2018 Muncie Visitor's Guide
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MUNCIE,2018 Visitors Guide INDIANA visitmuncie.org | 800.568.6862 DON’T MISS A Moment 1 WELCOME! We are delighted you have chosen the Muncie community to visit as your latest destination! In Muncie/Delaware County, we pride ourselves in greeting our visitors with our genuine, warm Hoosier Hospitality. Whether your travels bring you here for business or simply leisure travel, you will find the Muncie area has numerous lodging and dining facilities to fit every size pocketbook. We are proud of the many outstanding attractions you will want to visit and explore during your stay. Delaware County can boast of many local shops and dining options plus many nationally recognized retail shops and restaurant choices. The cultural and recreational opportunities are plentiful and await your visit to Muncie/Delaware County. We are confident your visit will be an enjoyable and memorable experience… don’t miss a moment! Jim Mansfield, Executive Director Muncie/Delaware County Convention & Visitors Bureau COVER IMAGES: Catalyst at Minnestrista Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) Prairie Creek Reservoir Jake Hendershot at Elm Street Brewing Co. Ball State Athletics 1 Cardinal Greenway CONTENTS GOVERNMENT/COMMUNITY OFFICES.......................................................................................................PAGE 3 HISTORY.................................................................................................................................................................................PAGE 5 ATTRACTIONS..................................................................................................................................................................PAGE 11 EDUCATIONAL & CREATIVE....................................................................................................................................PAGE 12 ART & CULTURE........................................................................................................................................................PAGE 15 UNIQUE SHOPPING..................................................................................................................................................PAGE 18 ENTERTAINMENT......................................................................................................................................................PAGE 22 SPORTS AND RECREATION................................................................................................................................PAGE 28 GYMS & FACILITIES.............................................................................................................................................PAGE 29 GOLF..........................................................................................................................................................................PAGE 30 BOWLING..................................................................................................................................................................PAGE 33 TRAILS.......................................................................................................................................................................PAGE 33 parks.......................................................................................................................................................................PAGE 34 SWIMMING................................................................................................................................................................PAGE 35 SKATING....................................................................................................................................................................PAGE 35 MINIATURE GOLF......................................................................................................................................................PAGE 35 RECREATION.............................................................................................................................................................PAGE 35 CAMPING...................................................................................................................................................................PAGE 37 ON THE TOWN................................................................................................................................................................PAGE 38 dining.....................................................................................................................................................................PAGE 39 SPECIALTY, FARMERS MARKET, & WINERY...........................................................................................PAGE 42 Night Life.............................................................................................................................................................PAGE 43 LODGING...................................................................................................................................................................PAGE 46 MEETING VENUES................................................................................................................................................PAGE 48 IN THE AREA..................................................................................................................................................................PAGE 53 surrounding communities & counties.........................................................................................PAGE 54 COMMUNITY CALENDAR...............................................................................................................................PAGE 57 2 GOVERNMENT & DON’T MISS A COMMUNITY OFFICES Moment CITY HALL | Downtown Muncie 3 photo courtesy of Mike Rhodes Muncie/Delaware County Convention and Visitors Bureau Jim Mansfield, Executive Director 3700 S. Madison St., Muncie 765-284-2700 / 800-568-6862 visitmuncie.org CITY OF MUNCIE Dennis Tyler, Mayor 300 N. High St., Muncie 765-747-4845 cityofmuncie.com MUNCIE-DELAWARE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Jay Julian, President/CEO 401 S. High St., Muncie 765-288-6681 / 800-336-1371 muncie.com POPULATION City of Muncie: 70,500 +/- Delaware County: 117,600 +/- State of Indiana: 5.5 million +/- Weather The average temperature in January is 33°F and in July 85° F. 4 DON’T MISS A HISTORY Moment [ball jar] MUNCIE & DELAWARE COUNTY HISTORY BALL STATE’S 100TH The Eastern Indiana Normal UniversitY The EINU was the first attempt to create a college in Muncie in 1899. the building later became Ball State’s administration building. Image courtesy of Ball State University Libraries’ Bracken 5 Archives and Special collections. HISTORY Contrary to popular legend, there was never a MUNCIE & Delaware Lenape chief named Munsee. county HISTORY Hackley later sold the 672-acre reserve to the pioneer Goldsmith Gilbert. Gilbert established Human activity in Muncie goes back several commercial operations south of the thousands of years. The first prominent Hackley Reserve including taverns, a distillery, archaeological record of human habitation and a mill. In 1827, Delaware County was is categorized as New Castle Phase—a set established, followed by an influx of farmers of remains left by people related to the in the 1830s. Our records indicate that Adena and Hopewell peoples around 2,000 Delaware County sent at least 2,300 volunteers years ago. The most prominent New Castle to fight for the Union during the Civil War. Phase remains are the earthworks scattered Muncie officially became a city in 1865 with throughout East Central Indiana. Although approximately 2,000 individuals living within no earthworks are known within the current city limits. city limits of Muncie, archaeologists suspect that many unexcavated sites exist. The White In 1876, a miner was searching for coal near River watershed area was inhabited by various Eaton when he inadvertently discovered Early, Middle, and Late Woodland Native natural gas. The importance of the discovery Americans up until the time of the Europeans. wasn’t understood until 1886. By November of When the French came down into Indiana in the same year, the first gas well was drilled in the 1600s, the Muncie area was controlled by Muncie and the Gas Boom, as we call it today, the Miami Native Americans, using the White began in earnest. River watershed as a hunting ground. The gas radically changed Muncie. From an After the Northwest Indian War in the agricultural backwater, Muncie became a 1790s, the Miami invited their allies the leading manufacturing center in a few short Lenape (Delaware) to live along the White decades. New businesses employed thousands River. Beginning in 1796, several bands of and the population grew. In 1880, 5,200 Lenape established 14 villages in East Central individuals lived in Muncie and by 1910, this Indiana. Four of the villages were located in number had risen to 24,000! Delaware County including: Wapicomikoke, Wapikamikunk, the Brotherton or ‘York’ Unfortunately, the Gas Boom was short lived, Village, and Owenachki. The Lenape signed a with production stopping by 1910. By 1917, treaty at Fort St. Mary’s in 1818, which opened most of the energy companies had moved out up the area to pioneer settlement. Rebecca of Muncie. While many gas-related businesses Hackley, a granddaughter of Miami Chief went with them, Muncie had decidedly Little Turtle, received a land reservation along evolved into a manufacturing