Quilt Gardens along the Heritage Trail
Quilt Gardens along the Heritage Trail
4.5
About
Quilt Gardens Along the Heritage Trail May 30 – September 15 More than a million vibrant blooms • Gigantic gardens and hand-painted super-sized murals • welcoming communities • Viewable FREE May 30 – September 15. The Quilt Gardens along the Heritage Trail joins quilting, gardening and art into a one-of-a-kind event. This colorful patchwork of quilt inspired gardens and quilt-themed murals is linked by the roads that form the Heritage Trail. Every quilt garden and quilt mural has its own intricate pattern, many are original designs and each has its own unique story. Each of our unique communities that host quilt gardens & murals has its own special character and fun finds you’ll want to explore.
Duration: More than 3 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
51 reviews
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9
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Joyce M
Wadsworth, OH52 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
We had a lovely time visiting the gardens and murals and their surrounding towns, shops, and dining. Easier driving than Ohio’s hilly Amish country and just as beautiful. We picked up the map and CD at the visitor center and logged all the locations (Gotta catch ‘em all!) online to win a prize! Almost all the gardens we visited (first week of August) were in great shape, but we would give the grand prize to the Roman Cross Garden in Wakarusa.
Written 7 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your review! We appreciate it.
We're so happy you enjoying searching for all of the Quilt Gardens & Murals. It is like a fun scavenger hunt for sure! Take Care.
Written 28 June 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
natalieb
Bloomington, IN98 contributions
Jun 2021 • Friends
My friend had always wanted to see the gardens, so we decided to take a road trip. Several of the gardens were beautiful; others seemed in dire need of water. One in particular looked like it had been abandoned after planting. The poor plants were begging to be watered. It seemed that the begonias and coleus were not having a good year which we know happens. Some of the gardens were difficult to locate, especially the ones that were part of a larger attraction. The patterns and color choices were beautiful. Overall, we’re glad we did it. However, I would suggest visiting later in the season so the plants have time to mature.
Written 15 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks so much for visiting our Quilt Gardens. We're sorry that some of them were disappointing. We do our very best to keep the gardens looking at their best throughout the season, but sometimes Mother Nature gets the upper hand.
Please be assured that we are caring for all of the Quilt Gardens diligently, but our fixes sometimes take time to show results. You're right in that July is the best time to view the Quilt Gardens. Please give us another chance!
Written 1 July 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
CatKcentralIllinois
central Illinois122 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
And this was why we came to the Elkhart area and we were not disappointed! We made it to all quilt locations except 1 and saw so much of the area. So many unexpected discovers in the small towns. We planned for 2 days and 2 nights and even we 12 hour tourist adventures, there were sights unseen. We will be back. DON'T miss the various quilt square gardens!!! People have put so much love into these offerings. Thank you, Elkhart area gerdeners!
Written 9 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your review! We appreciate it. We're glad you enjoyed Elkhart County and the Quilt Gardens! Take Care.
Written 28 June 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Paula B
Menomonee Falls, WI105 contributions
Jul 2021
I was recently passing through Elkhart and thought I would take in the local color by visiting the quilt gardens. I was totally disappointed in that I could not find any of them that I looked for. In some places there were empty dirt plots as if a garden had been there, but in many places I couldn't find anything. I went to 410 S Main, 125 N. Main, 102 W. Beardsley, 1101 N. Main and then I gave up. I notice other recent posts have said the gardens were wonderful, so I'm not sure why we had such different experiences. Just be warned that you may or may not see quilt gardens.
Written 4 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for visiting Elkhart County, Indiana and for taking the time to leave a review. The Quilt Gardens season is from May 30 - September 15. Peak bloom about mid July and most gardens are pulled after September 15.
