Dotted with emerald green lawns and masses of plantings, the Friendship Botanical Gardens just north of downtown Michigan City, offer an oasis of tranquility and beauty.

Connected to the past with a vast history, the 106-acre gardens were once the home of the Pottawatomie Indians whose heritage and traditions are reflected in the Native American garden here, one of six that showcase the gardening customs of the world.

Other gardens include the Romanian Garden, created by George V. Neagu, whose parents came from the mountainous Transylvanian region of Romania. Here a circle of stone benches and shrubs surround a lush expanse of grass and plantings.

Two miles of trails that follow the curve of the hillside and the banks of Trail Creek (called the River of Trails by the Pottawatomi as all the paths they followed always lead to the creek) which increases in size as it heads towards Lake Michigan.

Low lands have been turned into two separate garden areas, the Bog Garden and the Marsh Garden, both fed by the numerous springs on the ground. There is also Lake Lucerne upon whose shores concerts and poet readings are held.

Practical Info

2055 East, US-12, Michigan City, IN 46360

Hours: Open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., May 15 through October.

219-878-9885

www.friendshipgardens.org