Visit Ligonier Noble Indiana and the surrounding area to see the top sights. Ligonier, Indiana: A small town with great charm! Stroll through the historic place, visit the Oberlin Tavern or the West Baden Springs Hotel. Relaxation in the French Lick Resort and Spa. Easy to reach via the Interstate 64.
Honestly, if you're looking for Ligonier attractions, you'll have to understand that this little town in the heart of Perry Township, Noble County, Indiana has more history than you suspect at first sight. Founded in 1835, Ligonier has his name from a French general, and since then the little town has hardly changed – and this is sometimes a blessing because you are not overrun by hip cafes, but by honest, crunchy wooden fronts that whisper stories that you find only in dusty history books.
I don't understand the hype around the big cities, but the rest here is really great. When you arrive by car, follow US‐33 until Perry Township exit; the road leads you directly to the center where you see the old town hall, which still looks like a relic from another era. And yes, the County Court is not a tourist magnet, but this is just what I appreciate about Ligonier – no joke, here there is no crowded parking lot, just a few old oaks that line the way.
A short detour to the nearby Noble County Fairgrounds is worthwhile because there is a bit of local pride spread every year, and this is the true Ligonier experience. So if you're looking for a place that doesn't overwhelm you with loud neon light, but serves you a piece of real Indiana, then you're right here.
I have to admit that my favorite place in Ligonier is not exactly what guide brochures offer with bold photos – it is the old railway depot on Main Street, which today serves as a small museum. There the wood still crawls as if it had swallowed a whole century of pulling noise, and you immediately get the feeling that history here is not only made of dusty posters. Parking is usually a Klacks as long as you don't show up here with the rest of Indiana on Saturday night – then the field behind the depot becomes a battlefield for free pitches.
A short walk further leads you to the heart of Ligonier Attractions: the historic city centre. The old brick buildings with their sloping facades seem to have fought a bit while building. I don't quite understand the hype around the “vintage” shop window, but the small café next to the old pharmacy shop serves the best apple cake I've ever tasted – and that without a buckling taste. If you're lucky, you're sitting there while an older gentleman is chatting over the "good old times" in a devastated suit; that is almost part of the experience.
A few blocks on, almost unnoticed, lies the Ligonier Public Library. Yes, you have read correctly – a library that has more to offer than just books. The decor is a bit like a living room for Nerds: comfortable armchair, an old globe, and a window that looks directly at the small city park. I once borrowed a book about local flora, just to see that most visitors here are looking for free Wi-Fi. Nevertheless, if you need some rest, this is the perfect place to sort your thoughts – without the usual tourist crowd.
The city park itself is another underestimated jewel. Located right next to the library, it offers a playground that looks more like a mini adventure park than after a place for small children. I once let my niece fly with a self-made dragon, while an older couple played chess in the background – an image that captures the mixture of calm and light chaos perfectly. Toilets are at the entrance, and parking is almost always easy thanks to the wide access road.
If you're looking for a place where you can do a little sporty, check out the Ligonier Community Center. The building is a bit of a collection of 70s design and modern fitness equipment, and the swimming pool is surprisingly clean – a real lucky case if you want to cool off in the Indiana summer after a hot day. I took part in a yoga course where the instructor seemed to tell more about the history of the city than about the right attitude.
Another highlight I can’t leave is the St. Mary’s Catholic Church. The nave is simple, but the stained glass windows tell stories that you can only find in travel guides. I was there on a Sunday when the church held a small concert – the piano sounded as if it had played an angel, and the acoustics was so good that I almost forgot that I was here because of the architecture.
Last but not least the old town hall, which today serves as a museum and presents the history of Ligonier in a series of exhibitions. The leadership is voluntary, but if you are for the local politicians of the early 20th It is interesting to see the old electives and the handwritten protocols. I once found an old town plan that shows how the whole village was once gone by a single gravel road – a nice piece of nostalgia that reminds you that not everything has to go so fast.
