South Bend: Indiana city offers art, museums, adventure and, of course, Notre Dame — even in a pandemic

The River Lights display in downtown South Bend, Indiana.

Photo courtesy Visit South Bend

Tour the campus of Notre Dame University to see the Grotto of Our Lady of the Lourdes where you can offer a votive in prayer. 

Catch a game at the Compton Family Ice Arena while in South Bend. You can get tickets for as little as $10.

The main level of the Studebaker National Museum displays Studebaker history and vehicles from the 1800s to 1934. The upper level contains vehicles from 1934 until the last one came off the line in the 1960s. The lower level displays military vehicles and more cars stacked on lifts for more storage.

The Oliver Mansion in South Bend, Indiana, is one of the few historic house tours in the country where the house is filled with all original furnishings. 

The shepherd’s pie from Fiddler’s Hearth, which serves a large menu of Irish food. 

The lobby, with its gorgeous green touches, in the Morris Inn at Notre Dame. 

By Amy Bertrand St. Louis Post-Dispatch

This story was originally reported and ran in early 2020. I returned to South Bend in November, and have added comments about coronavirus precautions and made updates where applicable. 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Maybe you are a huge Notre Dame fan. Maybe, like me, you love midsize Midwestern cities. Or maybe you want to see the town that put Mayor Pete on the presidential map. Pete Buttigieg, onetime Democratic hopeful for president, was mayor of South Bend for eight years, ending his second term in January. He grew up there; his family still lives there. But this is not a political story — just a travel story about a city (population: 102,000) to be proud of, easy to get around, brimming with friendly people and full of diverse eateries, art and outdoor adventures. And of course, there’s the Fighting Irish.

Downtown itself is lively with restaurants, shops, music venues and bars. Though like many downtowns, that has slowed since the virus hit. Downtown eateries have tried to keep up with the demand for outdoor dining by installing individual heated igloos for diners. But it’s the St. Joseph River and its colorful light show that turns downtown into an interactive work of art.

Though it’s a little hard to take it all in right now, with construction that’s expected to last until summer 2021, two interactive sculptures work with lights under a bridge, a “Keeper of the Fire” sculpture and cascading waters to bring the riverfront to life. Sensors built into light pillars along the river prompt the lights to change color or alter their pattern as a result of people moving nearby. Visitors can send a flow of colored lights across the river, and people on the other side can send a flow of color back. The light installation, by artist Rob Shakespeare, was unveiled for the city’s 150th anniversary in 2015.

At Howard Park in South Bend, an ice track makes its way around a playground as fire pits are set up along the outside of it. 

Photo by Amy Bertrand

Amy Bertrand, Post-Dispatch

Just across that bridge, where arches underneath glow purple, blue, red and green, a newly redesigned city park awaits. Howard Park’s centerpiece is a 16,000-square-foot ice trail with rolling hills and curves along with a more traditional pond-like skating area. The trail circles and crosses over a new playground. Fire pits sit alongside the trail, and concessions serve hot chocolate and snacks. Online reservations, mask requirements, limited capacity and prepaid rentals are some of the precautions taken. ($7-$10 to skate; visithowardpark.com)

And I may have to come back to South Bend in the summer to check out the East Race Waterway, a man-made whitewater rafting course in the middle of downtown. Since 1984, the historic waterway, once used to provide electricity, has been churning out Class 2 rapids for thrill-seekers. Each ride is $6 and includes all equipment (kayakers can bring their own). Choose a raft for two to five. (eastracewaterway.gr8.com)

Visit the campus

The University of Notre Dame is the biggest game in town (literally, sometimes, when tens of thousands of people fill the city on football game days, and as made news recently that even happened during the pandemic). But it’s a beautiful campus, and one worth visiting — for Catholics, academics, sports fans and history buffs.

Visitors can take a guided tour through the Eck Visitors Center for free or tour on their own. But be warned, parking is not easy to find, especially when school is in session.

The biggest must-see is probably a game. Hockey and football are the most popular ones. But you may have to wait till next season for that. 

A mosaic-mural titled “Word of Life” on the facade of the Hesburgh Library on the Notre Dame campus is also know as “Touchdown Jesus” in which he seems to be signalling six points.

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Associated Press

But take the time to see a few other sites. The Grotto of Our Lady of the Lourdes sits across from a beautiful lake. It is a scale version of the Grotto of Massabielle, in Lourdes, France, where St. Bernadette is said to have seen the Virgin Mary in 1858. The cave sits back and is filled with votive candles. People come to pray, give thanks and offer blessings.

The famous Golden Dome of the Main Building can be seen from all over campus. The building is mainly used for administration, but tours will take you through the 1879 structure where a 19-foot-tall, 4,000-pound statue of Mary sits atop it.

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame University.

