5 Cool Things to do in Downtown Fort Wayne

It isn’t often that you can walk from attraction to attraction in a city, but that’s exactly what I did in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Our group of travel writers explored the arts campus, a botanical conservatory, the nation’s top-rated minor league ballpark, and the nation’s largest public genealogy center all by foot in downtown Fort Wayne.

1. See the art.
The contemporary Fort Wayne Museum of Art features exhibits from their own collection, as well as temporary exhibitions. Following a $7 million expansion a few years ago, adding 10,000 square feet, the museum can now showcase up to nine exhibits at a time. Our guide, Amanda, pointed out that her “favorite visitor is the person who thinks they don’t like or can’t benefit from art.” These are the people who change their tune after exploring the museum.

Browse the gift shop before you leave. Museum gift shops are a great place to find unique items.

Across the street, the Auer Center for Arts & Culture is home to Artlink, where local artists showcase their work in two galleries, the local ballet has taken up residence, and a black box theater venue is available for community performing arts groups.

Also on the arts campus, the Arts United Center is venue to the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Fort Wayne Ballet and other performing arts groups.

2. See a show in a magnificent historic theater.
Bob Hope’s first emcee job was at the Emboyd Theatre. Built in 1928 to host Vaudeville shows and silent movies, the theater was saved from the wrecking ball in the mid-1970s within three day of razing, restored to its former magnificence, and renamed the Embassy Theatre.

The restored Grande Page Pipe Organ on the stage, used as the sound track for silent movies, is one of only four in the world.

Today the Embassy Theatre features plays from Broadway and big-name concerts, as well as community events like the Festival of Trees. Around Halloween you can take a haunted tour and learn about Bud Berger, the resident ghost.

3. Enjoy the tropics year-round.
A talking tree greets you in the family-friendly Foelinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, where kids can explore exhibits created especially for them.

As for adults, the rush of a waterfall and green ferns and palm trees make you feel like you are in a Caribbean island paradise as you stroll through the Tropical Garden.

The cacti in the Desert Garden take you to the greens and browns of the southwest, while the colorful flowers in the Showcase Garden, which changes seasonally, puts you in the mood for whatever the season may be.

4. Take me out to the ballgame.
Parkview Field, home to San Diego Padres minor league affiliate TinCaps, was rated the top minor league ballpark experience in the country two years in a row by Stadium Journey magazine. Unfortunately, the TinCaps (named for Johnny Appleseed who wore a tin pot on his head and is buried in Fort Wayne) weren’t playing while I was in town, so I didn’t get to experience a game or the delicious food they are said to serve. Since the ballpark is city owned and considered a park, it’s open every day, whether there is a game scheduled or not, so you can at least stop to see and walk around the park. I definitely want to make a return trip to see a ballgame.

5. Find your ancestors.
The 42,000 square foot Genealogy Center in the Allen County Public Library, second in size only to Salt Lake City, and with the largest hands-on research area, contains over a million items in the library, including 70,000 compiled family histories, 73,000 city directories, and 10,000 rolls of microfilmed records from the mid-19^th century to the mid-20^th century. If you are interested in tracing your family tree, this is the place to come. You can access free databases on the genealogy center’s web site, but for databases that you normally have to pay for, you must visit the genealogy center to gain free access. If you visit, you also can seek the assistance of the staff, whose combined research experience equals 210 years, and you can download information directly to your computer, tablet, or thumb drive.

Trivia fact: The #1 piece of family lore is that an ancestor was an Cherokee princess.

Plan to spend at least an hour if you have surnames and geography. To do extensive history, plan to stay a full day.

There is plenty more to do downtown that we didn’t have time to visit, like the Firefighters Museum and the Cathedral Museum, as well as a plethora of restaurants and nightlife spots. The places that we did visit, we just touched since our time was limited. You can plan an entire day or even a full weekend in downtown Fort Wayne.

If you stay downtown, you won’t even have to move your car until it’s time to leave. We stayed at the Hilton Fort Wayne at the Grand Wayne Center, and as with all of my Hilton experiences, had a great stay.

For more information on Fort Wayne, go to the Visit Fort Wayne web site.

