available for parties and family gatherings.
Seven of these are open and perfect for summer, and one is a cozy spot perfect for winter gatherings.
2. Ideal Beach
Heaton Lake in northeast Elkhart is the site of a seasonal beach attraction.
Ideal Beach, which opens in time for the school summer holidays, has a stretch of golden sand and a small water park with volleyball courts, picnic areas, concessions, and two corkscrew water slides.
The Beach is kept impeccably clean, and the water quality of Heaton Lake/Pewterbow Creek is closely monitored.
On warm summer days, it’s the perfect place for a family outing without leaving the city.
3. Amish Country
Amish Country can be traced back to waves of immigrants from what is now southwestern Germany in the mid-18th century, who first arrived in the area around the 1840s.
Driving the back roads of the area, especially in the eastern part of the county (around Middlebury) and the southwestern part (towards Napanee), you will come across horses and carriages on the road.
Amish woodworkers are very skilled, and many Amish furniture companies manufacture high-quality tables, cabinets, bed frames, and many other components.
And if you’ve ever wondered what an Amish restaurant looks like, Amish people are known for their leather goods, saddlery, and traditional cuisine.
In the summer, visit Shipshewana’s massive flea market (Tuesdays and Wednesdays) for great bargains on handmade goods.
Napanee’s Amish Acres Arts & Crafts Festival has been held every August for the past 60 years.
Conclusion
There’s always something unique to do and places to visit in Elkhart, so there’s never a dull moment.
Have as much fun as you deserve with our checklist of things to do in Elkhart (IN).
Start planning your trip to Elkhart already. Happy travels!
