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More than 20 astronauts, including Neil Armstrong and Eugene Cernan, the first and last men to walk on the Moon, studied at Purdue University, and the campus that shaped them is the beating heart of West Lafayette. The city of about 45,000 sits on the bluffs above the west bank of the Wabash River in north-central Indiana, facing Lafayette across a string of bridges.
Purdue was founded in 1869 as Indiana's land-grant college, and its red-brick quads, the Bell Tower, the 1929 Memorial Union and Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering make an easy walking loop. On fall Saturdays Ross-Ade Stadium fills with fans in black and gold, and winter belongs to Big Ten basketball at Mackey Arena. Amelia Earhart worked here as a women's career counselor in the 1930s.
Away from campus, Celery Bog Nature Area draws birdwatchers, Happy Hollow Park hides wooded ravine trails, and Fort Ouiatenon, a reconstructed French trading post just southwest of town, hosts the Feast of the Hunters' Moon each October.
A red-brick tower at the center of Purdue's campus, built in 1995 to house the bells of the old Heavilon Hall, whose motto 'one brick higher' became a school legend. It chimes the hours over the main quad and is a favorite photo stop for graduates. Start a campus walk here.
Purdue's engineering building, named for the university's most famous graduate, with a bronze statue of a young Neil Armstrong seated outside the entrance. Inside, displays honor the many Purdue alumni who flew in space, from the Gemini era to the shuttle. The statue is a classic photo stop on any campus walk.
A grand limestone-and-brick student union opened in 1929, with lounges, a food court, a bowling and billiards center, a bookstore and the Union Club Hotel upstairs. It is the easiest place on campus to grab lunch and pick up Purdue gear. Visitor parking is in the garage across Grant Street.
Purdue's football stadium, open since 1924 and seating more than 57,000 fans for Big Ten games on fall Saturdays. Watch for the Purdue All-American Marching Band and its enormous bass drum. Arrive early to join the tailgates around the stadium and Mackey Arena lots.
Purdue's basketball arena, known as one of the loudest venues in college hoops, where the student section packs the stands for men's and women's Big Ten games. The bowl design keeps every seat close to the floor. Tickets for big conference games go fast, so book early.
One of the largest proscenium theaters in the country, with about 6,000 seats, opened in 1940 on Purdue's campus. It hosts touring Broadway shows, concerts, comedians and lectures through Purdue Convocations. Check the season calendar and park in the nearby Northwestern Avenue garage.
An open-air performance stage on Slayter Hill, sheltered by a striking steel canopy and facing a sloping lawn where crowds sit for summer concerts, campus festivals and outdoor events. Bring a blanket or low chair. On quiet days the hill makes a pleasant picnic spot with campus views.
A city nature area of wetlands, prairie and woods around a shallow marsh that was once farmed for celery, now a magnet for herons, sandhill cranes and migrating waterfowl. Trails and boardwalks loop from the Lilly Nature Center. Go at dawn in spring or fall for the best birding.
A city park set in a wooded ravine on the north side of West Lafayette, with a creek, hiking trails, picnic shelters and a playground. The shaded trails stay cool in summer, and spring wildflowers bloom along the slopes. It connects to the Wabash Heritage Trail for a longer walk.
A riverside park southwest of West Lafayette near the site of Fort Ouiatenon, a French trading post founded in 1717, with a reconstructed log blockhouse. Each October the Feast of the Hunters' Moon brings reenactors, period crafts, music and food. The park is quiet the rest of the year.
A diner on Salisbury Street that has served its own root beer since 1929, making it one of Indiana's oldest drive-ins. Order a sirloin burger named after Purdue football stars and a frosty mug of root beer. It draws a crowd for breakfast on game days, so expect a wait.
A State Street institution near campus that opened as a soda fountain and chocolate shop in 1919 and became a bar after Prohibition, with wooden booths carved with decades of initials. It is a rite of passage for Purdue students and alumni. Expect it to be packed after home games.
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