We all need a Savior
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
Romans 3:23
None of us can earn our way to God by being good enough. We all need mercy.
🗺️ Farm Day Trips guide
Things to Do Near the Lavender Farms of Lafayette & West Lafayette, Indiana
Visit a four-generation lavender and honey farm south of Lafayette, May through October, then walk 900 acres of restored prairie at Prophetstown.
4 places · updated October 17, 2026
🌱 What’s happening now
Updated October 17
🪻 In season now
Exploration Acres · Kent's Cucurbits
✏️ Report outdated info
Lafayette and West Lafayette face each other across the Wabash River, with Purdue University on the west bank and a pedestrian bridge joining the two downtowns. Farm country starts a few minutes out in every direction, and the history runs deep: the Fort Ouiatenon blockhouse museum sits downriver, and the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe was fought just north at Battle Ground, next to today's Prophetstown State Park. In one day you can see restored tallgrass prairie, a wolf research park and a city zoo, all within about half an hour.
Lavender Bee Company is a four-generation family farm south of Lafayette that grows six lavender varieties on fields being expanded to six acres. Its bees forage on the lavender and on 24 kinds of apple trees, plus peach and cherry trees, and the family bottles raw honey and makes lavender soap. The farm welcomes visitors from May through October and holds three festivals a year with live demonstrations and a hive inspection. Come in summer for the farm and the prairie in bloom, or in fall for corn mazes and pumpkins.
The lavender farms
- Lavender Bee CompanyLavender farm · Lafayette
Visitors welcome May through October; farm tours, school visits and three festivals a year with hive inspections.
Best time to visit
Strawberry season at Huffman Berry Farm runs from about mid-May into June. Lavender Bee Company welcomes visitors from May through October, and its three annual festivals are the best days to see hive inspections and demonstrations; check their website for dates. Prophetstown State Park's aquatic center is open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day (weekends only in August), and the prairie is at its showiest in summer. Columbian Park Zoo's 2026 season ran from April 11 to October 3, with evening hours until 7 p.m. from late May to early August. Flint Creek Orchard picks berries in summer and apples and pumpkins in fall, while Exploration Acres opens its corn maze from mid-September to late October and Kent's Cucurbits runs from mid-September through October 31. Fort Ouiatenon Historic Park hosts the annual Feast of the Hunters' Moon in the fall.
Places to see nearby parks, trails, beaches and landmarks
- Columbian Park Zoo🏞️ Park · Lafayette · about 6 mi, 15 min drive
A small city zoo in the middle of Columbian Park. Cars can't reach the entrance, so park on Park or Wallace Avenue or in the Scott Street lot and walk in.
2026: daily April 11–October 3, 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (to 7 p.m. May 23–August 9)
$3 ages 3 and up; 2 and under free
- Clegg Memorial Garden🌷 Garden · Lafayette · about 8 mi, 18 min drive
A 16.5-acre NICHES Land Trust preserve on a hillside above Wildcat Creek, a state scenic waterway, with a mile-plus of looping trails, many stairs and about 100 feet of elevation change through oak woods and hill prairie.
free
- Tapawingo Park and Wabash Heritage Trail🥾 Trail · West Lafayette · about 7 mi, 18 min drive
A riverfront park joined to downtown Lafayette by a pedestrian bridge, with a playground, pavilion and a section of the 18-mile Wabash Heritage Trail.
- Purdue Horticulture Park🌷 Garden · West Lafayette · about 9 mi, 22 min drive
Twenty-four acres on the west edge of Purdue's campus with paved walks through wildflowers and wooded paths; plants removed from campus construction are often relocated here.
- Fort Ouiatenon Historic Park🏛️ Historic site · West Lafayette · about 9 mi, 22 min drive
A Wabash River park south of West Lafayette with the Fort Ouiatenon Blockhouse Museum, run by the Tippecanoe County Historical Association, and home of the annual Feast of the Hunters' Moon.
- Celery Bog Nature Area🌲 Preserve · West Lafayette · about 10 mi, 25 min drive
About 195 acres of woods and wetlands with more than 100 bird species, a 4-mile paved trail, a 1-mile interpretive footpath and the Lilly Nature Center.
Nature center Wednesday–Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sunday 1–5 p.m.
free
- Prophetstown State Park🌳 State park · Battle Ground · about 13 mi, 25 min drive
Indiana's newest state park, where the Tippecanoe River meets the Wabash, with about 900 acres of restored prairie, trails of 1.9 to 3.5 miles and the Farm at Prophetstown, which shows 1920s farm life.
Aquatic center Memorial Day weekend–Labor Day, 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
$8 per vehicle with Indiana plates, $16 out-of-state; aquatic center $5 per person
- Tippecanoe Battlefield Museum🏛️ Historic site · Battle Ground · about 13 mi, 25 min drive
A museum and history store on the site of the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe, just south of the town of Battle Ground and a few minutes from Prophetstown.
