Courtesy Columbus CVBColumbus
You wouldn’t expect a town of 44,000 people to be a nationally renowned architectural destination. But great architecture is Columbus’ claim to fame.
“We’re ranked sixth in the nation for architectural design and innovation by the American Institute of Architects,” said Erin Hawkins, marketing director at the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The only places that rank above us are places like Chicago, Boston, and Washington, D.C., and then you come to this tiny town in southern Indiana. We’re known for having world-class architecture, and most of our leisure travel here is people coming to see the architecture.”
Columbus’ credentials come courtesy of more than 70 buildings and pieces of art designed by internationally known architects and artists, including I.M. Pei, Eliel Saarinen, Harry Weese, Dale Chihuly and Henry Moore. The area’s status as an arts and architecture treasure was recently recognized by the Indiana Arts Commission, which named downtown Columbus a State Cultural District.
Group tours of Columbus start at the Miller House and Garden. Often compared to Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous Fallingwater home in Pennsylvania, the Miller House is considered one of the most important examples of midcentury modern architecture in a residential setting and was one of the first structures to kick off the architectural boom in town.
From the Miller House, groups proceed on a guided two-hour bus tour of the city that highlights many of the unique and historic buildings throughout downtown. That tour includes some surprises in the historic district.
“Though we’re known for modern architecture, people are often surprised that we kept all of our 19th-century Victorian storefronts downtown,” Hawkins said. “We intermingle these new modern structures with the historic structures. The two styles work very well together.”
www.columbus.in.us
Lafayette and West Lafayette
The Wabash River cuts through the largest residential area in east central Indiana, creating the dual municipalities of Lafayette and West Lafayette. Although the two cities have separate governments and services, for visitors they serve as a single destination. In the twin downtowns on either side of the river, groups will find a variety of arts, culture, history and culinary activities.
Among the most popular downtown stops for groups is the Lafayette Brewing Company, a microbrewery and family restaurant.
“They can handle groups, and they do tours and presentations of the brewing process,” said Ashley Gregory, group tours manager for Visit Lafayette/West Lafayette. “They can also do tastings. They have more than just beer; they make their own root beer, cream soda and other sodas there.”
Downtown is also the best place for groups to discover arts in the area. The Art Museum of Greater Lafayette showcases the work of Indiana artists and hosts a variety of traveling exhibits throughout the year. And a number of local art galleries offer hands-on workshops for groups.
“Lala Gallery can do a ceramic class for small groups of 20 or less,” Gregory said. “All Fired Up is a paint-your-own-pottery studio. Groups can go there and paint a piece of pottery, and then have the pieces fired and shipped to them at home.”
