Legendary People, Legendary Places

The 162-year-old campus of the University of Notre Dame is famous not only for its legendary football team but also the mystique of its 1250-acre campus. Founded as a school for young men by Father Edward Sorin, the university became co-educational in 1972 and boasts a student population of approximately 10,000. The Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the 14-story Hesburgh Library with its 132-foot high mural depicting Christ the Teacher and the recently renovated Main Building with its famed Golden Dome are among the most widely known university landmarks in the world.

The history of transportation can be found at the Studebaker National Museum. The collection is housed in a building constructed in 1919 by the former Studebaker Corporation to serve as its largest dealership. More than 75 vehicles are on display including the first and last vehicles produced by Studebaker, carriages of four U.S. Presidents and prototype vehicles. The Museum also houses an extensive archival collection. Copshaholm, an opulent and historic 38-room mansion of industrialist J.D. Oliver, is a house museum and is filled with original furnishings from the mid-17th to 20th centuries. The Oliver family founded the Oliver Chilled Plow Works, a major international manufacturer of farm implements in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Tippecanoe Place Restaurant, a fine continental restaurant, was originally home of former Studebaker Company President Clement Studebaker. Tippecanoe Place was completed in 1889 at a cost of a little more than $300 thousand. The home contains 40 rooms and 20 fireplaces.

Every day will feel like a Saturday afternoon at the College Football Hall of Fame. The game of college football comes to life through interactive exhibits, video, sound and the nation’s largest collection of football memorabilia.

Other points of interest include the Hannah Lindahl Children’s Museum, the kidsfirst Children’s Museum and the HealthWorks! Kids Museum – three hands-on children’s museums. The Morris Performing Arts Center, one of the oldest historic theatres in Indiana, hosts touring Broadway shows, symphony concerts and national touring artists. The South Bend Regional Museum of Art, the public art museum of the greater South Bend area, includes collections and exhibits focusing on contemporary and historical American art. Shiojiri Niwa Japanese Friendship Gardens, is the beautiful garden located on 1.3 acres in Mishawaka’s Merrifield Park.