Things to Do in Kokomo, Indiana with Kids
Kokomo, Indiana, is known as a city of firsts; it’s a place where history has flourished for over 100 years. From 1894, when the first commercially built car rolled off the belt, to 1957, when the first All Transistor Car Radio was made, Kokomo boasts 14 other “firsts” in between those dates! For Gleason Family Adventure, learning and travel go hand in hand, and we are always looking for the hidden gems in destinations we are going to. I love it when the kids are learning, and they don’t even know it! We recommend these 6 Amazing Things to Do with Kids in Kokomo, Indiana.
Best Place to Stay in Kokomo, Indiana
Heritage Farm Suri Alpacas
Just outside of Kokomo is this historic and educational alpaca farm. With over 100 rolling acres of land, Heritage Farm is a unique place to explore and learn about alpaca farm life. Every family visiting Kokomo should put a day trip with a privately scheduled tour on the to-do list!
The owners, Tim and Beth Sheets will take you on a walking tour of the farm and share impressive facts about the alpacas and the history of the beautiful buildings and barns. Questions that burned to be answered were, “Do alpacas spit?” and “Is that one contiguous hand-hewn beam?” From the century-old barn to the 70 alpacas roaming the fields, make this a day you’ll never forget.
Heritage Farm offers a farm stay where your family can enjoy a beautiful evening in an 1850s cabin overlooking the beautiful flowing landscape from the back deck. You can enjoy handmade pizza with Tim cooked in the outdoor brick oven (he built it himself) adjacent to the cabin, then sit outside by a delightful fire and relax as evening fades.
Our hosted trip here was one of a kind.
Location and Contact Information:
Heritage Farm Suri Alpacas — Tim & Beth Sheets
4175 N. 1200 W, Flora, IN 46929
765-860-1220 or 765-860-9872
tim@ourheritagefarm.com
Explore Artist Alley with Kids
Artist Alley
Downtown Kokomo has really outdone itself! ALL Alleys leads to art, and creative art is sprinkled throughout the downtown Kokomo, Indiana area. Susan Alexander, manager of downtown creative placemaking, said, “The initiative’s mission is not only to create inviting public art spaces but also to create learning opportunities through the installation of the art accessories that will allow for a variety of art forms to be enjoyed in alleyways around downtown,”
Who doesn’t want to see and learn more about art and the creative expressions this medium allows?
Be Amazed at Kokomo Opalescent Glass
Kokomo Opalescent Glass
Since 1888, the Kokomo Opalescent Glass factory has continuously operated in Indiana. As a town of many firsts, you might ask, “How did all these firsts happen? Why are all these businesses here?” Kokomo, Indiana, was part of the free natural gas boom that brought business and commerce to the city, and it has continued since, minus the free natural gas.
Touring the Kokomo Opalescent Glass factory was one of the unique locations and hosted tours we have done this year. We were intrigued as we watched workers running from the clay pots full of molten glass, doing their “dance walk” to the table where it is rolled. Taking in a 365-degree turn in the large room where the furnace is awe-inspiring! I’ve NEVER seen anything like it.
Do you know they have the original equipment to re-create glass from the turn of the century? Have you seen the names etched into the walls and beams with the dates that the workers were there? Can you believe that Tiffany used this glass? Did you know this glass is shipped all over the world? If you answered “no,” then you need to put a tour of Kokomo Opalescent Glass on your must-do tours!
How to schedule a tour and location:
Kokomo Opalescent Glass factory tours are now offered Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays at 11:00 AM. Reservations are now required (for all – groups, families, and individuals) as tour group sizes are limited.
Kokomo Opalescent Glass
1310 S. Market St.
Kokomo, IN 46902
Local:765-457-1829
Learn History at Elwood Haynes Museum
If your mind has been blown by the firsts that have come out of Kokomo, Indiana, the Elwood Haynes Museum will be the icing on the cake for you. The museum is FREE, you read that right, FREE, and is operated by the city of Kokomo.
Tours here are self-guided, and the booklet you receive when you arrive helps guide you through the exhibits The most jaw-dropping item in the place is one of the original “horseless carriages,” the 1905 Model L, made by Haynes and the Apperson brothers. This rare car was so amazing to see! The original cost in 1905 was $1,350.00, and calculated in today’s money; it would cost approximately $36,819.00.
While the horseless carriage is a notable creation, Elwood Haynes brought us alloy. This revolutionized the industry in America, and these cobalt-based alloys found immediate use as lathe tools in the First World War, which tripled machining production. Above all, we have Elwood Haynes to thank for developing and producing these space-age metals.
“A man’s work in life is not very great at best when compared with the sum total of human effort, and after all, it is good that we may be able to do for our fellow men and not the glory of achievement that really counts.”-Elwood Haynes.
Location and Hours:
Elwood Haynes Museum
1915 S. Webster
Kokomo, IN 46902
(765) 456-7500
Hours vary by season
Admission: Free-will donation
Expereince Kokomo Grissom Air Museum
Grissom Air Museum
The Grissom Air Museum, near Peru, Indiana, was founded in 1981 and has continued to grow and expand since its inception. Our son Sam is a Civil Air Patrol cadet, and when I found out that we could tour this fantastic facility, I made sure it got put on the hosted itinerary. You can immediately see your time here at Grissom Air Museum will be extraordinary.
Pulling into the parking lot gets you all kind of excited. The planes are featured outside on the expansive displays.
Grissom wants you to Explore! Educate! Experience! How do they create this experience for you? Let me quickly explain.
Explore! You are free to roam around, touch, and see all the aircraft up close and personal.
Educate! They have thoughtfully created displays for you to read and learn more about these amazing planes and equipment.
Experience! Inside the museum, you can sit and touch the cockpits of planes and airplanes. I’ve only been to a few other places where they give you these kinds of opportunities. This is where learning really took place for our kids. Even I climbed into the cockpits to look through the eyes of the pilot.
This is a MUST-see museum!
Location:
Grissom Air Museum
1000 W. Hoosier Blvd.
Peru, Indiana 46970
Popcorn Cafe’
Who doesn’t like popcorn?!? The owner, Grace Jones, brought this fun, fantastic popcorn location to Kokomo, Indiana, in 2015, and since then, it has been a local favorite.
As you open the door, you are overcome with the delicious smells of the popcorn made here! Popcorn Cafe’ doesn’t make choosing a flavor easy because they have up to 50 flavors of tantalizing flavors to pick from, and choosing just one can be a hard choice. So, do like we did and grab 2 or 3!
Did you know that they don’t just serve up amazing popcorn? They offer homemade fudge and candy galore. We enjoyed every bite from here. Want to know The Gleason’s favorite? It was the Kokomo Crunch!
Popcorn Cafe’ Location:
1108 E Markland Ave
Kokomo, Indiana 46901
Kokomo, Indiana, has something for everyone! We were only here for 24 hours, but we could have spent more time in this historic city. Kokomo offers fun from the arts, museums, and beautiful hikes through the delightful downtown.
Happy Adventures!
The Gleason Crew
Do you have something you love from the Kokomo, Indiana, area? Leave us a comment about it!
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