​Want to continue your workout routine? We have all the answers right here to ensure that you can continue to get the daily exercise you can do right from home!

​In need of some creativity?  Take advantage of many activities that can be done through websites of companies in Terre Haute and fun crafts to do with the family!

Many churches are offering Live Stream services so you will still be connected with your church family while at home!

 ​Terre Haute offers fun in all sizes, especially on those cold rainy days leading up to Spring. Take a look at 18 indoor activities in our city.

1. Visit an art gallery such as the Swope Art Museum, a place where you can discover the best of American art; located in Downtown Terre Haute.  
2. Take a “family day” with the children at the Terre Haute Children’s Museum. Have fun and make memories with interactive exhibits on display, like the new Under Construction Exhibit. 
3. Visit the newly opened Vigo County Historical Museum where you can explore the rich history of Terre Haute.
4. Venture out to the east side of town and visit Dobbs Park Nature Center/Native American Museum for further insight on Terre Haute’s history. 
5. Travel to another spectrum all together by going to the Allen Memorial Planetarium for an educational, indoor activity filled with planets and stars. 
6. Visit one of the many theatres! The Community Theatre, Tilson Auditorium at Indiana State University, Hatfield Hall at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and Cecilian Auditorium at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. All have a wide variety of shows and concerts throughout the entire year.
7. If you are looking for a more physical activity, bowling is always a fun family or team event! You can visit one of the bowling alleys Terre Haute offers. Inside the Terre Haute Bowling Center is the kids zone called “Strikersz” where the children can play.  It offers inflatables and an arcade. 
8. Bogey’s Family Fun Center is a fun place all year round.  They have an indoor play land, an arcade and party rooms.
9. Visit The Bouncin’ Barn, Terre Haute’s premier indoor inflatable center. It offers over 10,000 square feet, which includes 8-10 inflatables, a toddler area, gymnasium, 3 birthday party rooms and a concession stand. 
10. There is indoor skating at the Wigwam and Terre Haute Skate World. 
11. Take in a movie at Showplace 12 Cinema.
12. The Brickway Tennis and Pickleball Club (Bubble) offers indoor tennis and pickle ball.
13. Visit the new wall climbing restaurant, The Climbing Café, at the south end of town. This café offers 4,000 square feet of climbing surface and a café all in one.
14. For adults, Terre Haute is home to two local wineries! Both The WaterTower Estates and The Sycamore Winery are great options for indoor fun. Both wineries will be opening second locations in downtown Terre Haute. The WaterTower Estates location will open at 13th and Wabash, while The Sycamore Winery location at The Ohio Building opens on March 13th. 
15. Choose to practice at Top Guns indoor shooting range.
16. Take a stroll through one of the many shops throughout the city. Terre Haute is home to a variety of locally owned antique stores, furniture stores and clothing boutiques. Haute City Center is a local shopping destination containing a variety of stores for all ages. 
17. Visit one of the many local spas to rejuvenate yourself. Terre Haute is home to a long list of quality spas, making our city a perfect choice for your next spa day! 
18. Experience the Terre Haute Farmers Market inside The Meadows Shopping Center featuring locally grown and crafted products the first Saturday of each month.

 
We have listed only a few indoor activities for you as we end this winter!  We hope you take the time to explore Terre Haute and enjoy one of the many activities or events our city has to offer.

​We’ll see you around Terre Haute!

The Sycamore Winery
​Wanting a romantic evening with your love, but can’t decide what to do? You can’t go wrong with something to “cheers” over, especially local wine. The Sycamore Winery has you covered, wine lover or not. With its wide variety of wines and beers, it will create an entire evening full of genuine conversations and time well-spent with your favorite company. Sycamore Winery is also hosting a “Winter Wine Down with Straight Davis” event on February 15th!
 
Tickets can be purchased through their website at info@sycamorewinery.com.
Coming soon: Location in downtown Terre Haute!
To find out more about Sycamore Winery, click here.

