An Accessible 48 Hours in Fort Wayne, Indiana

If someone told me a year ago that Fort Wayne, Indiana, would be one of the most accessible travel experiences that he would ever find as a wheelchair user, he would have told them they were crazy. Fort Wayne was never on my radar as a travel destination. However, the city requested the Good cleaning Family travel awards in 2024, and I was one of the panelists sent to evaluate the destination for their accessibility and family friendship. Even better? I have to bring my two teenage children so that the experience is as authentic as possible. What followed was one of the easiest, most pleasant and more fun travel experiences I have had in the United States.

Located at the confluence of three rivers in the northeast of Indiana, Fort Wayne is not a huge city, the second largest in the state, and is not really considered an important vacation destination despite all family activities that are available during the warmer parts of the year.

One of my biggest concerns when traveling, especially with my children, is the availability of accessible transport. Much of the central city of Fort Wayne is transferable, but we need transport for the attractions that were further. The city has a public bus system, and we could take advantage of the Community Transportation Network (CTN) for accessible trucks and drivers for wheelchairs to help us advance. When we did not use a vehicle, the center was very easy to navigate, with wide and well maintained sidewalks and, in some cases, without curbs. Here is an excellent way to spend 48 hours in Fort Wayne as a wheelchair user.

Day 1

Start his first day at Fort Wayne with a delicious breakfast at Bradley Hotel, an elegant lynchpin of the revitalization of the center. Then you can take the bus or book a CTN truck accessible to take it to the Fort Wayne Zoo. One of the 10 main zoos of the Nation for children is constantly appointed, takes care of more than 1,400 animals and participates in 63 survival plans for cooperative species. It is as fun for adults as it is for children. I really enjoyed feeding a giraffe of my wheelchair. It is located in a hill, so users of the manual chair can have to work a little, but the catwalks are wide and easy to maneuver.

Keep that family and internal environment inside the Central Science, the Fort Wayne Science Museum. Located within the first public plant of Fort Wayne, the museum contains more than 200 practical exhibitions and live science demonstrations. You can even get a tour of the Solar System at the «Science On A Sphere» theater. Most interactive exhibitions can be enjoyed from a wheelchair. For planning purposes, the installation has a large accessible bath with an adult changer on the second floor.

You can use CTN or roll for about 15 minutes to promenade Park for an inactivity time. This beautiful park is located right on the St. Mary River and has an accessible catwalk, accessible multilevel ramps for river vision on terraces, a splash pad, a patio of recreation and picnic areas. Two of our favorite food places of the trip – The hops gnome and Landing market – Both are at a bearing distance from the coast and Bradley. We visited the magnome gnome twice for your DIY S’mores, complete with a miniature toast well.

As the sunset approaches, in Promenade Park you can board the Sweet Breeze replica channel for a delicious river cruise. The boat is accessible for wheelchairs, and during its one -hour cruise, you will learn everything about the history of Fort Wayne of the friendly guides, maybe see some local wildlife and enjoy something of local architecture. You can also cross the historical bridge and get delicious ice cream or local chocolate next to an old railway car on the opposite side of the river.

Day 2

After breakfast, it’s time to go through the beautiful Fort Wayne center and explore its impressive murals. The city houses hundreds of brilliant murals, sculptures and pieces of public art, and the collection is growing every day. The murals cover walls of the alley and create a tapestry of history and color, definitely worthy of Instagram! Many of the sculptures even serve as functional bicycle racks. You can find a guide to walk with you or download information about art to check as you advance.

To continue exploring the art of the city, Roda only a few blocks to the Fort Wayne Art Museum. The collection is dedicated to American artists, with a good balance between modern and contemporary pieces of art of their permanent collection and rotary exhibitions. See the museum’s website to see what is exhibited, but be sure to visit your impressive glass wing.

When you are ready to change art to music, it is time to go to Sweetwater Sound, the largest retailer of instruments and audio equipment in the US. They also have all sound and recording equipment that you can imagine.

If time allows, you can return to the city center for a brief visit to Botanical Conservatory of Foellinger-Freimann. It contains three interior gardens that encourage experimental learning and offer four annual exhibitions that combine a fun and interactive visit with plants and seasonal beauty. Where else will you find a chocolate, cactus and palm trees under the same roof?

If you are visiting Fort Wayne during the baseball season, you have to see a tincap game. Call for the popular legend Johnny Applaseed, who had links with the area and was said to wear a boat like a hat, the team plays at the Parkview stadium, considered one of the best places of minor leagues in the country. It has many affordable wheelchair seats and a beautiful vip area with interior air conditioning for premium ticket holders.

Fort Wayne also organizes several incredibly popular festivals throughout the year, and we were lucky to be in the city for the Three Rivers Festival, the annual summer celebration of nine days of the city. It includes live music all day every day, a large area of ​​crafts and many food vendors. The entire festival concludes with a fantastic exhibition of fireworks at the top of a skyscraper of the center.