The first stop leads you to the Chain O'Lakes State Park, a true maze of twelve clear lakes, which extends only a few minutes south of Ligonier. I spent a weekend there because I thought a bit of fishing would relax – and I was confronted with a horde duck that made me feel like landing in a Disney show. Parking is usually a Klacks, unless you arrive on Saturday night, then the field with caravan owners becomes a small battlefield. The trails are well marked, and if you're lucky, you'll even see a couple of beavers that are eagerly screwing at their dams – a real natural rock that energizes the otherwise quiet character of the park.
A short detour to the north brings you to Pokagon State Park in Angola, where the famous Toboggan Run attracts thousands of visitors every year. I have to admit, I have never understood the hype around the toboggan run – the whole tomb around a piece of wood that you push down the mountain – but the surrounding sand dunes and the clear water of Lake James are really a highlight. The parking lot at the main entrance is huge, but on hot summer days it fills itself faster than a refrigerator in the supermarket. A little tip: If you're there early enough, you'll get one of the rare, free entrance passes that the parking staff sometimes distributes when they realize that you're acting like a real nature friend.
Continue to Auburn, where Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum stands – a paradise for car lovers and a bit for everyone who likes to marvel at the splendor of past times. I was there because I thought I could shoot some photos for Instagram, but instead I ended up in a heated discussion with an older gentleman who claimed that the Duesenberg was “a piece of American freedom”. The exhibition is huge, and parking right in front of the museum is virtually free as long as you do not come to the main exhibition “Classic Car Night”, the grounds are overrun by enthusiastic collectors. A short walk through the halls allows you to feel the elegance of the 1930s – without the usual tourist crowd.
Only half an hour further south lies the charming town of Kendallville, where the Kendallville Historical Museum resides in a converted school building. I visited the museum because I thought it was a silly place full of dusty documents – instead I found an impressive collection of local works of art and an interactive model of the old railway, which almost brought me to revive my childhood dreams from the guide. Parking is a children's game here; a small parking lot behind the museum is completely enough, and the staff is so friendly that they even give you a few insider tips to the best cafes in downtown.
If you want some water, you should St. Joseph River Kayak Trail at Auburn. I rented a kayak for the first time, because I thought a cozy paddle trip would be a nice change for driving a car. Instead, I found myself in a stream of fast speeds that almost forced me to swim – a real adrenalinkick I didn't expect. Access to the trail is well signposted, and parking at the launch point is free as long as you don't come at the weekend, then you have to fight for a place with a few other paddlers. Nevertheless, it is worth it, because the view of the surrounding landscape from the water is simply incomparable.
Another highlight for cyclists is the Wabash & Erie Canal Trail around Huntington. I explored the trail on a cool autumn morning when the leaves lit in all earthy colours – a picture that can hardly be put into words without romanticizing. The path is well maintained, and parking at the starting point is usually easy, except for the days when local groups take over the trail. Along the way, there are several historical signs that explain the history of the once largest channel in the USA, and that makes the journey a little history lesson that you should not miss.
At the end of my small tour Huntington County Historical Museum in the center of the city. I was there because I thought a museum was always a place for dusty exhibitions, but the staff taught me a better one: interactive displays, old tools and even a rebuilt 19-year-old school room, where one feels like a student from the past. Parking is free in front of the museum, and if you are lucky, you can take part in a guided tour where an enthusiastic historian brings you closer to the local legends and myths – a perfect conclusion for a day full of discoveries.
Whether you are the quiet lakes of Chain O'Lakes prefers to sledding in the Pokagon State Park, the shiny vintage cars in Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum or the historical paths along the Wabash & Erie Canal – the environment of Ligonier offers more than enough reasons to expand its own horizon. And while you explore all this, you will notice that the Ligonier Attractions not only can be found in the city itself, but also in a wide network of nature, history and culture that leaves every easy cynical traveller a little enthusiastic.
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