What to do and see in Bloomington, Indiana (IN): The Best Things to do

September 30, 2021 Leonarda Pillsbury

Don't let Bloomington's modest size fool you; this Midwestern city offers as much sophistication as it does all-American charm. At Indiana University you will find cutting edge theatrical performances, museums and sports. Check out 4th Street's Restaurant Row for fine international dining. Head downtown for galleries, theaters and fun spots for the kids. Year round festivals will keep you entertained in any season.
Restaurants in Bloomington

1. Indiana University

107 S Indiana Ave, Bloomington, IN 47405-7000 +1 812-855-4848 http://www.indiana.edu/
Excellent
84%
Good
14%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 639 reviews

Indiana University

Center of many activities in Bloomington - arts, music, sports and events.

Reviewed By BillWaconia

My wife and I attended IU from 79-83. Our 23 year old son graduates from IU in 5 weeks. First, it's a top notch school with nice, clean kids and a beautiful campus. We have visited our son frequently the past few years. If you want to visit IU here are some of our favorite ideas... 1 Park at the square in downtown Bloomington, walk down Kirkwood to feel the youthful energy, enter the campus, stop in the Union to check out the art and the book store, and continue along the Jordan River to the far side of campus. Take an uber back to your car. 2 Time your trip to coincide with an Opera. Best opera school anywhere and great performances of popular and not popular operas. 3 Eat breakfast at The Runcible Spoon one day even if there is a line, the next day eat breakfast at The Uptown Cafe order two cornmeal pancakes. 4 avoid he campus on busy game days.

2. The Wood Shop

350 W 11th St, Bloomington, IN 47404-3720 +1 812-336-2337 [email protected] http://www.uplandbeer.com
Excellent
100%
Good
0%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 2 reviews

The Wood Shop

The Wood Shop, located next to the Upland Pub on 11th street, is our new sour brewery and tasting room that allows us to brew larger quantities and more variety in our sour beer program. Here, our brew team is working hard to develop new, innovative beers that is helping define the American sour beer movement.

3. IU Opera and Ballet Theater

101 N Jordan Ave, Bloomington, IN 47406-1101 http://music.indiana.edu/operaballet
Excellent
93%
Good
7%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 15 reviews

IU Opera and Ballet Theater

Reviewed By BillWaconia

So how many universities have a world class opera house? Not sure, but this is one of them. We have been attending operas here since we attended IU in the 70s, and attend any time we can. Here is the difference - easy to get reasonably priced tickets with great seats, a relaxed crowd, and student performers that put more emotion into their roles than you set at the Met, NYC, Or Santa Fe. This past week we took opera novice IU students to see Suor Angelica and Gianni Schichi and they loved it. So did we. Don’t miss this place.

4. Westbury Antique Market

3106 N Canterbury Ct, Bloomington, IN 47404-1500 +1 812-333-7601 [email protected] http://westburyantiquemarket.com
Excellent
92%
Good
8%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 12 reviews

Westbury Antique Market

Vintage Goods, Re-purposed Items, Antiques, Arts & Collectibles. A varied assortment of merchandise, in a clean well lit environment. HOURS: Monday-Saturday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Sunday 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm

5. Jeff's Warehouse

424 S College Ave, Bloomington, IN 47403-1513 +1 812-350-3451 http://www.jeffswarehouse.com
Excellent
100%
Good
0%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 3 reviews

Jeff's Warehouse

Reviewed By 951craigs - Prospect, United States

Jeff's Warehouse is an awesome store featuring vintage items for the home. Many mid-century modern pieces as well as quirky one of kind finds. Go through the store twice so you don't miss anything. The owner (Jeff) is very friendly and knowledgable. Not your average "antique" store. Go and find a treasure!

6. Monroe Lake

4850 S State Road 446, Bloomington, IN 47401-9165 +1 812-837-9546 [email protected] http://www.stateparks.IN.gov/2954.htm
Excellent
65%
Good
24%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
1%
Terrible
3%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 177 reviews

Monroe Lake

Monroe Lake is part of the Indiana State Parks system. It covers 23,952-acres, including a 10,750-acre lake (the largest in Indiana and known for bass fishing) with both open and no-wake areas. The property includes 9 State Recreation Areas (Paynetown, Fairfax, Cutright, Moore's Creek, Salt Creek, Pinegrove, Allen's Creek, Crooked Creek, and Cartop) and 3 Wildlife Resting Areas (Stillwater-Northfork, Middlefork, and Southfork). Facilities vary at each location. The two most-developed sites are Paynetown SRA (campground, swimming beach, marina, general store, activity center, and other amenities) and Fairfax SRA (hotel resort, restaurants, marina, swimming beach, and other amenities). There is a seasonal entrance fee to enter Paynetown and Fairfax ($5/vehicle for Indiana residents, $7/vehicle for out-of-state residents). Refer to our website or call the Property Office for specifics about amenities available at each of the 9 SRAs. Hunting is allowed in all non-developed areas of the property, with special restrictions in the Wildlife Resting Areas. Call the Property Office for information about hunter access.

