Things to Do in Goshen, Indiana
The best things to do in Goshen, Indiana, are the historic downtown, the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail and lunch at Olympia Candy Kitchen. Goshen is a city of about 34,500 people and the county seat of Elkhart County.
It was platted in 1831, the year the county seat moved here, and named for the biblical Land of Goshen. It sits on the old Lincoln Highway, which explains the bulletproof police booth built on the courthouse square in 1939.
Downtown Goshen and the courthouse square
The downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places, and the Elkhart County Courthouse anchors it. The domed courthouse went up in 1868 to 1870 and was remodeled in the early 1900s. On Main Street, the Goshen Theater opened in 1905 as the Jefferson Theater. After a 2021 renovation it shows films and hosts live performances.
★ Good to know Look for the small octagonal police booth at Main and Lincoln, built with bulletproof glass and gun ports during the Dillinger years.
Goshen Historical Museum
The Goshen Historical Society runs this free museum on Main Street. Exhibits cover the city’s past, including an early 20th-century apartment and the hydraulic canal that powered Goshen’s early industry. The society also looks after the 1939 police booth.
★ Good to know Admission is free; the museum is open Tuesday through Saturday and stays open late on First Fridays.
First Fridays
On the first Friday of every month, downtown turns into a street party in the evening. Each month has a theme, like the Great Goshen Car Show in July and the Goshen Light Parade in November.
★ Good to know It runs all year, so it’s the easiest night to plan a winter visit around.
Pumpkinvine Nature Trail
This 17-mile trail runs from Goshen through Middlebury to Shipshewana on an old rail line. The railroad earned the Pumpkin Vine nickname for all the turns between Goshen and Middlebury, and it ran until 1980. The full trail was finished in June 2024.
★ Good to know The trail is free and open sunrise to sunset; a full day out and back to Shipshewana is a real ride, so plan food stops.
Millrace Canal Trail and Goshen Brewing Company
The Millrace Trail runs about 2¾ miles along the old hydraulic canal, from downtown past Shanklin Park to the Goshen Dam Pond. At the north end, Goshen Brewing Company fills a former NIPSCO building with a patio over the river. It serves its own beer and farm-to-table food and runs on solar and wind power.
★ Good to know Walk or bike the trail first, then finish at the brewery’s patio.
Olympia Candy Kitchen
Greek immigrant Nicholas Paflas opened this shop on Main Street in 1912, and four generations have kept it going in the same spot. It still hand-dips chocolates and runs a soda fountain and a diner.
★ Good to know It’s a breakfast-and-lunch place and is closed Wednesdays and Sundays.
Goshen Farmers Market
The market started in 2000 and sets up at 212 W. Washington St., near the brewery. Vendors bring produce, meat, cheese, baked goods and local crafts.
★ Good to know It runs Saturdays year-round and adds Tuesdays from May through October.
Fidler Pond Park and Ox Bow County Park
Fidler Pond is a 100-acre city park around an 80-acre pond, with canoe, kayak and pedal boat rentals and a 1.5-mile loop trail. Ox Bow County Park, on the Elkhart River just outside town, has woodland trails, 24-hole disc golf, archery and two sledding hills.
★ Good to know Ox Bow charges a daily fee per car, but walkers and cyclists get in free.
Also in town
Downtown shops include Fables Books, Found (antiques and midcentury furniture across three floors), One Village Fair Trade (formerly Ten Thousand Villages), Maple City Market and Shirley’s Gourmet Popcorn. Los Primos Mexican Grill and Ignition Music Garage are near Main Street. Just outside town, Kercher’s Sunrise Orchards, farmed since 1922, has u-pick produce, and Goshen College runs a Performing Arts Series.
Is Goshen, Indiana, worth visiting?
Yes, especially if you want Amish country without staying in the busiest tourist spots. You get a historic downtown, a year-round farmers market and a rail trail straight to Middlebury and Shipshewana.
What is Goshen’s First Friday?
A monthly downtown street festival on the first Friday evening of every month. Each month has a theme, such as the car show in July and the light parade in November.
Can you bike from Goshen to Shipshewana?
Yes. The Pumpkinvine Nature Trail runs 17 miles from Goshen through Middlebury to Shipshewana, and it has been complete since June 2024.
When is the Goshen Farmers Market open?
Saturdays year-round, plus Tuesdays from May through October, at 212 W. Washington St. For more towns to pair with Goshen, see our small towns in Indiana.
Where to find them
- Pumpkinvine Nature Trail (Abshire Park trailhead) 1302 E. Lincoln Avenue, Goshen, IN 46528 Website Directions
- Elkhart County Courthouse 101 N Main Street, Goshen, IN 46526 Directions
Plan your trip: for events and current visitor info in Goshen, see Goshen Chamber of Commerce →
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Tours and tickets in Goshen
Where to stay in Goshen
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Shipshewana, INAbout 14 miles as the crow fliesThe heart of northern Indiana's Amish countryThings to do in Shipshewana →
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