Location: Bloomington
Top Things to do in Bloomington
Top Restaurants in Bloomington
Countries
The 10 Best Free Things to do in Bloomington, Indiana (IN)
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
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 639 reviews
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. Westbury Antique Market
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 12 reviews
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
3. Switchyard Brewing Company
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 40 reviews
Born as a garage startup, our all ages, family-friendly brewery taproom is located in beautiful downtown Bloomington. Passionate about our craft, we work and play by our guiding principles to redefine the brewery experience and positively impact our community. Featuring local ciders, a seasonally rotating wine list and, launching late July 2020 - King Dough Slice Shop - 20" NY style pies & individual slices and flavorful appetizers! Effective June 2020 our facility is no longer dog friendly. The patio remains dog-friendly.
Reviewed By katiev_btown - Bloomington, United States
My wife and I had said for years Bloomington needed a casual, family friendly brewery and we finally got it with Switchyard. Great place to meet up and hang out with friends. Can’t wait for king dough pizza to be there soon too!
4. Cardinal Spirits Distillery & Restaurant
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 93 reviews
WARM & INVITING TASTING ROOM BAR Our tasting room restaurant & cocktail bar overlooking the B-Line trail is one of the nicest spots in town to enjoy dinner and a drink. The atmosphere is low-key, with a nice mix of young and old, townies and tourists, professors and students. Order a flight, like you might do at a brewery or winery; sip cocktails made with spirits that are distilled on-site; order dinner and desserts from our chef-driven menu DELICIOUS & CREATIVE CRAFT COCKTAILS We’re very lucky to employ some of the most talented and creative bartenders in Indiana. Our drinks are delicious and the details are spot-on. We use all house-made spirits, syrups, tinctures, and freshly squeezed juices, and our menu changes every two months to reflect local and seasonal flavors. Enjoy classic cocktails as well as original creations from our bartenders. UNIQUE DISTILLERY TOUR & EXPERIENCE We are proud to distill some of the best spirits in the country, right here in Bloomington. Our vodka and coffee liqueur have both won gold medals in national spirit competitions. Our whiskey, rum, gin, and other spirits are pretty delicious too. We combine age-old distilling techniques with modern technology, and are more than happy to walk you through the entire process from local grains, fruit, and botanicals to your glass.Tours start at only $10 and you can book online.
Reviewed By jd502016 - Bloomington, United States
We had drinks and Sunday Brunch on their outside deck. Th brunch drink menu is primarily juice or coffee flavored combinations and they are perfect for an alcoholic drink at 10:30 on Sunday morning. The brunch food items are bigger than you might expect and they were very well done and tasty. The service is always excellent. If you are visiting soon you may still be able to pick up a bottle of their Octoberfest Whiskey.
5. Butler Winery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 46 reviews
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,
6. Oliver Winery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 435 reviews
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.
7. Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 109 reviews
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.
8. Bloomington Community Farmers Market
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 94 reviews
Reviewed By 442shelleyj - Bloomington, United States
This is a great way to spend your Saturday morning, whether you are a local or a visitor. Lots of fresh produce, veggies, honey, meat products and more. Usually always something unique going on at City Hall at same time (wellness fairs, chili cook-offs, craft fairs, etc.). Tons of options for breakfast - coffee, pastries, fresh bread. Great place for all ages.
9. Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 72 reviews
Reviewed By rimjhim1 - Crofton, United States
This was our second visit and we were pleasantly surprised by one of the guides who greeted us and gave us a wonderful explanation of the significance of the place built by the Dalai Lama’s brother who used to be a faculty member at Indiana University. She went through each picture and shared the inner meaning and story depicted in the work of art. I recommended she share her narrative on YouTube. Must visit.
10. Monroe County Courthouse
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 32 reviews
Reviewed By interceptpubs - Columbus, United States
Had a few minutes to spare so took a look around Monroe County's courthouse on the square in Bloomington. Designed in the style of the public buildings of the Chicago and St. Louis World's Fairs at the turn of the 20th century, this interesting structure features a nice sculpture by Albert Molnar by the front entrance and several murals in the interior by Gustave Brand. The building itself is naturally clad in Indiana limestone for which the area around Bloomington is, of course, well known. This is actually the third county courthouse built on this site - the first, basically a log cabin, dating back to the county's founding, with the present structure dating back to 1908. If you look closely at the top of the dome, there's a fish-shaped weather vane which previously sat atop the second courthouse. The interior of the dome is quite striking with extensive backlit stained glass panels. After view it from the ground floor, be sure to go up to the balconies on the second and third levels. In addition to the closer views of the domes interior and the various murals, there are some interesting architectural details such as the large faux marble finished columns. Also along the walls on the second and third floors are several large format photos from 19th and early 20th century Monroe County, including area soldiers preparing to depart for the Spanish-American and First World Wars. Outside, there are good size monuments honoring Civil War and Second World War soldiers, the latter from the studio of Owen County sculptor E. M. Visquesney. The latter is in stone or cast concrete and is different than his more common "Spirit of the American Doughboy" honoring First World War soldiers seen at other courthouses around Indiana and beyond.