Water Tower Estates
If you’re looking for a relaxing evening with your significant other, the Water Tower Estates is the perfect place. With its calm, historically rich setting, everyone enjoys a relaxing, stress-free night of simply and solely focusing on the one they’re spending time with. Water Tower Estates was founded in 2015 with a mission aimed at creating the best environment possible for their customers. Essentially a wine-focused established, they offer a variety of wines to choose from and are sure to make your Valentine’s Day special.
 
Coming Soon: Location in downtown Terre Haute! Stay tuned for details.
To find out more information, go to www.watertowerestates.com.

The Climbing Café
Are you and your significant other adventurous but don’t want to deal with the hassle of traveling too far for Valentine’s Day? Terre Haute’s own Climbing Café may be the perfect solution. Climbing Café makes for a spirited, lively and fun time with an array of different levels of rock walls. Being new to Terre Haute, Climbing Café has many great deals! They also offer hearty food in their café for boosts of energy and nourishment before or after your climbs. Stop by this unique, energetic atmosphere for a Valentine’s Day adventure. 

 
To learn more about getting day passes, becoming a member, and more, go to www.climbingcafe.com. 
​

Shewey’s Paint Your Own Pottery Studio 
Painting a ceramic clay piece from Shewey’s at Haute City Center is bound to fulfill the creative drives for every artsy and creative couple. From mugs, plates, doggy water bowls, to vases to hold your Valentine’s flowers, Shewey’s has a piece for you to paint that is perfect for your collection. What’s better than owning original, authentic pieces without making your account suffer? Shewey’s welcomes walk-ins and encourages everyone to stop by until closing! The ambiance and colorful setting are likely to get your creative gears turning. 
 
For more information, go to www.sheweys.com or call (812) 235-9270.

Bar Bosco
Do you daydream of traveling the world? Bar Bosco is a great, local venue that gives you a glimpse, and taste, of Italy right here in Terre Haute. In the midst of enjoying a culture of cocktails, Italian wines and authentic cuisine, the wait staff provide knowledgeable insight into each dish’s flavor profiles and pairing notes. Bar Bosco’s homemade pasta noodles and rich desserts can make anyone fall in love this Valentine’s Day. 
 
To make a reservation, please visit myalimentari.com or call (812) 917-3298. 

​Guest blog by Karen Dyer, vice president for advancement and strategic initiatives at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College​

Why yes, Terre Haute is a great college town! Thanks for noticing!

In an article published January 2, the “College Gazette,” recently ranked Terre Haute, Ind., number five on its 10 Best College Towns in the U.S list. The “College Gazette” is a national resource for higher education that shares articles, admission information and the latest college news.

“The best college towns are brimming with energy, innovation, and a lively environment appealing to both college students as well as working professionals alike,” states the article, which ranked the best college towns on quality of life metrics including performing arts, reasonable rents, safety, quality of resident schools, nightlife and restaurants.

Terre Haute has been a college town since the mid-1800’s with the founding of three of its institutions before the turn of the last century while it was still considered to be the wilderness of Indiana. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, Indiana State University, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and Ivy Tech Community College all call Terre Haute home.

So, what makes Terre Haute a great college town?

It’s the green space, according to the ranking, that puts this river town on the map. More than 1,000 acres of parks, trails, golf courses and numerous other outdoor recreational opportunities include the world-class LaVern Gibson Cross Country Course, the award-winning Griffin Bike Park, the National Road Heritage Trail which already crosses through Indiana State and Rose-Hulman campuses and designation as a “Tree City USA” town. It is no wonder Terre Haute lands a spot on the list. With two of the four colleges already named as a “Tree Campus USA” and a third designation underway, the campus green spaces provide part of the allure for Terre Haute with their well-coiffed quads, sweeping lawns and park-like settings. The successful 2018 International Air Show was listed in the article as one of the contributing factors to the ranking. In addition, Terre Haute is also designated as one of only eight arts and cultural districts in the state by the Indiana Arts Commission.

