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Studebakers, Mansions and a Chocolate Factory in South Bend

  • Wednesday, August 24, 2022
  • 6:15 AM–7:00 PM
  • Offsite
  • 120.00

Step back in time to the 1890s and enter the magnificent den and the stunning library inside the 38-room Oliver Mansion, once home to the J.D. Oliver family, founders of the Oliver Chilled Plow Works. Marvel at original furnishings on all three floors, 14 unique fireplaces, leaded glass windows, and woodwork of oak, cherry, and mahogany.

Lunch happens inside another mansion, Tippecanoe Place, the 1889 residence of Clement Studebaker, a home that served as Red Cross headquarters during WWII.

Please choose either the Vegetable Stacks (vegan) or the Chicken Entree with sundried tomato sauce and the chef's vegetable choice. Both meals are gluten free and include salad, mashed potatoes, house dessert, iced tea or coffee. Dinner rolls are also provided.

Do note there are multiple stairs in both historic homes.

Registration Deadline: Tuesday, August 9, 5 p.m.

More Details:

We start our day in South Bend with a 9:00 a.m. tour of the Chocolate Factory. Chocolate is such a great start to the day! We will leave the tour with a little goody bag, plus have time to make purchases in the outlet shop. It will be helpful if you bring a personal size cooler to store your chocolate purchases for the day.

At 10:10 a.m., we board the bus for the South Bend History Museum Campus and our 10:30 a.m. appointment to tour the 38-room Oliver Mansion, the former home of the J.D. Oliver Family. It is a lovely 1897 home with the original interior and wood intact and many family mementoes throughout the home. Please note that only the first floor is fully accessible. The 2nd and 3rd floors involve a number of stairs, some of them steep and narrow, although there are good handrails. If you do not wish to tour the 2nd and 3rd floors, you may tour the first floor with the group, then enjoy the gardens or begin exploring the museums. The gardens should be beautiful during August!

At 12:15 p.m., we have reservations for lunch on the Sun Porch of the Tippecanoe Place. After lunch, we will be privileged to be given a tour of the Tippecanoe Mansion, 19th century manor of the Studebaker family.

After our time at Tippecanoe Place, we return to the South Bend History Museum campus and have a couple of hours for self-guided visits through the Studebaker National Museum and The History Museum.

The Studebaker National Museum has a collection of cars that includes military vehicles and the world’s largest collection of Presidential carriages. Currently, they have a temporary exhibit entitled “Charged: The Rise, Fall, and Resurgence of Electric Vehicles.”

The History Museum offers diverse exhibits on the history of South Bend, dioramas of the people of the St. Joseph Valley Region, a miniature lamp collection, information on the agricultural and transportation developments during the time of the Oliver and Studebaker families, and an exhibit on the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

Cost of this trip will be $120 per person, which includes tours of the chocolate factory and its small museum, two historic mansions, the gardens, lunch, two museums, and round-trip bus transportation.

Registration deadline:  Tuesday, August 9th. We invite you to join this fun and informative trip to South Bend, Indiana!

Schedule for August 24 trip to South Bend

6:15 a.m. Board the bus at the Prince Conference Center. Park in Parking Lot #16.

6:30 a.m. Bus departs from the Prince Conference Center to travel to South Bend. There will be a rest stop along the way.

8:45 a.m. Arrive at the South Bend Chocolate Factory and check in for 9:00 tour.

10:30 a.m. Tour the Oliver Mansion

12:15 p.m. Lunch and Tour at Tippecanoe Place

2:15 p.m. Self-Guided visits at the South Bend History Museum Campus – South Bend History Museum, Studebaker National Museum, Gardens, Shops

4:30 p.m. Board the bus for return trip home

4:45 p.m. Bus departs for Prince Conference Center. A snack bag will be provided for your trip home. (If you wish to bring along a sandwich or something else in addition to the provided snack, please feel free to do so. The aforementioned, personal size cooler will be helpful to keep some food for the way home, in addition to your chocolate purchases.)

7:00 p.m. Approximate arrival time at Prince Conference Center

Registration

The registration deadline has passed.

Location details

South Bend, Indiana

August 2022
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