Founded in 1825 and named for the French general Marquis de Lafayette, Lafayette grew as a shipping and trade center on the busy Wabash River. The city, surrounded by farmland, is a center for food processing and is a manufacturing site for pharmaceuticals, automobiles, electrical equipment and other diversified products. The site of Fort Ouiatenon, the first military post in Indiana, is on South River Road. Purdue University is across the Wabash River in West Lafayette.

Perrin Avenue and the historic districts contain many examples of 19th- and 20th-century architecture. The Tippecanoe County Courthouse and the Moses Fowler House (not open to the public) are notable architectural highlights.

Columbian Park, Lafayette's largest, contains a zoo, an amusement park and a family aquatic center. Another noteworthy attraction is the Wabash Heritage Trail, which begins at the Lafayette municipal golf course and follows Burnett Creek and the Wabash River north to Tippecanoe Battlefield.

Lafayette-West Lafayette Convention & Visitors Bureau 301 Frontage Rd. Lafayette, IN 47905-4564. Phone:(765)447-9999 or (800)872-6648

Art Museum of Greater Lafayette

Haan Museum of Indiana Art