- Martell Forest🌲 Preserve · West Lafayette · about 13 mi, 28 min drive
A 477-acre Purdue research forest open to the public in daylight, with more than 6 miles of trails through hills and ravines along Indian Creek. There are few facilities.
Daylight hours
- Wolf Park🌲 Preserve · Battle Ground · about 16 mi, 30 min drive
A conservation and education park with ambassador wolves, bison and foxes, daily guided tours and Howl Nights where visitors howl with the wolves; tickets are booked online.
Where to stop: farms, food and stays
- Huffman Berry FarmStrawberry farm · Lafayette
Strawberries east of Lafayette from about mid-May into June, with pre-picked orders taken by phone or text.
- Flint Creek OrchardU-pick farm · Westpoint
A small orchard southwest of Lafayette with strawberries, raspberries and blackberries in summer and apples and pumpkins in fall.
- Exploration AcresFamily fun farm · Lafayette
A giant themed corn maze with hidden prize posts from mid-September to late October, plus a butterfly-shaped tulip maze in spring.
- Kent's CucurbitsPumpkin patch · Brookston
Piles of pumpkins, squash and gourds, a corn maze and a barrel train ride from mid-September through October 31.
- Marcela's Cakes Bakery and CaféBakery · Lafayette
Coffee with cakes and pastries in Latin-inspired flavors, an easy lunch or snack stop in Lafayette.
- People's Brewing CompanyBrewery or taproom (21+) · Lafayette
A Lafayette brewery with a 21-and-over taproom, a dog-friendly patio and brewery tours.
A one-day plan
- 10:00 AMLavender Bee Company
Walk the lavender fields and shop the honey and soap; visits run May through October, and festival days add hive inspections. Check their website before you go. About an hour.
- 11:15 AMColumbian Park Zoo · about 15 min drive
See the animals and walk the park (the zoo season ends in early October). About an hour.
- 12:30 PMMarcela's Cakes Bakery and Café · about 10 min drive
Lunch, coffee and a slice of cake. About 45 minutes.
- 1:30 PMTapawingo Park and Wabash Heritage Trail · about 10 min drive
Walk the pedestrian bridge over the Wabash and a stretch of the riverside trail. About 45 minutes.
- 2:30 PMCelery Bog Nature Area · about 12 min drive
Look for wetland birds from the trails and stop in at the Lilly Nature Center (closed Monday and Tuesday). About an hour.
- 3:50 PMProphetstown State Park · about 20 min drive
Walk a prairie trail or visit the Farm at Prophetstown; in summer, cool off at the aquatic center. About 1.5 hours.
- 5:25 PMTippecanoe Battlefield Museum · about 5 min drive
See the 1811 battlefield grounds just south of Battle Ground. About 30 minutes.
Tips
- Prophetstown warns that many mapping services give wrong directions: use Exit 178 (State Road 43) north of Lafayette, and avoid State Road 225, whose bridge is closed.
- Prophetstown's entrance fee ($8 Indiana plates, $16 out-of-state) is higher than at most state parks and includes Historic Prophetstown.
- Trails 3 and 4 at Prophetstown can flood, so check with the park office after heavy rain.
- Columbian Park Zoo has no drive-up entrance; park on the street or in the Scott Street lot and walk into the park.
- Wolf Park tours and Howl Nights are booked online ahead of time.
Checked in October 2026 against official park, tourism and business websites. How we check listings
Questions
Can I visit Lavender Bee Company?
Yes. The farm welcomes visitors from May through October and holds three festivals a year with live demonstrations and hive inspections. It also offers free local delivery in Lafayette and West Lafayette.
What lavender and honey does Lavender Bee Company make?
It grows six lavender varieties and bottles raw honey from bees that forage on the lavender and the farm's apple, peach and cherry trees. It also makes lavender soap.
What does Prophetstown State Park cost?
Entry is $8 per vehicle with Indiana plates and $16 with out-of-state plates, which includes Historic Prophetstown. The summer aquatic center is $5 per person.
When is Columbian Park Zoo open?
Mid-April to early October. In 2026 it opened April 11 and closed for the season after October 3; admission is $3 for ages 3 and up.
Where can I go birding near West Lafayette?
Celery Bog Nature Area, about a mile north of campus, has recorded more than 100 bird species across 195 acres of woods and wetlands.
🪪 Collect a stamp at every stop
The free Lavender Passport keeps a stamp for each farm and stop you visit, in real life and in the Lavender Farm Simulator. At the farm, play Field Quest to collect plant varieties as you walk, climb the leaderboards and unlock sponsor rewards.
Open the Passport🏡 Own a farm, café or inn here?
Add your listing for free so travelers find you, or become a Featured sponsor to sit at the top of this guide, on the Passport map and in the event calendars.
Add your listing Get featured
