Location: Bloomington
Top Things to do in Bloomington
Top Restaurants in Bloomington
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Top 8 Things to do Good for Big Groups 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. Enigma Puzzle House
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 13 reviews
Enigma is Bloomington, Indiana's first Escape Room business. We offer a variety of room themes and cater to groups from 2 to as many as 14 people (in our larger rooms). We offer special options and pricing for special occasions, team building, birthdays, etc.
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. Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 152 reviews
Reviewed By LRead44 - Houston, United States
Assembly Hall is a great place to see a basketball game. If you can afford it, splurge on lower level seats. The upper level is very steep and if you have trouble with stairs like me....it was scary.. GREAT FANS too. Their student section is CRAZY.
6. Indiana Memorial Stadium
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 86 reviews
Reviewed By 364ansleyv - Wooster, United States
The Indiana University Memorial Stadium is a real experience. The recent renovations and additions to the facility make it one of the best college football stadiums I have seen. Also, the digital displays and interactive camera work are a wonderful augmentation to any home football game. Even if you are not that into football, you can still have a wonderful fall experience. Tailgating is a big deal in the lots and fields around the stadium, but be sure to save some room for snacks during the game.
7. Buskirk-Chumley Theater
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 76 reviews
The Buskirk-Chumley Theater is owned by the City of Bloomington and operated by BCT Management, Inc., a private non-profit organization. The mission of BCT Management, Inc. is to develop the Buskirk-Chumley Theater as a high quality and widely accessible community resource and performance venue, operated in a fiscally responsible manner. Support from the City of Bloomington, Indiana University, the Indiana Arts Commission, our many corporate sponsors and community donors helps maintain this historic community resource and bring a wide diversity of programming to the stage each year. Sign up for our newsletter to keep up to date on all BCT events: https://bctboxoffice.org/newsletter/ Follow us on Facebook and Instagram! @buskirkchumley
Reviewed By bornthatway_traveler - Bloomington, United States
I’ve been to the Buskirk-Chumley Theater hundreds of times in my life in Bloomington, so nothing new has compelled me to write a review, other than my wish to show readers my praise! Thanks to Cardinal Stage, Btown’s renowned professional theater group, performances of first-rate quality can be seen here. Southern Indiana can truly be represented on the map for all the shows here. Specifically last afternoon, my family and I went to the matinée for Cardinal’s holiday show, Newsies. Just like every time, the musical was incredible. The Buskirk-Chumley’s historic ambiance, excellent sound quality, and amenities add a lot to even the most standard performance. Of course, no show is ever “standard”—I just had to demonstrate the remarkable splendor of the theater! As a longtime resident, I am continually grateful for the Buskirk-Chumley Theater as an amazing resource for performing arts (*of all kinds*) in Bloomington. Be it a musical or a symphony or a comedy, checking it out is always worthwhile. So highly recommended to see a Cardinal Stage production or any event you can when you’re in town!
8. 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.