We work very hard to make the Quilt Garden experience enjoyable for everyone. We hope you will be able to come back to enjoy the Quilt Gardens & murals another time. We recommend stopping by the Elkhart County Visitor Center (3421 Cassopolis St.) to pick up a map of all current Quilt Garden & Mural locations as those do change each year. You can also find the map on our website: QuiltGardens.com
If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact the Elkhart County Visitor Center. 800.262.8161 or ecconv@eccvb.org
Written 22 June 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
D W
Richardson, TX148 contributions
Jul 2021
We were looking for things to do in the area while our daughter was working and decided to explore the Quilt Gardens. We downloaded a map and the GPS coordinates and headed out to our first stop. Every place we stopped had printed maps. So, if you don't have a way to download/print a map, you only need to get to one spot along the trail. The plantings were amazing and it was fun to discover them as we were driving. Most stops were just a quick photo and move on, but a few had things to explore. We thought we would finish by lunch or early afternoon, but we didn't return home until almost dinner time! Highly recommend!
Written 26 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review! We are so glad you enjoyed your visit to Elkhart County and the Quilt Gardens & Murals. Hopefully you will be able to come back again soon!
Written 22 June 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
oaklandon
Oaklandon, IN15 contributions
Jun 2022 • Friends
We only had time for 2 quilts the day we went. The one in downtown Elkhart across from the river and the 1 next to the Ruthmere home.. We also took a tour of the Ruthmere home. Very much worth it. Very enjoyable day.
Written 1 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking time to leave a review. We are so glad you enjoyed your visit to Elkhart County. Hopefully you will be able to come back again soon!
Written 22 June 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
wetravelalot007
Rossville, IN1,233 contributions
Jul 2022
We found out that Elkhart County Visitors Bureau had a Quilt Garden Trail. That sounded like a fun adventure, so we sought out information about it. It turned out to be an epic adventure (at least for us)! When we started digging online, the 2022 Quilt Garden Trail (QGT) had 17 entrants. However, after traveling the 90 plus miles of the trail, we can confirm there are only 16. The Barns at Nappanee did not have the personnel to plant the garden this year. So, you can skip that spot on the map to save you time and frustration. The QGT follows the Elkhart County Heritage Tail. The Heritage Trail is touted as one of Life magazines top 50 trails in the country. That alone made the trip worthy for us. Some of the quilt gardens stray from the trail slightly but it was easy to get right back on the trail after you visit the garden. It is touted as 90 miles and over 1 million flowers. WE certainly feel like we saw more than 1 million flowers on this day of travel around Elkhart County.
We were staying just outside of Nappanee for a month, so we started just inside Nappanee and headed north on the trail to Wakarusa, In the middle of town you will find the Quilt Garden. Continuing north towards Elkhart you find the next garden at the Southgate shops. After that we stopped at the Elkhart Environmental Center (off the Heritage Trail a bit and there is a closed intersection so drive through the store parking lot and you are on your way). The center has the third quilt garden we visited. After that we ventured up to the Visitor Center in Elkhart to pick up a paper map and a wonderful audio tour guide. From there we went to the Wellfield Botanical Gardens, seen the quilt garden but decided to pay the fee to see the entire grounds. Ruthmere and Central Park both had quilt gardens as well, right in the heart of Elkhart. The final quilt garden we visited in Elkhart was at the Enchanted Garden Nursery. That spot alone drew us in and we could have spent a lot more time there but needed to continue on our journey.
The next town on the trail was Bristol. The quilt garden there is located at the Elkhart County Historical Museum. The museum was free to visit so we spent some time taking in what it had to offer. On to Middlebury where three wonderful quilt gardens are located. The Krider World’s Fair Garden, Das Duchman Essenhaus (where we had an amazing lunch) and Dutch County Market. The Krider World’s Fair Garden’s entire grounds were amazing. We spent several minutes walking all the property and enjoying its grounds.
The QGT then continued to Shipshewana however no quilt gardens are located there. If you stay on the trail, you will see some wonderful Amish land with buggy life galore. The QGT then winds into Goshen that had four quilt gardens. The Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds, Abshire Park, The Old Bag Factory and the Courthouse all have memorable offerings. Finally, we headed back to Nappanee to see the last garden on our list. The one located at the Nappanee Center.
