South Bend’s biggest tourist draw is the University of Notre Dame, home to the Fighting Irish. If you can score tickets, a football game at Notre Dame Stadium is a definite must. Football Saturdays have become a major event for South Bend, attracting fans who want to see the games and tailgate. In addition to sports, the University of Notre Dame features a beautiful campus with plenty to do and see, including the Snite Museum and the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. Located in renovated South Bend and not far from campus, football fans won’t want to miss the College Football Hall of Fame. This hall of fame museum is dedicated to American college football, offering interesting perspectives on football and inductee videos.
Car collectors and history buffs will be able to spend hours exploring the Studebaker National Museum. Housed in a 1919 dealership, the Studebaker National Museum displays more than 75 vehicles, including a variety of automobiles, wagons, carriages and military vehicles that are related to the Studebaker Corporation. Children will love spending a day at the HealthWorks! Kids Museum, a state-of-the-art facility that offers kids the chance to learn through interactive displays and innovated computer stations. The museum’s exhibit floor provides numerous opportunities for parents and children to interact. Located on an 11-acre riverfront park in downtown South Bend, the Century Center cultural complex hosts a variety of business, private and public functions. In addition, the Century Center has two theaters and a gift shop, and is home to the South Bend Regional Museum of Art. Home of the Broadway Theatre League, the South Bend Symphony Orchestra and the Southold Dance Theater, the Morris Performing Arts Center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Famous for its interesting combination of styles, the venue hosts an array of different performances, including symphony, dance, music concerts, comedians and Broadway shows.
South Bend, IN, is home to the South Bend Silver Hawks minor league baseball team that plays its home games at the Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium located in downtown. During the games, the South Bend Silver Hawks mascot, Swoop, can be seen riding on his ATV, pumping his super soaker and leading the chicken dance on the dugout roof.