Attractions
Enjoy our attractions
Monthly Artwalks, theatre performances, museums, and festivals abound. Cultural amenities of all types await you in Downtown Elkhart. Get inspired at the Midwest Museum of American Art, and experience the best of the performing arts live at the historic Lerner Theatre and the Crystal Ballroom. Delight the entire family with a journey to the National New York Central Railroad Museum. Retreat into an imaginary life-like world with a visit to the Virtual Reality Lounge. Take a leisurely walk along the picturesque Riverwalk or relax in Central Park. Even the beautifully preserved architecture of the Downtown is a sight to see!
Enjoy our attractions
Monthly Artwalks, theatre performances, museums, and festivals abound. Cultural amenities of all types await you in Downtown Elkhart. Get inspired at the Midwest Museum of American Art, and experience the best of the performing arts live at the historic Lerner Theatre and the Crystal Ballroom. Delight the entire family with a journey to the National New York Central Railroad Museum. Retreat into an imaginary life-like world with a visit to the Virtual Reality Lounge. Take a leisurely walk along the picturesque Riverwalk or relax in Central Park. Even the beautifully preserved architecture of the Downtown is a sight to see!
Ruthmere Mansion
The Ruthmere Campus comprises three historic properties that engage visitors with a unique experience of history, art, and architecture. There are so many ways to explore this historically rich area of Downtown Elkhart: take a guided tour of Ruthmere Mansion or the historic Havilah Beardsley House, attend a concert or have coffee on the piazza, enjoy a relaxing stay at the rustic Creek House Center, or celebrate your nuptials with an unforgettable garden wedding. All of the experiences at Ruthmere are one of a kind.
Premier Arts
Premier Arts is recognized as a regional leader in providing diverse, professional performing arts education and entertainment. Premier Arts brings masterpieces such as Annie, The Secret Garden, Singin’ in the Rain, A Christmas Carol, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat to the Lerner stage for members and visitors of our community to enjoy.
Lerner Theatre
The Lerner Theatre, an Elkhart Landmark, is part of a revival. A new era for the arts, commerce, and life in the heart of our community. The Lerner is evidence of this rebirth with its timeless, never-lost quality of an old theatre, reborn as a state of the art performance and event facility. The Lerner brings in nationally recognized acts, along with community driven performing arts projects, for an eclectic lineup of shows that appeal to everyone.
National New York Central Railroad Museum
The National New York Central Railroad Museum recaptures the glory days of when America’s railroads were symbols of progress and goodwill ambassadors across the country. The Museum was founded in 1987 and is an ever-growing preservation site of both local and national railroad heritage pertaining to the New York Central System. The Museum’s goal is to tell the story of the vast New York Central System, and its predecessors and successors into the modern era.
Midwest Museum of American Art
In a beautifully renovated neo-classical style bank building, the Midwest Museum of American Art is a showcase of 19th and 20th Century American Art. It houses a large collection of hand-signed lithographs by the famous American illustrator Norman Rockwell. In all, the permanent collection numbers over 6,000 works with approximately 900 on display at any time during the year.
Wellfield Botanic Gardens
The natural beauty of Wellfield Botanic Gardens stays with you long after your visit is over. Nature, art, and people intermingle with respect, appreciation, and wonder. Spiritual mixes with relational as you enjoy the surroundings purposely created for enhancing your human experience. You may choose a contemplative solitary walk, a memory-making celebration of family, or an enriching community event. Whatever brings you to Wellfield Botanic Gardens, “the memory of the garden” will bring a smile to your perspective and a connection to all things living and growing.
Explore our Parks
Downtown Elkhart is uniquely beautiful with the convergence of the little Elkhart and the St. Joseph Rivers at Island Park. Lush green spaces, tall shade trees, imaginative sculptures, and the Nibco water and Ice Park, all connected by the Riverwalk, allow one to meander from one to another until your heart’s content. And that’s just the beginning.
