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Downtown Michigan City, Indiana, has some great attractions for visitors. Among them are parks, art galleries, shopping, and museums.
Introduction to Michigan City
The land for Michigan City was purchased in 1830 by real estate developer Isaac C. Elston (1795-1868). The city was incorporated in 1836. Today, Michigan City features a zoo, a large public park, a revitalized downtown, and the only lighthouse in Indiana. There’s also good shopping, a riverboat casino, and decent restaurants.
Since we visited in winter, most of the attractions were either closed for the season or had limited hours. I’ll head back in the summer when I have a chance and update this post with more details.
Franklin Street
The heart of downtown Michigan City runs along Franklin Street, which is full of historic buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It makes up the majority of the Franklin Street Commercial Historic District, running from 4th to 11th Streets.
Franklin Street is a pleasant place to walk any time of year. The buildings contain restaurants, cafés, art galleries, retail shops, offices, and more.
St. John’s Evangelical and Reformed Church
I walked Franklin Street from south to north and came across a few points of interest. First, at 9th and Franklin is Uptown Social. The building was originally the St. John’s Evangelical and Reformed Church, built in 1867. The church moved to a new location in 1968 and it was converted to the Canterbury Theater, which ran until 1982. After 30 years of sitting vacant, the building was converted to an event venue. Weddings, concerts, and other social events are hosted there throughout the year.
St. Paul Lutheran Church
On the opposite corner is St. Paul Lutheran Church. It was founded in March 1876 by German immigrants. The church was completed in December of that year.
Trinity Episcopal Church
A couple blocks north at 6th and Franklin is the Trinity Episcopal Church. It was founded by the Right Reverend Philander Chase (1775-1852) in October 1834, when Michigan City had about 700 residents. On December 11, 1835, the congregation held services in a building at 4th and Pine. It was the first church in Michigan City and used until 1858.
From 1858 to 1888, the congregation worshipped in a small wooden church. It outgrew that church and moved to the current structure, which was completed in 1889. It was designed by Chicago architect Henry Starbuck (1860-1935).
First National Bank
Finally, between 5th and 6th Streets are the remaining pillars of the now-demolished First National Bank. It was built in 1920.
Lighthouse Place Premium Outlets
A couple blocks west of Franklin Street is perhaps one of Michigan City’s most popular destination, the Lighthouse Place Premium Outlets. This outdoor shopping mall opened in 1987. It features outlet stores from some of the best brand names, including Adidas, Nike, Michael Kors, Samsonite, Calvin Klein, Brooks Brothers, Coach, Columbia, Kate Spade, and The North Face. There are also restaurants and cafés mixed into the property.
Lighthouse Place was the location of the Haskell & Barker Car Works, which opened in 1912 and produced rail cars. It was later purchased by the Pullman Company and became Pullman-Standard. The factory continued operating until its closure in 1970. Much of it burned down in 1973.
Where to Eat in Michigan City
Michigan City has some great choices when it comes to food. I’ve visited a few places in the downtown area around Franklin Street.
Royale
For one first lunch in Michigan City, we stopped at Royale on Franklin Street. They offer burgers, sandwiches, and salads in a fun setting.
I had the royale, which is topped with lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, and thousand island dressing. I can easily say it was one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. Marisol had the piña, which is topped with cheddar, pineapple, grilled onions, and teriyaki sauce. Both burgers were served with a generous helping of fries.
We also got an order of street corn, which is corn topped with mayo, Cotija cheese, chili powder, and fresh cilantro. That was a big hit for our toddler.
Fiddlehead
Further north on Franklin is Fiddlehead. They serve up delicious American and international dishes in a comfortable setting. The restaurant is also a major supporter of the LGBTQ+ community in Michigan City, and according to the website, “hosts events that celebrate diversity and foster a sense of belonging”.
We started with an order of fried pickles, which are always a nice way to kick off a meal. For my main course, I had the mac daddy burger, which contains a seared mac n’ cheese patty, cheddar, bacon, buffalo sauce, ranch, and onion straws on a pretzel bun. Marisol had the fried lake perch tacos.
My dad had a mac n’ cheese bowl topped with BBQ pork. It’s a little heavy but has a nice flavor. His wife tried the chicken alfredo, which is also tasty. We all enjoyed our meals. Service is excellent and prices are fair.
Chickpea
On another day, we popped into Chickpea, which is a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurant across the street from Lighthouse Place. They allow you to build your own pitas, wraps, and bowls. They also serve great sides and salads.
I had a chicken shawarma and Marisol had a gyros. We both opted for the combo, which came with fries and a drink. The food was excellent and service was even better. The hard-working owner had a line almost out the door and did an amazing job putting together several orders.
FLUID Coffee Roasters
If you’re looking for great coffee, try FLUID Coffee Roasters. Although they have locations in Valparaiso and Crown Point, their roasting plant is right in downtown Michigan City on Franklin Street.
FLUID has some creative coffee drinks that are excellent any time of day. My favorites are the voodoo latte (peanut butter, chocolate, milk, and espresso) and the Doncaster (sea salt butterscotch, oat milk, and coffee). You can get these cold or hot. They also serve traditional coffee drinks as well as sandwiches. I haven’t tried the sandwiches yet.
Lakeshore Coffee
Finally, another place to get your caffeine fix is Lakeshore Coffee, which is right across the street from Lighthouse Place and next door to Chickpea.
Lakeshore Coffee has very good hot and cold coffee drinks as well as pastries, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, wraps, salads, and more. It’s got a cozy setting and service is friendly.
