The Best Guide To Visiting Lafayette Indiana For Families

It was late Friday evening. I knew summer was coming up and I know how important travel is to myself and my family. I closed my eyes and decided I wanted to take my children somewhere different this year. I was tired of their faces being stuck to iPads. I was over being stuck in traffic. I didn’t want to take them to another overrun expensive city. I wanted someplace special and different. That was in driving distance to our house.

We chose Indiana. Indiana, you say? What is there? The truth is everything you never knew you were missing.  We first drove to  Lafayette, Indiana where we were hosted.

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This is where we stayed while we were there the best Lafayette bed and breakfast 

Black Blanket Farms B&B 

You can read our full review of the Black Blanket Farms B&B it is the place to stay if you are visiting Purdue University. They are located at:

7440 West 125 North, West Lafayette, IN 47906

I know people just think there are farms in Indiana and that is true but there is so much more to do. This Iternary is one every family can enjoy. It was excellent from my younger children and my teenager. It sounded like so much fun that my best friend and her husband joined us as we explored everything from fine dining to wolves.

Our first big adventure was Wolf Park Howl Night. Located at 4004 E 800 N, Battle Ground, IN 47920. This park featured actual wolves and we had the opportunity to not only learn about these creatures but to communicate with them.  We enjoyed learning about foxes, bison, and the wolves. There were trails to walk and they even had an interactive education center.  The children enjoyed this activity so much that they told everyone we met that they also need to see the show.  It was a Howling Good Time was had by all. 

 

The next morning we awoke to a fantastic breakfast prepared by  Black Blanket Farms B&B 

 

Just down the road from the best bed and breakfast in Lafayette is the Celery Bog located at 1620 Lindberg Rd, West Lafayette, IN 47906. This wetland is a 105-acre bog it is perfect for a family walk, bird lover, naturalist, or someone who enjoys nature’s beauty. We had a wonderful time looking at the birds and walking each path. 

Then we went to one of the best Zoo’s I have ever been to. The Columbian Park and Zoo was FREE. I couldn’t believe that this magnificent place was accessible to everyone. It is located at 1915 Scott St, Lafayette, IN 47904. The zoo director Heather was incredible and this experience is one my kids are still bragging about. The zoo offers many educational opportunities for the community in both private and public functions. We were treated to behind the scene tour and had access to all the animals that are available for public events. It is a wonderful program that allows the Zoo to bring the animals to people who can’t get to the zoo. 

That expedition made us hungry and thank goodness for the East End Grill on 1016 Main St, Lafayette, IN 47901. The service, staff, and food were top notch. If you crave fall off the bone ribs, salads that will feed a small army like mine, and shrimp and grits that will convert you to a southerner. I highly suggest you drive as far as necessary even if it is from Virginia to try the East End Grill. 

 

When planning a trip it is important for us to include as much local history as possible in our stay. The Wabash &Erie Canal allowed us to do that. We were able to walk through their interactive museum, take a tour of the Reed Case home, and then we took a journey back in time down the canal. Delphi is a city I wish I spent more time in. The people were so nice and there seemed to be boundless amounts of history to uncover.

 

Wabash & Erie Canal tour is located at  1030 N Washington St, Delphi, IN 46923. You can not only take a tour here but you can camp here. The kids loved this tour. We learned how the canal was used to deliver the mail. The museum was also fun and I would include this on your schedule. It was both informative and fun. 

 

I was told you can’t go to Lafayette and not have pizza at Bruno’s 12 Brown St, West Lafayette, IN 47906. I found this restaurant to be nostalgic and a museum to sports heroes. I know my teenager really enjoyed looking at all the great stuff on the walls. It was a family-friendly spot packed with food options.

We had a busy day so we decided to squeeze in one more activity to make sure the kids were tired. I took them on a walk on the

John T. Myer’s Pedestrian Bridge/Wabash Heritage Trail at 100 Tapawingo Dr, West Lafayette, IN 47906.

It featured a small playground, ice skating rink, and numerous trails for the biker or walker. It was really lovely and the kids had a fantastic time feeding the ducks.

What tour would be complete without a visit to the University of Purdue? 101 N Grant St #110, West Lafayette, IN 47907 It is always important to see what each University has to offer and Purdue is known for Engineering. They also have a large student-run airport. The founder had many caveats to his donation like the buildings had to be made of stone, they could only be four feet tall, and they have the most astronauts at 24. We were lucky enough to score a private tour of the basketball facilities which was a teenagers dream come true. There is another fun fact they have the only Mcdonalds that isn’t red and yellow.

I really enjoy taking my children to see art and really there is no greater example of functional art than architecture. The Samara house at 1301 Woodland Ave, West Lafayette, IN 47906 by Frank Loyd Wright was both inspirational and functional. We were hosted by Linda Eales who shared the home with us. It was fascinating to see how every detail was thought of.  She was both a knowledgeable and gracious hostess. I think my favorite part of the tour was seeing how everything is a perfect square.

Have you ever had Peanut butter on a burger and washed it down with the best root beer ever? You are missing out if you haven’t. I mean look at my lunch. It tasted better than it looks if you can imagine that! Triple XXX Family Restaurant 2 N Salisbury St, West Lafayette, IN 47906. I will admit that we brought home some root beer and my husband who has traveled the world told me it was the best root beer he has ever had!

Next, we went to the Sweet Revolution Bake Shop on 109 N 5th Street, Lafayette, IN. If you are gluten-free and even if you aren’t I say grab a brownie no grab a dozen. Then get the cheesecake and their savory pies. We could have eaten there for every meal. I saw no reason to leave the owners were nice and the food was incredible. 

Our last event for the day was a visit to the Tippecanoe Battlefield located at 200 Battleground Ave, Battle Ground, IN 47920. The museum was the perfect way for us to get the most out of our visit. There were interactive areas, a movie, and plenty of artifacts to help you teach your children more about the people that came before us and their plights.

 

 

When I agreed to visit Layfette, Indiana my expectations were not set very high. I didn’t realize how much I would gain from my experience in their community. I had no idea how much fun my children would have. I didn’t know that we will build memories that would last for a lifetime. I now tell all my friends to consider Indiana when thinking about family destinations we were able to find plenty of things to do that suited our eclectic interests.

 

Suggested Activity!

Farm at Prophetstown & Prophetstown State Park – 5545 Swisher Road, West Lafayette, IN 47906

If you are looking for more places to go, Indiana,

check out:

Places to Go in Indiana

 

 

 

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

 

Visit Spring Mill State Park’s Pioneer Village – Indiana Travel

 

Hungry?

Check out Where to Eat in Indiana

 

 

Gifts for a Traveler