What a day for us. We took in Elkhart County in a day. We garnered respect for the communities and what they had to offer. We even noted other places we wanted to go back and visit. If you have the time and interest, make the effort to do the entire trail. Some gardens were better than others. Some concepts did not work very well. However, for us that added to the appeal. We enjoyed seeing the good ones. We respected the efforts of the gardens that needed love or were waning in the July heat. For us it was not about how good or how bad the gardens looked it was about the overall adventure and learning about each of the communities. What an awesome concept! Kudos to all who were involved!
We were staying just outside of Nappanee for a month, so we started just inside Nappanee and headed north on the trail to Wakarusa, In the middle of town you will find the Quilt Garden. Continuing north towards Elkhart you find the next garden at the Southgate shops. After that we stopped at the Elkhart Environmental Center (off the Heritage Trail a bit and there is a closed intersection so drive through the store parking lot and you are on your way). The center has the third quilt garden we visited. After that we ventured up to the Visitor Center in Elkhart to pick up a paper map and a wonderful audio tour guide. From there we went to the Wellfield Botanical Gardens, seen the quilt garden but decided to pay the fee to see the entire grounds. Ruthmere and Central Park both had quilt gardens as well, right in the heart of Elkhart. The final quilt garden we visited in Elkhart was at the Enchanted Garden Nursery. That spot alone drew us in and we could have spent a lot more time there but needed to continue on our journey.
The next town on the trail was Bristol. The quilt garden there is located at the Elkhart County Historical Museum. The museum was free to visit so we spent some time taking in what it had to offer. On to Middlebury where three wonderful quilt gardens are located. The Krider World’s Fair Garden, Das Duchman Essenhaus (where we had an amazing lunch) and Dutch County Market. The Krider World’s Fair Garden’s entire grounds were amazing. We spent several minutes walking all the property and enjoying its grounds.
The QGT then continued to Shipshewana however no quilt gardens are located there. If you stay on the trail, you will see some wonderful Amish land with buggy life galore. The QGT then winds into Goshen that had four quilt gardens. The Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds, Abshire Park, The Old Bag Factory and the Courthouse all have memorable offerings. Finally, we headed back to Nappanee to see the last garden on our list. The one located at the Nappanee Center.
What a day for us. We took in Elkhart County in a day. We garnered respect for the communities and what they had to offer. We even noted other places we wanted to go back and visit. If you have the time and interest, make the effort to do the entire trail. Some gardens were better than others. Some concepts did not work very well. However, for us that added to the appeal. We enjoyed seeing the good ones. We respected the efforts of the gardens that needed love or were waning in the July heat. For us it was not about how good or how bad the gardens looked it was about the overall adventure and learning about each of the communities. What an awesome concept! Kudos to all who were involved!
Written 16 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
babs12858
Palmerton, PA562 contributions
Jun 2015 • Couples
This tour is the only experience of its kind in the world! There are 20 supersized quilt gardens and 22 hand painted murals along this trail which encompasses 7 different towns. It is located in Northern Indiana and runs June through October annually. Each garden has its own theme and maps can be found at each site. It follows the Heritage trail and reminds me of a scavenger hunt! If you love gardens, flowers, murals, and quilts, this tour is for you!
Written 28 June 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
serenitywriter
Lawrenceville, NJ276 contributions
Aug 2015 • Couples
You can't do this anywhere else in the world, so this is a must stop if you like gardens, quilts, country scenery, farm fresh food, quaint small towns and the chance to do a few other unique things. Twenty or so large gardens set out in traditional quilt patterns and colors and about an equal number of quilt murals painted on buildings scattered along a loop almost a hundred miles around. Definitely not a one day trip, plan on a couple of days because you will want to stop at a lot of other attractions in this rural, Amish area of northeastern Indiana. When we visited in late August, the gardens ranged from beautiful and lush to a little ragged and beginning to die off. It was obvious that some gardens get more attention and more water than others. Some appeared to have been replanted where plants started to die off from heat, but I can't confirm that. A couple of gardens were as small as about 15 feet by 15 feet, but most were significantly larger. The best gardens were set into the sides of hills so you could view them from parking lots, local streets, or hiking trails. Some gardens set on flat land had viewing platforms, which would actually be a good idea at all of them. The garden at Copps Commons in Nappanee can even be viewed from the second floor of a repurposed 1800s mill. The amount of work by the all volunteer force is amazing to maintain these gardens in multiple small towns and cities. I know the gardens are replanted each year. I was not able to find out if the murals are repainted each year. The free CD with driving instructions and commentary about the area is good and worth the time to pick it up at one of the visitor centers, but you should rely on your own GPS, too. We couldn't find a couple of the gardens from the CD instructions and one of the gardens couldn't even be found with the GPS. We finally located it by following another out-of-state car. That garden was actually about two miles from where both our GPS and the CD said it would be. We did manage to visit each garden and almost all of the murals.