“The leadership of SMWC along with that of the other colleges have been intentional in fostering this idea of our community being a college town – one that is attractive for all our students,” said Dottie L. King, Ph. D., president of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.

In 2018, King began leading an effort in Terre Haute for the community to more boldly stake its claim as a college town. In collaboration with all local institutions, the city installed “College Town” banners in the historic downtown listing each of the institutions.

“The four institutions of higher education in Terre Haute differ widely in student population and mission, yet we share a common goal to provide a world-class education to our students along with a warm Indiana and Wabash Valley welcome. We are very proud of our town,” said King.

Indiana Senator Jon Ford, representing District 38, has worked diligently advance Terre Haute through opportunities to expand trail systems, build a convention center and establish an arts district, all while advocating to raise awareness and resources for growth in the community. “It’s very heartening to have Terre Haute listed as one of the Best College Towns for 2020,” said Sen. Ford. “The community has worked hard to be a city that is intentional about its quality of place, with many great things to do and beautiful space in which to do them. This accolade positions Terre Haute to receive its moment in the well-deserved spotlight.”

In 2019, Terre Haute launched a community plan and branding effort called, “See You in Terre Haute,” with a goal of increasing awareness of the city’s wide range of resources and strong vision for growth. In addition to its vast parks and trail system, the city boasts nine museums and the oldest professional orchestra in Indiana, the birthplace of the historic Coke bottle and features an extensive public art collection. The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018 and is one of only a few historic districts designations in the state.

The community continues to look for ways to grow and offer more amenities that college students, parents and other visitors might seek when looking for a robust college town.

David Patterson, executive director of the Terre Haute Convention and Visitors Bureau noted that Terre Haute has a long history of welcoming college students to the community. Last year, the community hosted five state, two regional and two national championships in cross country, chess, gymnastics, soccer, basketball, swimming and quarter midget racing.

“Terre Haute has so much to offer, and I am ecstatic to see our community being recognized in this way. We are an event-based market for visitors. Our relationship with our institutions is vital to the success of these events,” said Patterson. “Our students and those who come to compete from around the nation often find that the community has much to offer.”

Currently underway is a new convention center slated to open in 2021 that will provide more hotel space, new restaurants and the reopening of a historic bar adding to the continued revitalization of downtown. SMWC and various community partners also seek to connect the west side of the city through the trail systems, eventually linking Wabash Valley trails to the state-wide system.

“Seeing Terre Haute recognized as one of the best college towns in America confirms what we already know… this is a great place to live, work, play… and get a top-notch education. While Terre Haute has always provided students with a great atmosphere, exciting developments in the past few years will keep building on those offerings and create even more energy and excitement in our community,” commented Kristin Craig, president of the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce.

To view the full list, visit CollegeGazette.com.

​
About the institutions: Saint Mary’s Academy (now Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College) was the first college in the community, founded in 1840 by Indiana’s only saint, Mother Theodore Guerin and her five companion Sisters of Providence. SMWC was followed by Indiana State Normal School (now Indiana State University) in 1865 and Rose Polytechnic Institute (now Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology) in 1874. Ivy Tech Community College was founded in 1963 as Indiana’s Vocational Technical College as the fourth institution of higher education in Vigo County.

Disclosure: Originally published by Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. Read article here.
​

The Miracle on 7th Gingerbread House Contest winners were announced last night to kick off the weekend holiday festivities in Terre Haute. The Terre Haute Convention & Visitors Bureau placed 2nd in the Teams Division, with CASA taking 1st and Baesler's Bakery taking 3rd. 

All entries will be on display at the Ohio Building this week for people's choice judging. The Miracle on 7th Light Your Way Parade will take place downtown on Saturday, December 7th at 6 p.m. For more information about the Miracle on 7th festivities, visit https://miracleon7thstreet.com.