Things to do in Fort Wayne Indiana

There are many things to do and places to visit in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Whether this is your first visit or you've been here before, you're sure to find something to spark your interest. Many of them are free or inexpensive, and most are child-friendly. From the award-winning Fort Wayne Children's Zoo and the Historic Old Fort to the Tincaps baseball stadium, Fort Wayne is full of history and fun. Fort Wayne offers a wide variety of restaurants as well. Read on for more information!

The Fort Wayne Children's Zoo is one of the Top Ten Zoos in the nation. It operates solely on earned revenue and donations. It boasts a newly remodeled African Journey with a skylift ride and giraffes you can feed, an Australian Adventure complete with log ride and kangaroos, an Indonesian Rainforest with a beautiful endangered animal carousel and orangutans, and, of course, the Central Zoo area with a train ride, pony rides and many, many other animals. The Indiana Farm section of the zoo features the chance for children to pet, brush and feed live goats, too.

Overall, the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo is a great destination for families of any age. During the hottest days, there are fountains and misting areas for children (and adults!) to splash through and cool off. There are also restaurants and refreshments on-site, as well as a large park just outside the Zoo gates for picnics and further play. The Zoo is one of my very favorite Fort Wayne places!

Fox Island County Park is a 605 acre park located in southwest Allen County, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Within this park, 270 acres are dedicated as State Nature Preserve. The park contains the largest contiguous forest in the county and a glacial sand dune.

Seven miles of marked trails through the preserve enable visitors to enjoy the beauty and splendor of the park. Over six miles are available during the winter for cross country skiing as long as there are four or more inches of snow on the ground. Ski equipment rental is also available on a limited basis.

Also available at Fox Island is a beautiful Nature Center complete with a small gift shop, picnic shelters, campfire pits and grills, picnic tables, swimming beach, a doggie beach, a playground, fishing, a bird observation building and restrooms. Perfect for an outdoorsy family adventure!

Science Central is a regional resource that provides inspiring and fun hands-on science education for people of all ages. It first opened its doors on November 5, 1995, in the 1929 City Light and Power Plant.

Science Central has a special area for younger children, ages 2-7, including a multi-level play structure and a water table. The attraction also features a Swap Shop, where children are encouraged to bring in their treasures from nature and trade them in for other objects in the Swap Shop collection. There are many fun and interesting galleries and hands-on activities for the young and the young at heart. The confusion illusion room and the prediction gallery are two of my eldest son's favorite attractions at Science Central.

For more information, visit http://www.sciencecentral.org/

The Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory is located in downtown Fort Wayne. It includes three indoor gardens with over 25,000 square feet that showcase 1200 plants (over 500 species) and 72 different types of cactus. Outdoors, there are four gardens with a variety of ornamental grasses, rhododendrons, trees, shrubs and perennials.

For young children, the Botanical Conservatory has a Discovery Corner, featuring Woody the Talking Tree and a monthly-themed book and activity area. Children will also enjoy crawling through the worm tunnel and visiting the well-stocked gift shop. The Bagel Station Uptown is located within the Botanical Conservatory and offers soups, salads, sandwiches and baked goods.

Fox Island County Park: http://allencountyparks.org/parks/fox-island/