Evansville features fun, relaxation for all
Compiled by Abby Westcott
The City of Evansville, Indiana, was founded in 1812 on a scenic bend in the Ohio River. With a population of nearly 121,000 people in the city limits and more than 300,000 people in the metropolitan area, Evansville is the third largest city in Indiana. Evansville is the social and economic hub for the region that includes Southwest Indiana, Southeast Illinois and Northwest Kentucky.
LODGING
Cool Breeze State Bed & Breakfast
1240 Southeast Second St.
Evansville, IN 47713
812-422-9635
coolbreezebb.net
Located in the heart of Evansville’s Historic District, Cool Breeze Bed & Breakfast offers travelers a unique place for comfort, beauty and privacy. Cool Breeze is within 15 minutes of Evansville Regional Airport, five minutes from The Old National Events Plaza and the Ford Center, as well as quality downtown restaurants. Their mission is to provide all the luxuries of home. Their library of books and movies allows travelers to slow down from the stresses of life, and fine linens on a queen-sized bed allow you to sleep easy. And let’s not forget the homemade hot breakfast!
Le Merigot Boutique Hotel
615 Riverside Drive
Evansville, IN 47708
812-433-4700
tropevansville.com/hotels/le-merigot-hotel
Le Merigot promises the finest hotel experience in the region, where every detail has been designed to create a coolly sophisticated, intimate and pampered getaway. The 100-room hotel offers imported Italian bed linens and goose down duvets on the luxury beds. On the upper floor, five suites offer stunning river views in the spacious living/dining room area, master bedroom and an oversized bathroom, complete with an effervescent soaking tub.
Tropicana Evansville Hotel
421 Northwest Riverside Drive
Evansville, IN 47708
812-433-4000
topevansville.com
The 243-room hotel on Evansville’s downtown riverfront is connected to a 24-hour riverboat casino and conference center. This entertainment destination features a variety of dining options and live music nightly.
Burdette Park Chalets
5301 Nurrenbern Road
Evansville, IN 47712
812-435-5602
burdettepark.org
Two- and three-bedroom chalets offer rustic charm with modern conveniences tucked in wooded setting. Primitive camping and full-service RV sites are available. Chalets are available for overnight rentals and are completely furnished.
DINING
The Log Inn
12491 County Road 200 East
Haubstadt, IN 47639
812-867-3216
theloginn.net
The Log Inn was built in 1825, 12 miles north of Evansville, as a Noon Day Stage Coach Stop and Trading Post. It has been officially recognized as the oldest restaurant in Indiana. While visiting the Log Inn, patrons can dine in the same original log room that Abraham Lincoln visited in 1844.
Gerst Bavarian Haus
2100 W. Franklin St.
Evansville, IN 47712
812-424-1420
gersthausevansville.com
Since 1999, the Gerst Haus has been an Evansville favorite, providing the best German food in an authentic beer hall atmosphere. The menu includes a variety of German and American food. Their signature dishes include wiener schnitzel, bratwurst and corned beef and cabbage. They offer giant frozen fishbowls of their Gerst Amber beer, as well as 49 draughts and a large selection of imported beers.
Cavanaugh’s
421 Riverside Drive
Evansville, IN 47713
812-433-4333
tropevansville.com/dining/cavanaughs
Flawless steaks, fresh seafood, impeccable service. Cavanaugh’s has fine cuisine paired with sweeping river views. The casual upscale atmosphere of the Piano Bar at Cavanaugh’s is the ideal place to meet friends or clients. Enjoy signature martinis, delicious appetizers or indulge in the fuller dinner menu.
ATTRACTIONS
Bosse Field
23 Don Mattingly Way
Evansville, IN 47711
812-435-8686
evansvilleotters.com/splash
Home to the Evansville Otters of the Independent Frontier League, Bosse Field opened in 1915 and was the first municipally owned sports facility in the United States. Only Boston’s Fenway Park (1912) and Chicago’s Wrigley Field (1914) are older than Evansville’s Bosse Field. It is the site for the filming of “A League of Their Own” in 1992. Whether you’re a sports fan or a history buff, this 100-year-old structure for America’s favorite pastime is a must see.
Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Science
411 S.E. Riverside Drive
Evansville, IN 47713
812-425-2406
evansvillemuseum.org
The Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Science is one of Southwestern Indiana’s most established cultural institutions. This general museum maintains a permanent collection of more than 30,000 objects, including fine and decorative arts and historic, anthropological and natural history artifacts. More than 20 temporary exhibitions are displayed every year in four changing galleries. Shows range from regional to internationally traveling exhibitions.
Evansville African American Museum
579 Lincoln Ave.
Evansville, IN 47713
812-423-5188
evansvilleaamuseum.wordpress.com
The Evansville African American Museum is located in one of the nation’s first housing projects — Lincoln Gardens — built in 1938 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal Program. The community was known then as Baptisttown, an independent, thriving community with Black doctors, lawyers and educators. The EAAM celebrates the struggles, successes and experiences of the African-American culture in Evansville throughout the last 70 years.
Koch Family Children’s Museum of Evansville
22 E. 5th St.
Evansville, IN 47708
812-464-2663
cmoekids.org
The Koch Family Children’s Museum has been the favorite interactive learning zone in Evansville for almost 10 years. Housed in a historic building on 5th Street downtown, “cMoe” features three floors of permanent and traveling exhibits geared toward play-based learning. Kids can have a ball in the Quack Factory, produce their own plays and films in Speak Loud, and build their dreams in Work Smart. Live Well, the newest gallery, gives kids a chance to play “Operation,” plant a garden and conduct a newscast.