Hit the Pavement in Historic Nappanee Walking Tours
Experience the past and present of Nappanee, Indiana. Venture out with a local heritage collection guide and take a walking tour of Nappanee’s rich history.
Along Came Nappanee
Duration: 1 hour
Dates: Thursday, June 1
Times: 10:00 am and 5:30 pm
Starting location: Nappanee Public Library
Nappanee was established when the B&O bypassed Locke and added the railroad 3 miles south. Soon businesses and people started to migrate from Locke to Nappanee. This tour explores the two villages, the businesses, and the people.
Cruisin’ Around Nappanee
Duration: 1 hour
Dates: Thursday, June 29
Times: 10:00 am and 5:30 pm
Starting location: Nappanee Public Library
Downtown Nappanee has been home to many car dealerships, and garages. Learn more about the businesses and mechanics that helped fine-tune Nappanee’s rich automotive history.
Nappanee Eats
Duration: 1 hour
Dates: Thursday, July 20
Times: 10:00 am and 5:30 pm
Starting location: Nappanee Public Library
This tour will highlight the restaurants and food stores that have been in Nappanee throughout the years. From Stoops Bakery and Restaurant to the B&B, learn more about the eating establishments of years past.
Retail in Nappanee Nappanee
Duration: 1 hour
Dates: Thursday, June 15
Times: 10:00 am and 5:30 pm
Starting location: Nappanee Public Library
Downtown was once full of General stores, Hardware stores, and many more retail places. Learn more about the general store that at one time was the largest in Elkhart County and why a furniture store would also be an undertaking business.
Homes of the Kitchen Industry
Duration: 1 hour
Dates: Thursday, July 6
Times: 10:00 am and 5:30 pm
Starting location: Nappanee Public Library
A guide will lead you through the Historic East District. Admire the homes from the street and learn more about the men who built them. Participants will have the opportunity to go inside the Frank and Katherine Coppes Home.
Virtual Tours
Walking Tours are also available on Pocketsights.
Take a GPS-guided tour with your mobile device anytime.
Download the app:
Demolition, Destruction, & Revitalization
Duration: 1 hour
Starting location: Nappanee Public Library
Nappanee’s downtown has seen many different looks and businesses over the years. This tour explores the town’s transformation, old businesses and buildings, and the Nappanee Fire department.
The Architecture of Henry Frazier
Duration: 1 hour
Starting location: Nappanee Public Library
Learn more about the gentleman who designed many of the downtown, homes, and many factories in Nappanee! The tour will include an inside look at the Frank and Katherine Coppes home.
Plays, Opera, Fables, & Frolic
Duration: 1 hour
Starting location: Nappanee Public Library
Plays, Opera, Fables, and Frolic takes you on a tour of the entertainment in Nappanee in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Learn about the Fairy Theater, The Auditorium, the Community Building, and all of the different halls that were at the center of Nappanee’s entertainment industry.
Entrepreneurs, Pioneers, & Trailblazers
Duration: 1 hour
Starting location: Nappanee Public Library
Explore the history of the oldest family-owned jewelry store, the bakery, Nappanee’s very own telephone company, Elkhart County’s largest general store, and Nappanee’s first hotel. Learn about the men and women who owned and operated them.
Innovation in Nappanee
Duration: 1 hour
Starting location: Nappanee Public Library
Nappanee is a place of thinkers, tinkers, and inventors. Innovation in Nappanee walks you through the downtown area, where Nappanee residents were creating things that we still use today, some that are now well-loved collectibles.