Photo courtesy Visit South Bend

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart is a stunning, Gothic-inspired church where Mass is celebrated regularly. The stained-glass windows were first installed in 1873, giving Notre Dame the largest collection of 19th-century French stained glass in the world.

When ESPN gets ready for “Game Day” at Notre Dame, it sets up on the lawn in front of “Touchdown Jesus,” a 14-story mural of Jesus officially called “The Word of Life.” 

The Morris Inn at Notre Dame is an upscale hotel that sits in the middle of campus. In the distance, you can spy the famed gold dome. 

Brian Sirimaturos

Where to stay • On my first visit to South Bend, I stayed at a chain hotel.  On this visit, I had the chance to stay at the lovely Morris Inn at Notre Dame. That’s right AT Notre Dame, as in right on campus. Steps away from the basilica and stadium. I can only imagine the demand for those rooms on game-day. It’s a gorgeous, upscale hotel with all the amenities you’d expect from a four-star hotel, though on our visit, with current precautions many of them weren’t available. That’s OK. It felt safe and clean, and the staff was more than accommodating and welcoming. In fact, TripAdvisor recently rated Morris Inn as the No. 1 hotel in the U.S. for service, and it wasn’t hard to see why.  Traditional rooms in the middle of December are about $150; an executive suite with a living area, separate bedroom and two baths was $270. 

Things to do

Beyond the university, South Bend offers plenty of things to do to fill a long weekend. COVID-19 guidelines are limiting hours and numbers in some cases; be sure to call first. Masks are required. 

South Bend Chocolate Factory • Part museum, part factory, part store, this stop in South Bend is fun for everyone. I learned at the adorable downtown Chocolate Cafe that its products’ maker, the South Bend Chocolate Factory, offered tours. Visitors who take the tour learn about the history, the process and, of course, get a treat at the end. The Chocolate Museum there houses hundreds, maybe thousands, of collectibles, including a 1,300-year-old Mayan chocolate pot. You don’t need to make an appointment or buy tickets ahead of time; tours are pretty much at the top of every hour. ($5; sbchocolate.com)  

Studebaker National Museum • Studebaker was founded in 1852 as the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Corp. in South Bend. Back then, it produced carriages and buggies. But as technology advanced, the company did too, developing into one of the biggest automobile manufacturers in the U.S. The South Bend plant ceased production in 1963, and the last Studebaker was produced in 1966. At the museum, you can see dozens of vehicles, from the Barouche that President Abraham Lincoln used the night of his assassination to a shiny red convertible you can sit in. ($10; studebakermuseum.org) 

The History Museum and Oliver Mansion • In the same building as the Studebaker museum is this ode to the town’s history. If you want to learn about this part of Indiana, from prehistoric times to the Potawatomi tribes to the Civil War to the civil rights movement, this is the place to do it. There’s even a kids museum and a fascinating exhibit on the first women’s baseball leagues (which inspired “A League of Their Own”). But for me, the big draw was the stunning Oliver Mansion, located on the property — or more precisely, the museum is located on its property. All of the furnishings in the 1895 Romanesque Queen Anne home are original to the house, at least as it was in the 1930s. The 38-room, 12,000-square-foot mansion is full of spectacular fireplaces, handcrafted woodwork and gorgeous works of art. The house was built by Anna and J.D. Oliver, who made his fortune on field plow design patents. It was donated to the History Museum by their descendants, who wanted to preserve the legacy of their family. Tours are offered daily. ($10 or $15 for history museum, Oliver Mansion and Studebaker museum; historymuseumsb.org) CHECK 

South Bend Museum of Art • Along the St. Joseph River downtown sits this well-done art museum featuring works of mostly regional artists and focusing on the contemporary. Be sure to check out the works of the Chicago Imagists, including Ed Paschke, Gladys Nilsson and Ray Yoshida. (Admission is a suggested $5, and parking is $5 in the nearby Century Center lot; southbendart.org)

South Bend also has a zoo and the Potawatomi Conservatories and botanical gardens, in addition to a number of parks to explore.

Where to eat

Cafe Navarre • With a fashionable bar in a historic building on a corner in downtown, the ambiance alone is enough to dine here. But the food, a menu of classics including beef medallions ($37) and more adventurous options such as octopus with chimichurri ($15, appetizer), is just as amazing. The bar menu is even more adventurous. I’m still trying to perfect the Winter Mojito, a mix of rum, coconut milk, lime-mint simple syrup and pomegranate seeds. They have added outdoor dining with heaters, and use reservations to keep things spaced out indoors. (cafenavarre.co)

Evil Czech • In the next-door town of Mishawaka, the Evil Czech is a brewery with upscale bar food. Try the Buffalo cheese curds ($9.95) and hope to get a sassy waitress. (evilczech.com)

Brothers Bar & Grill • Situated in Eddy Commons, a brick-lined shopping area across the street from Notre Dame, Brothers (actually part of a chain) has upscale bar food, fun drinks, a billiards table and plenty of TVs for watching the game if you didn’t snag tickets. Though there is outdoor dining with heaters, they’ve done a nice job spacing things out inside as well. (brothersbar.com/southbend)

Like several other restaurants in South Bend, Fiddler’s Hearth has added igloos to its parking lot area to help extend its outdoor dining into the winter. 

