Carved in two by St. Joseph River, Elkhart lies along Indiana’s border with Michigan. The area was originally inhabited by the Ottawa, Chippewa and Potawatomi tribes before the village of Pulaski was established in 1829. With the completion of the Erie Canal, migrants from New England began moving west and settling in what would become Elkhart.
Things to do in Elkhart
Train enthusiasts shouldn’t miss a visit to the National New York Central Railroad Museum, which preserves the history of the line that linked Elkhart to the east and west coasts. In addition to vintage steam and diesel locomotives, the museum is home to freight cars, cabooses and a railroad post office. Model railways are on display in the museum’s interior, together with artefacts from the New York Central Railroad.
On the north bank of St. Joseph River is Ruthmere Campus, an elegant Beaux-Arts mansion built in 1910 for Albert and Elizabeth Beardsley. It’s open to the public as a museum showcasing life in the “Gilded Age”. In addition to period furnishings and stained-glass windows, its opulent rooms display decorative arts that include Rodin sculptures and Tiffany lamps.
Sprawling north is the Wellfield Botanic Gardens, which was established in 2002 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Rotary International. It features an English-style garden, a Japanese-inspired island and one of the 17 quilt gardens on Indiana’s Amish Country Heritage Trail. Children will love the Adventure Path, which invites them to explore and play.
Getting around Elkhart
Elkhart is around 35 minutes' drive from South Bend International Airport, which has flights to destinations across the United States. Regular Amtrak trains connect to the Elkhart railway station and buses travel throughout the city. The centre of Elkhart can easily be explored on foot.