A college town anchored by Purdue University, with research parks and science centers along the Wabash River. Home to the first USDA licensed rabies vaccine.
Walk across the Wabash River from Lafayette to reach West Lafayette, where Purdue University’s campus stretches over 2,600 acres. The John T. Myers Pedestrian Bridge links areas with brick houses from the 1800s to newer developments like Wabash Landing, which has a movie theater and shops. Stop by Harry’s Chocolate Shop, a bar opened in 1919 that still has its original wooden booths, or try the burgers at Triple XXX Restaurant, operating since 1929. Wander through the New Chauncey Neighborhood to see Victorian-era homes next to 1950s-style cottages with low-pitched roofs. Follow the Wabash Heritage Trail to Fort Ouiatenon, a replica of an 18th-century French trading post, and check local event calendars for weekly concerts or art pop-ups.
Purdue University’s Campus and Public Events
Purdue University shapes daily life in West Lafayette, with students making up half the city’s population during the academic year. The school began in 1869 after John Purdue donated land and funds, and today its engineering and aerospace programs draw researchers from over 130 countries. Watch a football game at the 57,000-seat Ross-Ade Stadium or hear the Purdue Jazz Band play at the Long Center, a 1924 auditorium restored in 2011. Over 20 public research labs on campus focus on robotics and crop science, leading to new businesses like drone startups and biotech firms. Visitors can join free campus walking tours to see the Neil Armstrong statue or attend events like the Bug Bowl, where people race mealworms or sample cricket-based snacks.
Architectural Styles in Residential Areas
The New Chaunchy Neighborhood displays West Lafayette’s building history through houses constructed between the 1880s and 1950s. On Salisbury Street, you’ll find three-story homes with stained-glass windows and turrets typical of the Queen Anne period. After World War II, single-story bungalows with carports spread across the area to accommodate growing families. Local preservation groups maintain original brick sidewalks and organize garden tours each June. Near the river, a stone marker indicates where early settlers abandoned their 1836 town plan due to frequent floods, later moving to higher ground where the university stands today. Many older buildings now serve new purposes, like a 1920s gas station converted into a bike repair shop.
Central Areas: Campus Shops, Riverfront, and Art Spaces
West Lafayette’s downtown splits into three walkable sections. Near campus, Chauncey Village has stores selling Purdue sweatshirts and engineering-themed board games, plus pizza places open until 3 a.m. The Wabash Riverfront area includes Tapawingo Park, where crowds gather for free outdoor concerts every July and a Saturday market sells sweet corn and handmade soap from May to October. Head to Main Street for the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette, which rotates exhibits of Midwest painters, and Teays River Brewing, known for its blueberry ale. Ice skate at Riehle Plaza from December to February or watch a 35mm film screening at the Long Center’s vintage theater. These areas connect via the pedestrian bridge, letting you explore murals, food trucks, and river overlooks within a few hours.
Live Music and Seasonal Festivals
Local venues host performances almost every night. Listen to fiddle music at Irish pubs like Nine Irish Brothers or catch jazz trios at coffee shops near campus. In June, the Taste of Tippecanoe festival fills downtown with food stalls serving fried brain sandwiches and live bands playing rock covers. Purdue’s Elliott Hall brings Broadway shows like Hamilton and speakers like Neil deGrasse Tyson throughout the year. The Tippecanoe Battlefield Museum holds monthly talks about the 1811 battle between American troops and Native American warriors led by Tecumseh. Check bulletin boards for art walks featuring pottery demos or poetry readings at independent bookstores.
Trails, Water Activities, and Green Spaces
Walk or bike the 13-mile Wabash Heritage Trail, which starts at Fort Ouiatenon and passes through forests filled with sycamore trees and historic sites like a 19th-century gristmill. Rent a kayak at the fort’s landing to paddle past herons and beaver dams on the Wabash River. Columbian Park Zoo in nearby Lafayette has a prairie dog exhibit and a barn where kids can feed goats, all free to enter. Celery Bog Nature Area provides wooden boardwalks over marshes teeming with frogs and dragonflies, plus a 4-mile loop trail popular with joggers. Students often play frisbee golf at Tapawingo Park’s 18-hole course, which weaves through oak groves and open fields.
Population and Local Economy
About 45,000 people live in West Lafayette, with over half being Purdue students or staff. The city has Indiana’s highest percentage of residents with advanced degrees, partly due to professors and engineers working at companies like Saab or Caterpillar. Asian markets along State Street sell fresh lychee and kimchi, reflecting the large international student population. Most households rent apartments near campus, but neighborhoods west of the university have single-family homes averaging $315,000. A city ordinance requires all new buildings to include bike racks and native plants, keeping streets shaded by maple trees and easy to navigate on two wheels.
