Lafayette IN – A Hub of Culture
The city of Lafayette IN is a hub of culture. One of the best cultural places to visit is Haan Mansion Museum of Indiana Art, which showcases a collection of paintings, ceramics, and vintage furniture.
Another must-visit place is Wildcat Creek, where you can follow trails and enjoy the lush scenery of the park. It is also a great place to go kayaking.
The Campus
Lafayette, pronounced LAW-fay, and its larger brother West Lafayette are home to Purdue University, which gives the city a youthful energy and plenty of fun things to do. Boilermakers fans can attend college football games at Ross-Ade Stadium, cheer on the basketball team at Mackey Arena or take in a concert at the contemporary community of River Ranch, a New Urbanism development that houses homes and businesses in various architectural styles.
A little further out, visitors can experience the nature and history of Celery Bog State Park, which sprawls across the western outskirts of the city and is a haven for wildlife and trails. There’s also a museum and the replica blockhouse of the 1717 French colony of Ouiatenon, where an annual reenactment and Feast of the Hunters Moon festival takes place each fall. A more recent addition to the area’s park system is the Lafayette County Metropark, which encompasses a mix of walking and biking trails along with a campground that includes 110 sites near Wildcat Creek.
The Community
Lafayette is located in northwest Indiana, across the rushing Wabash River from its sister city West Lafayette. This well-industrialized city is the government seat of Tippecanoe County and Purdue University’s economic mainstay. Major employers include Alcoa, Caterpillar Large Engine Division, Wabash National and Eli Lilly and Company (Tippecanoe Laboratories).
The Lafayette Farmers Market is a Saturday morning staple that’s been around for more than 180 years, offering a wide variety of fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs, coffee, tea, plants, pet treats and baked goods. Music from local artists is also part of the festivities at this community gathering.
The art scene is a big draw with the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette, which has a collection dating back to 1909. It puts on ten shows a year featuring arresting paintings, photos and sculptures while running lots of lectures and classes. You can also view the works of local and regional artists at the Artists’ Own gallery in a grand Colonial Revival mansion.
The Atmosphere
The college town of Lafayette is a pretty place with lots of awesome cultural events and a fantastic nightlife scene to enjoy. It also boasts heaps of idyllic nature spots offering up loads of fun outdoor activities.
As the name suggests, Lafayette’s climate is primarily continental with warm summers and cold winters. The best time to visit is September, June and May when it’s neither too hot nor too cold.
While a large number of days have fine weather, some summers can be sticky and muggy. The city receives some kind of precipitation on an average of 120 days per year, which is slightly higher than the US average of 105.
The most interesting natural landmark to explore in the area is the Lafayette meteorite, which was discovered in a drawer at Purdue in 1929 and sent to Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History for identification. It’s now back in Lafayette and is on display at the university.
The People
Lafayette is a lively college town with a population that swells during the semester. But even when classes aren’t in session, the city’s three downtown areas are thriving with unique stores and restaurants. The town’s history dates back 300 years to the days of French fur trappers, and it was named after General Lafayette when settlers first founded it in 1825.
The people of Lafayette have a big love for their town and are always ready to celebrate. Art, jazz, classic cars and firecrackers are just a few of the things that residents enjoy. Beers are another big part of life in Lafayette, and there’s no better place to enjoy them than at the annual Beers Across the Wabash event.