Things to do around Purdue

Generally you will be too busy to venture much outside campus but if you have free time on weekends, here are some fun things to go do:

1. McCord’s Candy – small historic place in Downtown Lafayette. Not far from over the bridge. Famous for their candy, but also sell actual food.
2. Catch a Movie – at GQT Wabash Landing 9 at 300 State Street- a short walk from Campus near the Silver Dipper ice cream parlour. They offer $4 tickets all day on National Cinema Day (27th Aug).
3. Farmers Markets: There are three Farmer’s Markets in WL and across the river in Lafayette which provide a variety of local fresh produce, herbs, plants and flowers, meats and prepared food, including lunches and sweets:
   • Lafayette (downtown, Saturday mornings): https://lafayettefarmersmarket.com/. The biggest one, usually. Any bus that connects downtown will get you close enough to walk.
   • West Lafayette (at Cumberland Park) Every Wednesday see here
   • Campus (in the Memorial Mall): every Thursday from May 2 through October 31 from 11am to 3pm. see here
4. Art Museum of Greater Lafayette: Stop by and check out changing exhibitions of featured artists, or permanent collections of 19th and 20th century American art with a focus on local and regional artists. Free admission. 
5. Downtown Walks – This one’s broad, but there’s so many little fun places downtown that no one has listed! On a nice day it’s fun to do if you want to be moving. See here for ideas.
6. Sledding in Winter down Slayer Hill: This is one of the iconic things that freshmen do at Purdue. They use all sorts of things as a sled- pieces of plastic, tables etc. Just be safe and dont do anything crazy though!
7. Check out Von’s Book shop. The basement is particularly interesting!
8. Go for a ride on the BoilerMaker Special on Friday (I believe rides depart from Stewart on Friday between noon and 3pm)
9. Prophetstown State Park – You can access this Park more easily with a car, not too far out of Lafayette city limits. It’s $8 per car, not person, for residents, 15 for non-residents, and there’s a yearly pass available for 50. If you plan on going any significant amount of time, the yearly pass is so worth it. There’s fishing (not allowed to keep fish), paved paths (fully wheelchair accessible besides the fact it can be hill-y in some areas), non-paved woods paths, a camp-ground, parks, bike paths, and historic sites. Go to the Prophetstown Farm for things like fresh eggs, ethically and locally sourced meat, fresh veggies, and to pet animals. All farm animals are able to be pet if they let you, and some, like JJ the donkey, very much so want the pets.
10. All Fired Up! – A campus one, Right by the movie theatre. Costs money, but you get to paint pre-made ceramics. The cost is based on the size of the ceramic piece you choose.
11. Wolf Park. Pretty close to Prophetstown, admission is $5 per person. Many events, and you get to see wolves living their best lives in a reasonably natural environment. See here.
12. Columbian Park/Columbian Park Zoo – The park itself is lovely and is a nice walk with many events throughout the warmer parts of the year, but I enjoy the zoo in particular. It’s $2 per person, includes a petting zoo, foxes, penguins, otters, and more!
13. Purdue Horticultural Park: If you like the outdoors, there are lots of walking trails in this garden, on the west side of campus and the Celery Bog park, just to the north on Lindberg adjacent to the golf course. Both are in easy walking distance or have bus routes to get there. Happy Hollow also is a great place with a nature trail.
14. Exploration Acres: Visiting in the summer? Grab food from local vendors and stroll through the 10-acre sunflower field where you can pick your own blossoms. Visiting in the fall? Try your hand at the corn maze, pick out a pumpkin, or enjoy a hayride!
15. If you have transportation, Niches Land Trust is a great local land conservation organization that has twelve properties in Tippecanoe County and a lot more in nearby counties. Check their website for property listings that include details about which ones have trails and which ones allow other activities like fishing and mushroom foraging. Niches is a hidden gem that not many people know about because their properties aren’t city/county parks, so you can go hiking to see a lot of native plants without the vibe being ruined by other people.
16. Wabash heritage trail– This trail is is a good one for hiking but can be very muddy and challenging if the person is used to paved parks. Also it does not loop, so you will have to loop back at some point. But it’s so pretty it’s worth it!! See here for more details
17. Buckle’s – Downtown Lafayette, but on the edge. Local (non-chain!) normal and exotic pet store that has reptiles, insects/arachnids, mammals, and birds. Including store cat Eevee! Most animals are handleable/pet-able upon request.
18. Aquarium World – local (also non-chain) fish store! They also have a small supply of reptiles/amphibians. The only nearby place to see saltwater fish. Small building, but fun to go to and just look. If you go on Tuesdays you can see the owners puppy, Kora!
19. Pet Supplies Plus’s Cat room – not owned by PSP itself, but rented out. The cat room is like a better version of Petsmart’s cats. If you go before 2pm everyday of the week, the cats are allowed to free roam and you can play with them! If you go after they will be in their catios. (Donations, as this is from a small local animal rescue, are always appreciated! If you want to know directly where your money is going, you can just outright buy items on their list like food or litter and put it in the donation box.). A similar paid version is at Lazy Cat Lounge Cat Cafe.
20. Disc golf at Murdock Park or McAllister Park or Slayter Hill on campus.
21. Malibu Jack’s Lafayette Indoor Theme Park at Tippecanoe Mall is a massive, all-indoor space filled with fun for people of all ages. Bowling, Go Karts, Miniature Golf, Laser Tag, Arcade Games, Kid’s Zone and more. It has cheap but fun games to play- keep an eye out for their special offers which are real value for money.
22. Tropicanoe Cove Water Park: Did you know that Lafayette has its own paradise right on Main Street? Tropicanoe Cove Water Park has a lazy river, water slides, pools, and decks to bask in the sun all day
    
    See here https://www.homeofpurdue.com/things-to-do/free-things-to-do/ for more ideas for Things to Do in Lafayette
    
    Indianapolis is only an hour away- so you can take a weekend break there as well.