Brian Sirimaturos

Fiddler’s Hearth • In the land of the Fighting Irish, it seems fitting to dine at a locally owned Irish pub. In downtown South Bend, find a darkly furnished bar with a cozy fireplace, a variety of Irish and local beers and all the Irish favorites, but just get the fish and chips, served wrapped in a newspaper and fried to absolute perfection ($13 for two pieces). Outside, you’ll find single-table igloos perfect for socially distant dining. (fiddlershearth.com)

Crooked Ewe • With widely spaced tables on two floors, the Crooked Ewe offers socially distant dining and great takeout as well. Its eclectic menu includes elote hushpuppies ($10), ramen ($16) and an unusual melon bowl I fell in love with with smoked beets, tomatoes, feta, pistachios and katsu pork belly ($16). (crookedewe.com)

Morris Inn

The lobby, with its gorgeous green touches, in the Morris Inn at Notre Dame. 

Brian Sirimaturos Fiddler’s Hearth

Like several other restaurants in South Bend, Fiddler’s Hearth has added igloos to its parking lot area to help extend its outdoor dining into the winter. 

Brian Sirimaturos Fiddler’s Hearth

The shepherd’s pie from Fiddler’s Hearth, which serves a large menu of Irish food. 

Brian Sirimaturos The Morris Inn

The Morris Inn at Notre Dame is an upscale hotel that sits in the middle of campus. In the distance, you can spy the famed gold dome. 

Brian Sirimaturos South Bend travel

Tour the campus of Notre Dame University to see the Grotto of Our Lady of the Lourdes where you can offer a votive in prayer. 

Photo by Amy Bertrand

Amy Bertrand, Post-Dispatch South Bend travel

Catch a game at the Compton Family Ice Arena while in South Bend. You can get tickets for as little as $10.

Photo by Amy Bertrand

Amy Bertrand, Post-Dispatch South Bend travel

Cafe Navarre in South Bend, Indiana, blends modern American cuisine with European influences. 

Photo by Amy Bertrand

Amy Bertrand, Post-Dispatch South Bend travel

Book a stadium tour at Notre Dame University and get a peek inside the locker rooms where tradition meets high-tech.  

Photo by Amy Bertrand

Amy Bertrand, Post-Dispatch South Bend travel

“The Keeper of the Fire” sculpture is lighted against the River Lights on the St. Joseph River below. Photo by Amy Bertrand

South Bend travel

The History Museum of South Bend teaches you about the Potawatomi Indians past and present.  Photo by Amy Bertrand

South Bend travel

At Howard Park in South Bend, an ice track makes its way around a playground. 

Photo by Amy Bertrand

Amy Bertrand, Post-Dispatch South Bend travel

You can sit in this Studebaker and get your photo taken at the Studebaker National Museum. 

Photo by Amy Bertrand

Amy Bertrand, Post-Dispatch South Bend travel

Part of the South Bend River Lights installation, the lights under the Jefferson Boulevard Bridge light the cascading water below. Photo by Amy Bertrand

Oliver Mansion

The Oliver Mansion in South Bend, Indiana, is one of the few historic house tours in the country where the house is filled with all original furnishings. 

Photo by Amy Bertrand

Amy Bertrand, Post-Dispatch South Bend travel

The main level of the Studebaker National Museum displays Studebaker history and vehicles from the 1800s to 1934. The upper level contains vehicles from 1934 until the last one came off the line in the 1960s. The lower level displays military vehicles and more cars stacked on lifts for more storage.

Photo by Amy Bertrand

Amy Bertrand, Post-Dispatch South Bend travel

At Howard Park in South Bend, an ice track makes its way around a playground as fire pits are set up along the outside of it. Photo by Amy Bertrand

South Bend travel

Inside the locally owned Fiddler’s Hearth pub. Photo by Amy Bertrand

South Bend travel

“The Word of Life” mural on the side of the Hesburgh Library at Notre Dame, more commonly referred to as “Touchdown Jesus.” Photo by Amy Bertrand

South Bend travel

At Howard Park in South Bend, an ice track makes its way around a playground as fire pits are set up along the outside of it. 

Photo by Amy Bertrand

Amy Bertrand, Post-Dispatch South Bend travel

The riverfront of South Bend in the early morning hours. Photo by Amy Bertrand

South Bend travel

J.D. Oliver’s personal study inside the Oliver Mansion. The hammerbeam ceiling gives the room a decidedly English feel.  Photo by Amy Bertrand

Amy Bertrand 314-340-8284

@abertrand on Twitter

abertrand@post-dispatch.com

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