Affordable Family Fun in Wabash

By: Rosalyn Knauer

Are you in the Wabash County area looking for affordable family fun this summer? Well you’re in the right place! Wabash County has a wide variety of family fun. The Wabash County Museum is a great place to explore as families can learn about the History of Wabash County and kiddos can play in the interactive kid’s spaces. Tickets for the Museum are very affordable, youth ages 2 to 12 cost $5 and adults ages 13 and up cost $8. 

 Wabash County’s Courthouse & Abraham Lincoln Monument is another great place to check out for history loving families where you can learn about Wabash being the world’s first electrically lighted city! If the Courthouse is open, be sure to pop inside and see one of the original Arc lights on display in the lobby. 

Another great activity for families is the Eagles Theatre located in Downtown Wabash. Watch new movies for $5 before 4pm and $7 for adults, $5 for kids 12 & under for evening showings. Braspy’s Trinkets is a great shop to stop at for families with kids. From dolls to knights and dragons, the store has a variety of toys and games to offer! Be sure to check out Volt! Family Fun that is located next door, they have a pixel floor, arcade games, laser tag and more! Laser tag for up to 16 guests is $10 per 20 minutes of play – great for adults too!

On super hot summer days or when you just want to put your feet in the water, the Mark C. Honeywell Pool is the perfect spot. Public swimming is daily from 1 PM to 7 PM with daily fees of $1.50 for kids 13 & under and $2.00 for ages 13 & up. Enjoy the 50 meter competition pool or slide down the 120’ single flume water slide! A smaller zero-entry pool with a splash area is available for smaller children! 

Wabash County is the home of several different communities that offer free and affordable family friendly activities. North Manchester has a variety of outdoor activities that are perfect for families! Frantz Park, Warvel Park, Town Life Center, NM Barks & Rec Dog Park, and Glenn Ruppel Sports Complex, are parks in the area which can be visited at no cost that are great for getting exercise and even playing sports with your family. 

If you prefer inside fun or need something to do on a rainy day, North Manchester can also help with that. The Strauss-Peabody Aquatic Center offers a full size competitive swimming pool, a warm therapy pool, indoor water slide whirlpool, steam room, and sauna. In addition, they have a fully loaded fitness center if you want to get some exercise while your kids are enjoying the pool. No membership is needed, a daily pass is available for just $6! 

If your family enjoys history, The Center For History and Thomas Riley Marshall Home are great places to visit North Manchester which are free! The Center of History located in downtown North Manchester is a museum that features 10,000 square feet of exhibits focusing on local history and people. Thomas Marshall’s Home is located on North Market Street in North Manchester where he was born and raised that includes the history of becoming governor of the United States and Vice President of the United States. 

Largo is another great place for summer family fun. With hiking trails, areas to fish and swim there is a variety of outside activities to enjoy. Kissing Falls at Kokiwanee is a 1.7 mile loop that winds through the forest to a beautiful waterfall that is perfect for families with little ones. You can enjoy a nice hike with beautiful views that is the perfect length for a small hike. Salamonie River State Forest Hiking Trails offers four different hiking and horse trails throughout 950 acres. The Blue Trail (8 miles), Red Trail (3.3 miles), Green Trail (1.8 miles), and Yellow Trail (2 miles) take hikers through several different routes where beautiful wildlife, waterfalls, and topography can be seen. Largo also has some historical landmarks to offer. The Kerr Lock and St Patrick’s Catholic Church are great places to check out. There were four locks near Largo and the Kerr Lock is the only one of four locks that can still be seen today. St. Patrick’s Catholic Church was built in the 1870s designed in a Victorian’s Gothic style and a monthly mass is held from April through December each year!  

Consider stopping in Roann for some summer family fun as well. From beautiful parks to u-pick berry farms, there is a lot for families to love! Cordes Berry Farm is a great place for families to visit in Roann. This family owned and operated farm offers pickable strawberries and blackberries. U-pick berries and even ready pick berries are available for purchase throughout the summer. Jimmy Turner Jr. Memorial Park, all made possible through local donations, is a great place for families to enjoy the outdoors in Roann. This park has fenced playgrounds, ball fields, picnic shelters and more, making it perfect for families with kids of all ages! If you’re in search of some history in Roann, check out the  Roann Covered Bridge. There were once 29 covered bridges in Wabash County, The Roann Covered Bridge is one of the only two remaining covered bridges in the county. If you enjoy it, come back in September to a weekend-long festival that is held in and around the bridge.