5 Top-Rated Places to Visit in Lafayette (2024)

The magnificent city of Lafayette is nestled in the county seat of Tippecanoe County of Indiana. Lafayette is a charming little picturesque town that has a population of only about 130,000 people. This small city was founded in 1825, and it has been an essential part of this region ever since. The city is full of rich history, lively culture, and an abundance of nature. This exciting city sits on the southeast bank of the mesmerizing Wabash River, and its location is near an impassable river for riverboats upstream. Lafayette got its unique name from a French General Marquis de Lafayette, who was a revolutionary war hero.

One of the most famous things the city of Lafayette is known for is being home to the world-renowned Purdue University. Being a university town, there is a large student population that lives in the town. Apart from the university, Lafayette has many historical landmarks, vibrant festivals, charming parks, excellent museums, delicious cuisine, and spectacular golf courses.

In fact, the city’s food scene is so fantastic and varying that you will find many exciting cuisines on the menus here, including French, Italian, Irish, Greek, and of course, American. With so much to offer, the city of Lafayette is a must-visit when you are in Indiana.

5 Top-Rated Places to Visit in Lafayette

Here is a list of the best places to visit in Lafayette to ensure you don’t miss out on any of the famous landmarks in this area.

1. Prophetstown State Park

Prophetstown is the newest addition to the Indiana State Park system and an absolutely stunning paradise for nature lovers and photographers who want some top class photos for their Instagram feeds. Full of natural beauty and cultural history, Prophetstown State Park is a beautiful park in Lafayette to enjoy and interact with the environment. Located inside the state park is the 125-acre Farm at Prophetstown, which provides you with a complete hands-on experience in gardening, livestock feeding, homesteading, and you get to learn what all is involved in living on a farm.

The state park is located in a beautiful location, at the confluence of the Tippecanoe and Wabash Rivers, and also features a vast network of hiking trails that are ideal for all levels of hikers. The park also has a huge Aquatic Center that draws a lot of visitors owing to its 30-foot waterslide, zero-depth entry pool, and lazy river. Interested tourists can also find out more about the overall area at the Tippecanoe Battlefield Park.

The state park also has many ways that allow visitors to connect to the surrounding environment through a wide-ranging network of biking and hiking trails that criss cross through the tallgrass landscape and floodplain of the Tippecanoe River. There is also a year-round camping ground available at Prophetstown, with camping sites ranging from primitive tent-only camping and RV-accessible spots.

2. Wabash Heritage Trail

The Wabash Heritage Trail is one of the best ways to check out the beauty of the outdoors while also visiting some of the top tourist attractions of Lafayette. This is a 13-mile-long pedestrian pathway that runs parallel to the magnificent Wabash River. Starting at the Tippecanoe Battlefield Park, the path takes you south to connect you with some of the other public points of interest before coming to an end at Fort Ouiatenon.

Some of the other incredible stops along this trail include the McAllister Park, Davis Ferry Bridge, and Happy Hollow Park. The entire route is vehicle free, but you will find a good number of joggers, bicyclists, and strollers on any sunny day when the weather is pleasant.

There are many tourist attractions that fall along the path and are worth stopping for if you have the time. Part of the fun of following this river pathway is to just enjoying the scenic natural space that lines the entire route. Most of the route falls under a full canopy of tree cover during the summer, and you will find many picnic benches and sitting spots lining the path.

3. Purdue University

Nestled in West Lafayette, Purdue University is the star of Lafayette. Founded in 1869, the university has been an important part of the Lafayette community for the last so many years. This land grant university and flagship campus is well known across the world for the many streams of education that it offers through various programs and degrees. There are even more options available with their statewide satellite programs. The university attracts thousands of international students every year, and you will find Lafayette to be a wonderful melting pot of cultures due to this.

While the education here is top notch, a large part of the appeal of this university is the culture and community that it fosters. From retaining a young and educated populace to the wide range of events, businesses, and public spaces that caters to the university crow, Purdue University is an integral part of the greater Lafayette community.

You can take a tour of the university grounds, though the most exciting way to check out Purdue University is through the sporting events that take place. Saturday football games that are held at the Ross-Ade Stadium are a longstanding tradition of the city, as well as the home basketball games held at Mackey Arena.

The annual Spring Fest that is hosted by the university in April every year is a great crowd puller. It is also one of the best times to visit the beautiful city of Lafayette as the entire town comes alive for this fun spectacle. The Spring Fest features arts, animals, and insects, and you will find students exercising their design and driving skills with custom-made go-karts of all types and sizes on a 160-lap Grand Prix track that is set up, especially for this event.

4. Celery Bog Nature Area

Located on the western edge of West Lafayette, the Celery Bog Nature Area is a 195-acre public park that includes trails, wetlands, and a nature center. Having over seven miles of natural and paved trails to explore, this is the perfect getaway for nature lovers. In fact, many of the trails even lead you right to the edge of Celery Bog, and you will find that it takes less than just five minutes of walking to become fully immersed in this nature area.

You will get the opportunity to catch sight of many wildlife, including turtles, mallards, beavers, frogs, and herons near the water. The aquatic habitat here is actually a critical ecosystem for many species of birds. It surprises many visitors to learn that there have been over 120 species of birds that have been documented visiting this magnificent bog. This has made this nature area a staple attraction for kids and adults both who are interested in bird watching and the natural world.

Located close to the parking area of the Celery Bog Nature Area is the Lilly Nature Center, which provides many hands-on educational programs for children to get to know more about the surrounding area. The Nature Center is open from Wednesday to Saturday, and it offers free admission.

5. Tippecanoe Battlefield Park

Located just a stone’s throw away from the Prophetstown State Park to the northwest of the city is the famous Tippecanoe Battlefield Park and Museum. This monument memorializes the 1811 clash that took place between native inhabitants and the new settlers of the area. This 96-acre park features a magnificent 85-foot marble obelisk that was initially constructed in 1908.

There is an on-site museum that exhibits and displays the many artifacts from the battle that took place in this location over two centuries ago. There are many picnic areas, hiking trails, and more interpretive information that can be found throughout the park. The Tippecanoe Battlefield Park can be found on the northern part of the Wabash Nature Trail. The Tippecanoe Battlefield Park is a must-visit for tourists who want to learn more about the history of Lafayette and the entire surrounding area. Families with children have a great time here as they spend the day having a picnic and also learning about the enriching history of this place.