South Bend

The South Bend Symphony is a professional orchestra performing 15 concerts each year. The SBSO features world-famous soloists . You can regularly see them perform at the Morris Performing Arts Center, the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center on the Campus of Notre Dame, and the Moreau Center at Saint Mary's College.

This team plays other schools from the Chicagoland and Calumet Region.

Don't go to South Bend without seeing the Fighting Irish take on any number of conference teams from around the country. Most of the school's teams compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference, with 14 other schools in the eastern half of the country. Football, the school's most famous sport, is an exception—it's independent (not in a conference), although it plays five games a year against ACC teams.

Plan a trip for when your team is playing the South Bend Cubs. Home of the Cubs, Stanley Coveleski Stadium (locally referred to as "The Cove") is a great time with $1 Mondays, Twofer Tuesdays and summer fireworks. Tickets are $5 for reserve seating (bleachers) and $7 for box seating, but coupons abound throughout the city. Suites are also available.

Artpost is a creative space that exhibits regional artists who make contemporary art, folk art, and artist books.

The Art Gallery at IU South Bend gives students in the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts hands-on experience in planning and conducting student art exhibits. The gallery is open to the public and offers showings by established artists who exhibit their work here throughout the school year. Other gallery highlights include both the annual faculty and student art shows.

Next to the Studebaker National Museum, the Center for History features interesting facts about not just the cities of South Bend and Mishawaka, but also the natural history of the entire Michiana area. Artifacts (including prehistoric finds) are on display and there are changing exhibits as well. The Oliver Mansion is included with admission and there is a separate research room for those interested in searching through historical documents and newspapers. Combine admission with the Studebaker Museum and save money.

See art pieces from around the world.

See the work of artists from around the Great Lakes and Midwest.

Ranked among the top ten libraries in the US for cities 100,000-250,000, SJCPL was the first library in the U.S. on the World Wide Web and second in the world. Features over 50 public Internet stations and a massive collection of books at the downtown location.

See the cars that used to power the South Bend economy. See the Studebaker lineup: wagons, military vehicles, and electric cars from the 1930s. A three-story museum, the lower level of which shows the cars on lifters and on the ground for perusal. Featured exhibits include Studebaker concept cars.

An historic farm and heritage resort. Experience the lifestyle of the Amish through guided tours, restaurants, farm restaurants, musical theatre, craft demonstrations, and quaint shops.

The East Race is an artificial channel that diverts water from the St. Joe River into a controlled environment with moveable barriers that simulate whitewater conditions. The East Race cuts through downtown and kayaking or rafting down the race is popular in the summer. The Summer Olympic Time Trials (including the 2008 time trials) are generally held at the East Race. A lifeguard is on duty.

Located midway between Mishawaka and Elkhart - Baugo Creek has a picnic area and disc golf course as well as canoe rentals down Baugo Creek.

One of the best facilities in the region to board or roller blade. The concrete, permanent obstacle, park includes challenges such as quarter-pipes, half-pipes, bowls, steps, ramps and rails. There is an area with less challenging obstacles for the beginners. A concession area and rental equipment are also available.

4, North Liberty. Located in the southern half of St. Joseph County, Potato Creek is a large park that features camping, hiking trails, a stocked lake, affordable overnight cabin rentals, a lodge, a beach, a public pool, and picnic areas. Deer and other wildlife abound, including wild turkey. Boats and canoes are also available for rental in the summer.

The Potawatomi Zoo is one part of Potawatomi Park, which includes a softball diamond, tennis courts, a public pool, picnic area, band shell, and Kid's Kingdom Playground. Founded in 1902, it is Indiana's oldest zoo. It features over 400 animals on 23 acres of land, and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Admission is between $5 and $7. The zoo also has a collection of small primates not found in many zoos, such as bonobos, and has added another animal habitat and a perimeter-hugging train (oriented toward children) and have been expanding other animal habitats.

More formally known as the Ella Morris and Muessel-Ellison Botanical Conservatories and Potawatomi Greenhouse, the South Bend Greenhouse is a collection of conservatories and indoor botanical gardens located adjacent to the Potawatomi Zoo in a historic greenhose structure. The conservatory was established in the 1920s when the Potawatomi Greenhouses were built to supply flowers to the city. In 1963 and 1967, the Ella Morris and Muessel-Ellison Botanical Conservatories were added, providing a tropical area. The "Arizona Desert Dome" was completed in 1973, and now is home to cacti, succulents, century plants, and a large monkey puzzle tree.

Featuring the 5K and 10K course which are fast, challenging, and fun. Both events start at the College Football Hall of Fame and run on traffic-free city streets through South Bend's parks and neighborhoods. For many years, Sunburst has finished on the 50-yard line of the Notre Dame Stadium.

This park sits on with wooded trails, ponds and St. Joseph River frontage. The Red Barn is considered one of the largest wooden barns in the county. Other features include the Robert J. Fischgrund Center for the Performing Arts, the Adair Orchard, the Manion Cabin, the Freedom Memorial: "Standing Tall", playground and outdoor stretching equipment on two sites, picnic sites, hiking trails, canoe rentals, winter innertubing, and cross country ski trails and rentals.