In the Hoosier State, small is beautiful.
Meeting planners wanting to escape large urban centers should look no further than these five small Indiana destinations, which offer state-of-the-art meeting venues, quality lodging and plenty of history, culture, food and outdoor adventures to keep attendees occupied during their free time.
Michigan City
Michigan City is one of the few Indiana towns that sits on Lake Michigan, and much of what makes the city special revolves around its proximity to the water. Travelers come from around the world to watch professional offshore racing on the lake or to visit Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, which became a national park in 2019. Groups hosting events in the city can enjoy miles of Lake Michigan beaches in the park, climb the sand dunes or explore the woodlands, rivers, bogs and wetlands that make up the destination.
The largest meeting and event venue in the area is the Blue Chip Casino, Hotel and Spa. It offers 65,000 square feet of gaming, including slot machines and table games, as well as 486 guest rooms and suites spread between the Spa Blu Tower and Blue Chip Tower.
The Stardust Event Center offers 20,000 square feet of event space, including the 11,000-square-foot Fremont Ballroom with its 3,800-square-foot pre-function space, or the Orleans Ballroom, which can host up to 320 guests. Sam’s Town Ballroom on the second floor of the pavilion can accommodate up to 220 or can be broken into three smaller rooms.
In total, Michigan City has 2,040 hotel rooms and an equal number of third-party vacation rental offerings. Groups meeting in the area can take a sunset cruise on Lake Michigan, walk down the pier to see the city’s famous lighthouse, tour the Friendship Botanic Gardens or visit the Hesston Steam Museum.
Corydon
As Indiana’s first state capital, Corydon is steeped in history, from the only Civil War battle fought in the state in 1863 to the writing of Indiana’s first constitution. It is only 30 minutes from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. There are two small wineries in the foothills of Harrison County where meeting groups can host off-site events: Best Vineyards Winery and Distillery and Turtle Run Winery. Both offer wine tastings, tours and free outdoor concerts during the warmer months.
Caesars Southern Indiana Hotel and Casino — 20 miles from Corydon — is the largest full-service venue in the area, with 503 guest rooms and 24,000 square feet of event space, including several breakout rooms, that can accommodate groups of up to 1,500. It offers on-site catering services, a full bar and lounge, audiovisual services and wireless internet.
The Harrison County Fairgrounds is another option for meetings or events. The Windell Agricultural Building includes a stage and sound system and works well for banquets and award programs, receptions, concerts and fundraising events. The 4-H Pavilion is an open-air pavilion that can be used for an outdoor dining event.
Five other hotels in the area can handle overflow from events held at Caesars.
For fun, groups can enjoy the breathtaking scenery of O’Bannon Woods State Park or take an 80-minute tour of Indiana Caverns that includes a 25-minute underground boat ride. The caverns also offer Deep Darkness tours, where visitors kayak a stream 200 feet underground.
Jeffersonville
Directly across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky, Jeffersonville offers small-town charm with big-city amenities. It has a walkable, historic downtown and a rich shipbuilding history. Falls of the Ohio State Park is a top attraction with its ancient fossil beds and historic sites.
The Sheraton Louisville Riverside Hotel in Jeffersonville offers 180 rooms on the Ohio Riverfront, delivering fantastic views of downtown Louisville. It has 7,428 square feet of meeting space, the largest being the Riverside Ballroom, which can hold 165 for a banquet or 300 theater style. Four smaller rooms can be used for groups of 55 to 80 theater style, and there are two boardrooms.
A historic building on Spring Street houses 300 Spring, an event venue. Located at the base of the Big Four Bridge, a pedestrian walkway that ties the city to downtown Louisville, it offers both indoor and outdoor event spaces and can host groups of up to 400.
The Carriage House sits on the 2.5-acre campus of the Howard Steamboat Museum. It can accommodate groups of 130. The building is tied into the property’s shipbuilding past and features wooden floors and a large ship helm hanging on the wall. The museum sits on the Ohio River, offering great views of the water, and groups can organize a tour of the museum as part of their event.
Groups meeting in the area should visit Schimpff’s Confectionery, a 134-year-old candy store downtown that still makes candy by hand. The store offers candy-making demonstrations and tours of its Candy Museum.
Shipshewana
Shipshewana in Northern Indiana has the third-largest population of Amish in the nation. Visitors from around the world come to the town to take buggy rides, tour Amish farms, buy handcrafted Amish products and eat home-cooked food. During their events, meeting attendees can enjoy the culture, hearty food, quiet surroundings and shopping.
The Shipshewana Auction and Flea Market attracts 700 vendors every Tuesday and Wednesday, May through September, selling everything from locally made products to bulk items. Local antique auctions take place on off days.
The Blue Gate Garden Inn and Conference Center is the largest full-service hotel in the area, with 155 guest rooms and 15,000 square feet of customizable event space in the conference center and Shipshewana Town Center. The facility can host functions for up to 1,000 guests. The Michiana Event Center offers over 150,000 square feet of space under one roof, with an indoor equine driving arena and concert auditorium. There is also a 100,000-square-foot trade show and expo area for conventions. The 151-room Farmstead Inn and Conference Center, across from the flea market, has 6,200 square feet of meeting space that can accommodate 400 for a banquet.
Many meeting planners incorporate experiences into their events, such as dinner at the Blue Gate Restaurant and Bakery and tickets to a concert at the Blue Gate Theatre, or tours of a family-owned farm.
South Shore
Many smaller communities, including Valparaiso, Hammond, Munster and Gary, make up the South Shore area of Indiana. The area has several chain hotels, as well as some unique event spaces. The Indiana Welcome Center in Hammond has a 6,500-square-foot exhibit hall, 110-seat theater and an executive boardroom.
Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana in Gary features 20,000 square feet of event space that can accommodate 1,700 seated and 2,600 standing. The casino has 1,700 slot machines, 80 table games, a sportsbook, five restaurants and two bars, making it a destination in its own right.
The Center for Visual and Performing Arts in Munster has 72,660 square feet of space for meetings, banquets, dinners or theater performances. The space can host up to 500 in the dining room, and smaller spaces can hold up to 100.
The Farmhouse Restaurant and Conference Center at Fair Oaks Farm can host a banquet for 220 in the Fair Oaks Ballroom, 100 in the John Newton Ballroom and dinner for 60 in the William Jasper Ballroom. The Feed Barn can host 100 for a banquet and 200 theater style. The destination also offers farm tours for groups and a large, interactive museum dedicated to dairy farming.
In Valparaiso, Journeyman Distillery’s “American Factory” building spans 140,000 square feet of event space, from elegant to casual, and can accommodate parties for up to 1,200.