Disclosure: My visit to Fort Wayne was hosted by the Visit Fort Wayne and, but any opinions expressed in this post are strictly those of the author.

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Baker Street, Fort Wayne IN: It’s all about the Customer

Connie Food & Drink, Indiana April 17, 2014May 10, 2014Baker Street Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne Restaurants, Indiana Restaurants 0 Comment

“We’d have nothing to do if it wasn’t for the people,” James Khan, manager at Baker Street in Fort Wayne, Indiana, tells his staff. “Don’t focus on easy.” Rather, Baker Street’s focus is on creating a memorable experience for guests.

Khan explained the company’s “humble approach” philosophy to our group of travel writers as we dined on appetizers like Shamini Tuna and Smoked Gouda & Crab Dip.

Baker Street offers fine dining, often costing more than customers normally pay for a meal, so guests expect the best, and Baker Street does everything they can to ensure guests receive both food and service beyond their expectations, according to Khan. Servers don’t work alone until they have been trained for six to eight weeks. In that time they learn that if it’s possible to fulfill a customer request, they do it. For instance, they typically serve one cola brand. However, realizing that some guests will drink only another brand, they keep some on hand for those occasions. Khan related a story in which a designated driver with a group of guests only drank Diet Mountain Dew, which they didn’t have, so staff ran to a local store to buy some for him rather than disappoint.

In another story, Khan told of a couple who came in to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary. The woman had her heart set on tilapia prepared the way it had been on her last visit. However, Baker Street’s menu changes occasionally, and when the customer saw that the tilapia was now prepared differently, she expressed her disappointment. After confirming she would be okay to wait twenty minutes, the staff made some of the sauce used in the previous tilapia version and prepared the fish the way the customer remembered it.

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As for food quality, if the appetizers our group was served is typical, it’s top notch. The chicken wings are baked first before frying for an extra crispiness beneath the sticky Asian sauce.

The scallops, served on a bed of sweet-and-sour sauce and garnished with walnuts and blue cheese, practically melted in my mouth, and the Cuban rolls, Cuban spiced braised pork, white cheddar and Ossian ham stuffed into a short, hollowed soft bread stick, were deliciously flavorful.

While Baker Street food isn’t all farm-to-table, they do source many of their products locally, including linens, coffee, and meat. Occasionally, they offer specials that promote locally sourced foods, like their patio dinner series, held every other Sunday from Memorial Day through Labor Day, in which the entire dinner is cooked outdoors where diners can watch the meal come together.

How does Baker Street stay consistent with their meal quality and service? All staff members are stakeholders in the company. Everyone shares a percentage of the profits each quarter, and they know that customer satisfaction is the key to turning that profit.

Baker Street, open for lunch at dinner, is located at 4820 N Clinton Street in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Check the web site for exact hours, the menu, and to make reservations.

Disclosure: My visit to Baker’s Street was hosted by the Visit Fort Wayne and Baker’s Street, but any opinions expressed in this post are strictly those of the author.

The Shrine of Christ’s Passion, St. John IN: Take the Journey

Connie Attractions & Events, Indiana April 15, 2014March 20, 2016christian shrines, Shrine in St John Indiana, shrine of christ passion, Shrine of Christ's Passion, st john store, the shrine of christs passion 0 Comment

The most popular time to visit is during Holy Week, with 8,000 to 10,000 visitors on Good Friday alone. Some arrive by the busload, others on a family outing. All experience the serenity of the half-mile path that follows the last hours of Christ’s time on Earth, as the non-denominational Shrine of Christ’s Passion takes them on Christ’s journey from the Last Supper through the Stations of the Cross to the Ascension. Read more

Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial: Visit Lincoln’s Farm

Connie Attractions & Events, Indiana April 4, 2014January 4, 2016abe lincoln childhood, about abraham lincoln, abraham incoln education, abraham linclln bio, abraham lincoln biography, abraham lincoln biography for kids, abraham lincoln boyhood home indiana, abraham lincoln for kids, abraham lincoln information, abraham lincoln life, all about abraham lincoln, biography of abraham lincoln, biography on abraham lincoln, fact about abraham lincoln, facts about abe lincoln, fun facts about abraham lincoln, history of abraham lincoln, info on abraham lincoln, information about abraham lincoln, information of abraham lincoln, information on abraham lincoln, licoln biography, life of abraham lincoln, Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, lincoln boyhood national memorial indiana, Lincoln City Indiana, lincoln memorial facts, Lincoln's Boyhood Home Indiana, pictures of abraham lincoln, Spencer County Indiana, the history of abraham lincoln, the life of abraham lincoln, Things to do in Evansville, Things to do in Evansville Indiana, where did abraham lincoln live, who was abraham lincoln 0 Comment

In his 1859 autobiography, Abraham Lincoln referred to the farm where he lived with his family for fourteen years. He lived his formative years, from age 7 to 21, in the home where he lost his mother, where his step-mother continued to encourage his love for reading and learning, and where he was molded into the man who is often regarded as America’s greatest president. You can visit the very land where Lincoln grew up, in what is now Lincoln City, Indiana, at the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial and Living Historical farm.

We reached our new home about the time the State came into the Union. It was a wild region, with many bears and other wild animals, still in the woods. There I grew up.” –A. Lincoln

Evansville Museum: Culture, History and Hands-on Fun

Connie Attractions & Events, Indiana April 2, 2014Evansville IN, Evansville Museum, Things to do in Evansville, Things to do in Evansville Indiana 0 Comment

You’ll discover hands-on science, local history, art galleries, a planetarium, and a transportation center all under one roof at the Evansville Museum—well, two roofs, really—and you can cover it all in one afternoon.

Start in the science gallery where adults are as anxious as children to try the interactive demonstrations. Watch clouds form, see your image reflected upside-down in a mirror, or drop a coin into the gravity well and watch it spin ‘round and ‘round as it descends to the bottom.
Moving into the history exhibitions, see replicas of dresses worn by movie stars and lots of movie posters, which demonstrate the popularity of the silver screen in Evansville, formerly home to twelve theaters. Many of the theaters began as vaudeville venues and were converted to movie houses in the early 20^th century.

Walk down a brick paved street of yesteryear and peer into the windows of homes and businesses.

The museum includes an extensive exhibit about life during World War II. During the war, Evansville became the quintessential Rosie the Riveter town as women took on factory jobs while the men went to war.

The museum’s second level houses art galleries. Permanent exhibits in the Crescent Galleries showcase American and European art dating back as far as the 16^th century. The remaining galleries feature temporary exhibitions: some part of the museum’s collection, some regional art, and some touring collections.

The Immersive Theater, the planetarium, offers several different shows each day. One show is specifically geared to young children and another to older children. “Skies Over Evansville” reproduces the night sky, and a museum staff member points out constellations and planets, and answers audience questions.

Next door, the Evansville Museum Transportation Center (EMTRAC) invites you to explore the Evansville’s transportation history, from 19^th century riverboats and carriages to steam fire engines and locomotives.

Outside, ring the bell of a Milwaukee Road steam engine and walk through the Tennessee Club Car, the very car that General Dwight D. Eisenhower used during his presidency campaign and later was used by Lady Bird Johnson as she campaigned for her husband’s presidency.

A 1920s railroad car attached to the back of the EMTRAC building houses a model railroad that you view from inside the museum. The layout represents Evansville during the 1950s.

Spend just a few hours in the Evansville Museum, and you’ll get a good feel for the area culture and history—and will have had fun learning about it.

The Evansville Museum is located at 411 S.E. Riverside Drive, Evansville Indiana. Check the web site for hours and admission rates.

Disclosure: My visit to the Evansville Museum was hosted by the Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Evansville Museum, but any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Other posts and articles you may enjoy:

Tropicana Evansville: Stay, Dine, Play

Tour a Victorian Mansion: Evansville’s Reitz Home Museum

Evansville Pizza Taste Test: Turoni’s or Roca Bar?

Tour the USS LST 325, Evansville Indiana

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During World War II, there were more LSTs built in Evansville, Indiana, than in any other inland location. It’s fitting, then, that Evansville is home to the only operational naval museum in the nation, the LST 325. On a tour of the ship, you’ll learn about its operations and how military personnel lived on board. Read more