Visit Howe LaGrange Indiana and the surrounding area to see the top sights. Discover the wonderful world of Amish community in Howe, Indiana! Experience traditional handicrafts and treats at the Amish Acres Heritage Park. Walk through the idyllic fields and forests or drive through the rural landscape on a horse car. An unforgettable travel tip for culture and nature lovers!
What makes the Howe sights so special is the silent story that is hidden between the old barns and the barn wooden benches of the small station. I remember driving the first time by train to LaGrange County, looking out the window and suddenly seeing the sign “Welcome to Howe” – a short stop, but enough to get the feeling that there is something more than just pulsating grain fields. The city was founded in 1875, named after the railway magnate John Howe, and the heritage is still felt today in the weathered facades of the historic city centre, which is cozy in the heart of Lima Township.
When I stroll through the main road, I feel like a time traveler who is torn back and forth between the 19-century stories and modern farmers. People here are honest, a bit dry, but always ready to give a piece of apple cake – no joke, this is almost a local custom. And yes, I don't quite understand the hype about the annual harvest fair, but the atmosphere is really great when the whole community comes together.
A short trip by car over US‐20 brings you back to the present: a well-preserved post office, a small café that has more character than some big city bars, and the quiet sum of the fields that reminds you of why I come here again and again. The Howe sights are not an Instagram hotspot, but an honest look at what the Middle West really does.
Whether adventurers, connoisseurs or culture lovers – in Howe everyone finds a small piece of homeland that he wants to take home secretly.
I have to start with my favorite attraction: Howe Public Library. Anyone who enters here for the first time immediately realizes that the building smells more like a cozy living room than a dusty library. I once borrowed a book about the history of the railway, just to sit in the corner and enjoy the sound of the old wooden windows, while a teenager spoke loudly about the latest TikTok video. Parking is usually a Klacks – a small parking lot behind the town hall is enough, as long as you don't come on Saturday night, this will be a real patience game.
A short walk leads you to Howe City Park. The park is not exactly a national park, but the old oaks and the small, slightly inclined carousel have their own charm. I remember sitting on the swing in the summer with my nephew, and we were fighting who can create the loudest squeak – no joke, the thing squeaks like an old train.
If you're looking for a little nostalgia, look at this Howe Railroad Depot on. The old depot is today a small museum operated by the local Historical Society. I found a handwritten map from the 1920s that shows the original train connections – a real treasure for railway fans. The entrance is free, and the staff is so friendly that they almost give you the feeling that you would be part of the story, not just a visitor.
Another must is that Howe Community Center. Here are the weekly Bingo evenings, which I personally call the social backbone of the city. Last year I took part in a yoga course – yes, yoga in a community centre that is usually used for basketball games. The mixture of squeaking sneakers and meditative breath was somehow liberating.
For those who prefer to eat something than amaze, there is the legendary Howe Diner. The service is fast, the food is solid and the portions are so big that you ask yourself if you order a lunch or dinner here. I tried the famous “Howe Burger” there – not just gourmet, but they taste home, and that’s worth more than any Michelin star experience.
A bit of culture is also available in the form of Howe Historical Museum. The exhibition is small, but it contains original tools from the agricultural flowering period and a few yellowed photos that the early 20th. Catch the century. I saw an old tractor there that had more rust than metal, asking me why someone wants to do it at all – until I realized that this is exactly what the city is.
And then there are still the annual Howe Fall Festival. This is the event where the whole city comes together to carve pumpkins, support local craftsmen and enjoy some live music. I was there last year, having eaten a piece of apple cake that was better than anything I've eaten since my childhood, and wondered why I don't have such events all year round.
If you're asking yourself what's to be seen here, let me tell you: Howe Attractions are not the big attractions you find in guides, but the small, slightly sloping, slightly forgotten corners that make up the heart of a city. And that's exactly what I love in this place – the mix of honest simplicity and a touch of peculiarity that makes you come back a little bit more each time.
The smell of freshly mowed grass, mixed with a pinch of horse apples, is the unofficial welcome sign when you leave the country roads around Howe – and precisely there begins the true adventure.
A short trip after Shipshewana leads directly to Flea Market, the largest flea market in the USA. I spent more hours there than I would like to admit, and I found an antique sheet metal phone that is supposed to still work – a real bargain hunter dream when you survive the crowded parking space on Saturday night. Parking is usually easy, except on Saturday night, there will be a real problem and you have to enjoy the scent of fried corn and leather pants perfume.
Just a couple of miles away Amish & Mennonite Heritage Center. The exhibition is a bit like a museum for people who think they know everything about the Amish, but then discover something new. I don't quite understand the hype around the hand-made blankets, but the story of the “Old Order” here is fascinating – especially the old school book that still contains the same formulas for eating chickens.
A short trip after LaGrange to the LaGrange County Historical Museum. There's a painting hanging from a peasant who seems to just come out of the field to show that he doesn't know the latest tractor. I saw an old carriage there, which was supposed to be driven by a “real” Amish family member – a bit cheesy, but the atmosphere is real when you hear the cracking wooden floors.
The St. Joseph River offers a welcome cooling when you have enough dusty land roads. I rented a small kayak there, and I paddled down the river, while an older gentleman came past a Boller car and shouted “God bless you!” Access is free, parking at the public boat dock is usually easy as long as you do not get to the high season.
A little further south lies Nappanee Arts & Culture Center. There are changing exhibitions ranging from local artists to international installations. I was there when a local sculptor presented a sculpture of recycled barn beams – a real eye-catcher that combines rural aesthetics with modern design. The entrance is free, and the café serves the best homemade apple cake I have ever tasted.
For those who like a little more engine noise, this is Studebaker National Museum in South Bend a must. Yes, it is a piece further, but the collection of classic cars is a real eye-catcher for car lovers. I saw an original Studebaker champion from the 1950s, who still had the scent of leather and gasoline – a nostalgic trip that lets the modern of Howe forget a little.
When you explore the surroundings of Howe, you can quickly discover that the true treasures are not in the city itself, but in the small, authentic experiences that the rural Indiana has to offer. From flea markets to historical museums to quiet river banks – these Howe Attractions show that the surrounding area has more to offer than one would suspect at first glance.
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