I've been visiting West Lafayette for many years but never noticed this magnificent fountain until…read moremy visit to the Courthouse in September. The fountain is amazing - my first thought was just "wow". The fountain was designed by Laredo Taft in 1887. The statue honors General Lafayette, the city namesake. His figure stands majestically over the pool below. Panels around the base also honor John Purdue (namesake of Purdue University), an artesian well beneath the fountain, early pioneers of the city, Union solders who fought in the Civil War, and William Digby (founder of Lafayette). The fountain is surrounded by beautiful landscaping. Local business workers sat around the fountain eating lunch or reading in the serene setting and the sounds of the fountain water. There is free street parking about a block away. The fountain and Courthouse are definitely worth a visit.

Famous American sculptor Lorado Taft from Illinois was selected to create the magnificent fountain…read moreon the northeast corner of the Tippecanoe County Courthouse. In 1887, the piece was erected on the site and appears to have undergone some TLC along with the courthouse. The main figure atop the fountain is that of the Marquis de Lafayette who was instrumental in helping the inexperienced and underfunded American military during the Revolutionary War. Below that life sized figure, there are four oval reliefs and below that, an octagonal shape with each of the sides bearing an ornate framing around the names of honorees with ties to the city. Honorees are quite varied and include pioneers, soldiers, John Purdue, and William Digby, the town founder. Earlier versions of the courthouse are also honored. Although the honorees may be somewhat random, the overall beauty of the work is fantastic. Review #1410

Now I truly know the meaning behind the phrase, "a feast for the eyes." Samara is one of those…read morehouses where my eyes were on overdrive, just trying to look at every element of this gorgeous property, and absorb all possible details. It's almost overwhelming how beautiful this Frank Lloyd Wright house is. Samara is my first FLW structure that I've had the pleasure of touring. I didn't know what to expect when I signed up: Would it just be me and the tour guide? Surely, there aren't that many people who want to see a house in the middle of a weekday. I was wrong! Our group was at least a dozen people, all enthusiastic about learning more about this special house and Frank Lloyd Wright's plans behind it. Our tour guide was excellent, and gave us so much information about the house, the previous owners, the reason why it was created and Wright's vision for the house. I love when people do things with intention and attention to detail, and that's what's going on here with Samara. No detail of the house is by accident: Everything was carefully planned out. You can tell that Samara is a house that was purposefully made. Photos are welcome on this tour, which is good because I wanted to take photos of everything. You are not allowed in the spaces by yourself, and you have to stay with the group. The tour guide and a couple of helpers lead you through the house and explain all of the features. The tour starts right on time, and is about an hour and a half. But that 90 minutes flies by!

We had a great 90+ min narrated tour. So many stories about the family, the house, and the overall…read moreproperty. Nathan the tour guide/ docent was great and had history and anecdotes for anything our tour asked of him. I came in with limited knowledge on FLW, and came away with a much better appreciation.

Wow the food here was delicous. I got a cheeseburgerurgercheeseburg and frieseyesies. With the…read morehouse made battery acid eyedrops.

Unless you are a skilled hiker, I recommend going to this beautiful nature preserve when the…read moreweather has been dry. There is about 90 feet of elevation change on the 0.8 mile loop that can be a bit slippery if you pick a time when mud/rain can be a problem. I only explored the north end trail during my visit. After parking in a shaded lot, I went into the park where I had a choice of left or right. The right side has a steeper descent than the left. Fortunately, there is a hand rail for stability. I figured it easier to go down the steep side than up, so I stayed on the right hand path. There is a fairly level area before you reach the "stairs". The stairs are mostly natural, so they aren't evenly spaced. Just keep focused and you should be alright. Once the trail reaches the bottom of the gorge, there are places where elevated paths keep your feet from trekking through the mud. Depending upon how much rain has fallen, you may get some mud, but my feet stayed dry the entire loop. At the base, there are deep ravines where the trees catch the sunlight and light up in brilliant yellow greens. The rocks are layered and take on a rusty color that can make for some great photos. The highlight of the loop is finding the "arch" through the ridge of rock. It was just a bit taller than my head (I would say most folks won't need to duck going through.) After that, you will start working your way back. Although I traveled the same distance up, it was gradual and not nearly as challenging as climbing steps. I didn't see much wildlife there, but there were squirrels and butterflies that showed themselves. I like a short hike that features a destination and great scenes along the way. If you like that too, then seek out this park. Review #2840

Great trail among beautiful landforms. It's a nice hike that makes for a good day trip along with…read moreWilliamsport Falls, Attica, and the courthouse murals on Covington.

Always sign up for all the library cards you can do they get more funding! Education is the path to…read morethe future! This Klondike branch is annoying requiring a separate account from downtown but offers a great location and easy access with lots of parking, fantastic staff offering assorted learning activities for kids, newer building all open and bright design, one of the best places in the area for relaxing and getting into that good book.

This is such a great little library! I come here for the quiet/cozy setting and for some of the…read moredatabases they offer. This is a great space for me to get some writing done and the staff are great.

Very COVID aware, always makes sure customers are spaced appropriately and counters/stations are…read morecleaned after each person. The line looks longer than it actually is. I went during my lunch hour and it took about 30 minutes to get from the end of the line to when someone called the number I took, which is pretty decent for the BMV during lunch rush, in my opinion. Make sure you bring everything required for whatever you're doing, that seemed to be the source of many customers' attitudes and frustration. Staff were professional.

Amazing. After living in the Lafayette area for more than a decade and dealing with the typical…read morepoor service at the Lafayette branch, I decided to try my luck at the West Lafayette office. Oh. My. Gosh. I walked in early on a Friday morning, waited about 30 seconds to be called by the most professional BMV employee I have ever met (and I've lived in six states). She was helpful, thorough and competent as she renewed my drivers license. I will go back to this branch every single time I need to have something done. Excellent customer service.

Brookston's water just won an award for being the best tasting in the whole state of Indiana!…read moreBrookston's electric utility is consistently the best price of any of the neighboring communities. They do a great job delivering our utilities going for us with professionalism and caring.

Outside of the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering on the Purdue University campus is the…read moreEngineering Fountain. This has become an icon, not only of the university but also of West Lafayette, Indiana. It is made up of several structures surrounding a central stream of water. During the non-winter months this fountain is alive drawing the campus towards it. In the winter you can walk right through it when traversing from building to building. Right in the middle of many buildings, the Engineering Fountain is a must-see.

On the north end of the Purdue central campus is a plaza that has become a landmark of the West…read moreLafayette area. The Engineering Fountain is a plaza that is circular in design with an water installation in the center. The installation called "Class of 1939 Water Sculpture" was installed 50 years later by Robert Youngman in 1989. This concrete structure has four axis pieces reaching 38 feet in height. In the center is a geyser of water shooting 588 gallons per minute. For safety (some students had tried running through the fountain), a cylinder surrounds the upward water jet so students can still get wet from the falling water, but not take a direct blast from the jets. The water feeds back into the reservoir underneath and is recycled. To the perimeter of the plaza, landscaped lawns with flower beds add color to the area. Trees offer shade along the brick path that encircles the park. Elevated plantings complete the circular pattern while allowing sidewalks to pass through. Although I have not seen it at night, there are 280 colored lights directed at the fountain to add a dynamic visual to the park. Review #1130