Reviewed By IslanderOnTheRoad - Bloomington, United States

There are two main parts, Paynetown and Fairfax. Both are very similar with a beach and boat rental. Fairfax has the hotel and restaurant, Paynetown has the campground. Both have walking trails and open areas to sit and watch the water

7. Buskirk-Chumley Theater

114 E Kirkwood Ave, Bloomington, IN 47408-3330 +1 812-323-3020 http://www.buskirkchumley.org/
Excellent
67%
Good
25%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 76 reviews

Buskirk-Chumley Theater

The Buskirk-Chumley Theater is owned by the City of Bloomington and operated by BCT Management, Inc., a private non-profit organization. The mission of BCT Management, Inc. is to develop the Buskirk-Chumley Theater as a high quality and widely accessible community resource and performance venue, operated in a fiscally responsible manner. Support from the City of Bloomington, Indiana University, the Indiana Arts Commission, our many corporate sponsors and community donors helps maintain this historic community resource and bring a wide diversity of programming to the stage each year. Sign up for our newsletter to keep up to date on all BCT events: https://bctboxoffice.org/newsletter/ Follow us on Facebook and Instagram! @buskirkchumley

Reviewed By bornthatway_traveler - Bloomington, United States

I’ve been to the Buskirk-Chumley Theater hundreds of times in my life in Bloomington, so nothing new has compelled me to write a review, other than my wish to show readers my praise! Thanks to Cardinal Stage, Btown’s renowned professional theater group, performances of first-rate quality can be seen here. Southern Indiana can truly be represented on the map for all the shows here. Specifically last afternoon, my family and I went to the matinée for Cardinal’s holiday show, Newsies. Just like every time, the musical was incredible. The Buskirk-Chumley’s historic ambiance, excellent sound quality, and amenities add a lot to even the most standard performance. Of course, no show is ever “standard”—I just had to demonstrate the remarkable splendor of the theater! As a longtime resident, I am continually grateful for the Buskirk-Chumley Theater as an amazing resource for performing arts (*of all kinds*) in Bloomington. Be it a musical or a symphony or a comedy, checking it out is always worthwhile. So highly recommended to see a Cardinal Stage production or any event you can when you’re in town!

8. Butler Winery

6200 E Robinson Rd, Bloomington, IN 47408-9380 +1 812-332-6660 [email protected] http://www.butlerwinery.com/
Excellent
65%
Good
26%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
0%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 46 reviews

Butler Winery

Reviewed By JackieRR_12 - Nashville, United States

My husband and I visited Butler Winery on Sat, February 16 for Chocolate Lovers Weekend AND it was our 6th Anniversary. Our assistant who poured our wine had excellent knowledge of the wines we chose to taste. For $5 p/p we could taste 8 wines and towards the end of the tasting, it was suggested which wines paired well with the chocolate offerings the winery had. All 3 chocolate offerings were delightful! After sitting at the tables to rest a few minutes, we decided to buy a white wine. Once we purchased our wine we headed outside. It was a beautiful sunny day and we walked around to the vineyard and took a selfie. If you ever want to be in a rural setting where it is quiet and relaxing, Butler Winery in a cool place to visit,

9. Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University

1133 E 7th St, Bloomington, IN 47405-7509 +1 812-855-5445 [email protected] http://artmuseum.indiana.edu/
Excellent
61%
Good
28%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
2%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 109 reviews

Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University

Since its establishment in 1941, the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University, has grown from a small university teaching collection into one of the foremost university art museums in the country. Today, the Eskenazi Museum of Art's internationally acclaimed collection, ranging from ancient gold jewelry and African masks to paintings by Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso, includes over 45,000 objects representing nearly every art-producing culture throughout history.

Reviewed By luv4phood - Marietta, United States

What a treasure! A lovely on campus museum with an impressive collection and it is free. There are seven galleries with a range of art including work by well known artists like Monet and Pollock.

10. Oliver Winery

200 E Winery Rd, Bloomington, IN 47404-9449 +1 812-876-5800 [email protected] http://www.oliverwinery.com
Excellent
78%
Good
20%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 435 reviews

Oliver Winery

During COVID-19, we are following guidelines set by state and county health officials. Please see our blog for the latest news about our current offerings. Our wine experience is one of Indiana's best. In 2017, Travel + Leisure rated Oliver Winery a top 25 winery to visit in the U.S. We are Indiana’s oldest winery and one of the largest wineries in the U.S., with an award-winning winemaking team and distribution in 27 states. You’ll find an extensive but approachable wine list at the winery’s beautiful Tasting Room on Interstate 69. Taste an estate-bottled vintage from Oliver’s 54-acre Creekbend Vineyard, sample our latest Pilot Project Experimental wine or our semi-sweet Cherry Moscato, or sip a dry Oliver Cabernet Sauvignon or Sauvignon Blanc. Oliver Winery also offers special events spaces for personal or corporate celebrations, from rehearsal dinners to holiday parties. Check our website for the reserved experiences and details on current offerings.

Reviewed By richardf600 - Louisville, United States

We have visited a lot of wineries around the country but, this is one of the nicest we've been to. Known as the largest winery west of the Mississippi and one of the most beautiful. You walk to the entrance through some wonderful flower gardens with huge stones standing on end and a huge gorgeous waterfall. You enter into the tasting room and store. You can try several types of tastings or buy a bottle and some meats, cheeses and crackers and go outside and pick a table on a lovely covered deck or go sit out amount the trees. It is just delightful. We started with a short tour of the barrel room and then we chose the 8 variety tasting for the nominal price of $5 each. You are given a sheet of paper with all their wines available and you pick the 8 you want to try. You start with the dry varieties and work your way to the sweet ones. A very knowledgeable server pours you selections and gives you all the information about each one. You take your time and they do not rush you along. When you finish your tasting you are invited to purchase any of your favorites from their well stocked shelves at fairly reasonable prices. We chose several favorites and a few other essentials for home. Plan to spend a least two hours to really enjoy a tasting, a short tour and a stroll through the gardens. If you visit the area and you like wine make sure you add this to your schedule.

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