Still, an amazing collection of gardens and something we have never seen anywhere else in our travels. While there, do not miss the many attractions in Elkhart (the "big" city in the area) such as the Wellfield Botanic Gardens (also a quilt garden and quilt mural location), the Ruthmere museum, and the riverwalk restaurants and attractions. A stop in Nappanee should include the Copps Commons for the unique shops and history and the special small town feel. Middlebury has great restaurants (especially 41North) and is nice town for a stroll. The Victorian Country B&B is the best place to stay in town. There's theater at Amish Acres and in Shipshewana which also contains the most unique collection of antique Hudson automobiles I've ever seen. Quilt shops, Amish farm markets, and country markets and even popcorn shops are scattered around and all provided a break from driving.
Don't miss this quilt garden tour if you are in northern Indiana in the summer. Guaranteed that you will not see anything like it anywhere else.
Still, an amazing collection of gardens and something we have never seen anywhere else in our travels. While there, do not miss the many attractions in Elkhart (the "big" city in the area) such as the Wellfield Botanic Gardens (also a quilt garden and quilt mural location), the Ruthmere museum, and the riverwalk restaurants and attractions. A stop in Nappanee should include the Copps Commons for the unique shops and history and the special small town feel. Middlebury has great restaurants (especially 41North) and is nice town for a stroll. The Victorian Country B&B is the best place to stay in town. There's theater at Amish Acres and in Shipshewana which also contains the most unique collection of antique Hudson automobiles I've ever seen. Quilt shops, Amish farm markets, and country markets and even popcorn shops are scattered around and all provided a break from driving.
Don't miss this quilt garden tour if you are in northern Indiana in the summer. Guaranteed that you will not see anything like it anywhere else.
Written 18 November 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mik A
Elkhart, IN88 contributions
Jun 2018 • Couples
The flower garden that we visited is on the east side of the Elkhart Co. Court House and is called "Bats in the Belfry", which may be true for the court house. Very nice, be sure to stop by. The following is a little info that I found on the above website. 18 gardens and 21 hand-painted super-sized murals • FREE May 30 – October 1.
The Quilt Gardens along the Heritage Trail joins quilting, gardening and art. Every quilt garden and quilt mural has its own intricate pattern, many are original designs and each has its own unique story.
The Quilt Gardens along the Heritage Trail joins quilting, gardening and art. Every quilt garden and quilt mural has its own intricate pattern, many are original designs and each has its own unique story.
Written 18 June 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review! We appreciate it. We are so glad you enjoyed the Quilt Gardens. We hope you are able to come back again next year. May 30 - September 15. For more info, please visit QuiltGardens.com
Written 12 October 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Are dogs allowed at the quilt gardens?
Written 3 July 2020
I'm so sorry for the delay. You may have already found this answer, but for next time. The Quilt Gardens are all located outside at various businesses and parks throughout Elkhart County.
Therefore, it varies depending upon the location of the Quilt Garden and their particular policy. You should check with the locations you wish to see before taking your dog.
We hope this helps!
Written 2 September 2020
There are gardens all around Elkhart county. On the net Google Elkhart Indiana quilt gardens sorry they won't let me post the exact address, and there is a map with descriptions & locations. They will look great thru' the end of September. Enjoy!!
Written 20 September 2016
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