The largest city in Indiana’s northern tier, South Bend (pop. 107,789) is best known as the home of the “Fighting Irish” of Notre Dame University, and home of the car- and carriage-making Studebaker Company. The Notre Dame campus is most visitors’ destination, whether or not it’s a Saturday during football season. The 1,250-acre campus, along Michigan Street a mile north of downtown, is worth a stroll to see its many Catholic icons, including a replica of the grotto of Lourdes and the famous “Touchdown Jesus.”
And if that’s not enough, South Bend is also home to the College Football Hall of Fame (daily; $9; 574/235-9999) at 11 S. St. Joseph Street. Inside the 60,000-square-foot museum (bigger than a football field), you can watch videos of classic college games, experience a player’s perspective in the 360-degree “Stadium Theater,” or giggle at the antics of mascots and cheerleaders in the “Pigskin Pageantry” section.
On the south side of downtown, the Studebaker National Museum (daily; $7; 574/235-9714) at 525 S. Main Street displays a comprehensive survey of carriages and motor vehicles produced by the South Bend–based company before it closed in 1963.
One of South Bend’s best restaurants, Tippecanoe Place, at 620 W. Washington Street, is housed in the old Studebaker Mansion. Across the street is the Book Inn (574/288-1990), a secondhand bookstore and B&B.
