Hidden Gem in the heart of the big city of Nappanee. Dodge the horse crap as you cross the street…read moreand come enjoy some affordable family fun. 5 bucks to get in to a new movie... FIVE FRICKIN' BUCKS!!! You can find that under the seat of your Honda for cryin' out loud. This place is a historical landmark, so don't come in here with you millennial crap attitude expecting a reclining seat that massages your nappy scalp, or gluten free goat-buttered hempcorn, because this isn't that kind of place. If that's what you are in to then go pay 20 bucks for a ticket and 15 for pop and corn somewhere else. This place is nostalgic, they have fantastic affordable snacks with free popcorn refills. The sodas are cheap and they make a Green River that will make you thirsty for more. One thing to keep in mind is they do not have ADA restrooms, and you have to navigate stairs to the basement to go potty. Go easy on that Green River.

The Times Theatre is beautifully restored with amazing art work that shows the history of the area…read more The show's I've attended have all been fantastic! I highly recommend attending a concert there!

Rochester, Indiana's Times Cinema, now more often known as The Times Theater, was originally built…read morein 1923 and opened as a movie house known as the Char-Bell. It was built on the site of a former auto dealership with some of its bricks coming from a nearby demolished college. It started as a cinema for silent films, became a two-screen cinema, and throughout its history functioned in a variety of ways for the Rochester/Fulton County community including hosting of live events, movies, performances, and in many other capacities. It closed in 2014, however,by 2016 a movement began to re-open it as a sort of community hub. While there's still much restoration to go, thus the 4-star instead of the 5-star, this is my favorite kind of movie house space and it's even more delightful that The Native Nook is right next to it. In some ways, the space reminds me a lot of Indy's Emerson Theater, though I give a slight nod to the Times Theater in terms of the way it is being used and its overall potential. The Char-Bell name came from its original owners - Charles and Belle Krieghbaum. It was originally a 780-seat theater. In 1942, it came under new ownership and the name was changed to The Times Cinema. The cinema actually closed in 1973, however, it re-opened a year later with owners and in 1979 the cinema was split into two screens. In 1985, a fire damaged the cinema and it closed briefly. However, it was repaired and re-opened. It closed on January 1, 2014 due to the inability of the owners to afford the cost of switching to digital projection. Just today, the Times Theater is hosting a fundraiser as they continue to work on renovation and restoration. Currently billing itself as a "community and entertainment center," The Times Theater uses its marquee often for special events and community announcements. These days, it also is reminding me of Franklin's Artcraft Theatre. I've always loved spaces like The Times. Of course, it's kind of a fantasy to own an older theater one day. For now, I'll simply continue to support those who actually do. Here's to new life for The Times Theater in Rochester, Indiana!

How can you not love thie movie theater made out of someone's home. It only has ONE movie showing…read morebecause there is only one screen. You can buy your popcorn and drinks out front. The seats are a bit worn down but they are comfy and you'll enjoy yourself. Definitely the climax of entertainment in the town and enjoyable. Get there early to grab a seat!!

The entire Amish Acres area is beautiful! So much history nestled into this area. The Ted Barn…read moreTheatre is the crowning jewel of area. It is a beautifully built theatre with great seating and acoustics. The entire theatre was originally located a few miles away and disassembled, each piece numbered, and reassembled on this site. The performers were amazing, we attend "Clue" and loved every minute of it. It is worth the trip to experience this area of Amish country.

Amazing is all I have to say! My family went to go see When Calls the Heart under the new…read moremanagement and it was truly AMAZING! The cast was professional and so talented! If you haven't gone now is the time!

Excellent food and staff! I would return again. A great meal and ambience. I would recommend.read more

Wow-what a change and not for the better…read more Definitely downhill from the previous owners. Received tickets for a performance in the Round Barn Theatre and the buffet was an included. The buffet was a joke. Food was bland, over cooked and luke warm at best. Not much of a selection either: mashed potatoes-NO GRAVY!, green beans, Mac & Cheese, Pasta Alfredo, pulled pork and fried chicken. A side salad and roll was brought to the table. Salad was OK the rolls were hard. To be fair the pulled pork was the highlight of the meal. The chicken was so dry and over cooked; even the two adjacent tables we could hear them complain to the staff. Oh and dessert-not included. You'd think for $35+ dessert would be included Our waitress was apologetic but nothing she could do to make the situation better. She did comment how business was slow and I can see why. Definitely will not return to eat but would visit the RBT again as the play was the highlight of the evening.

A very nice, pretty small museum. Bell grew up in Mentone, and when he died, he donated his…read morememorabilia there. Photographs, models, etc. It doesn't really cover the whole history of Bell Helicopters, just from his birth to his death. They do have a Huey, and two Bell 47s, one of which is restored as his personal helicopter, very plush and shiny. They are only open on Sundays, but the rest of the time you can call and make an appointment for a tour. I had seen the sign from the highway many times, I never had a chance to stop in, but this time I did, so I did. Things are nicely arranged. The staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. There's a short movie about his life, and then you can walk around and look at the displays. There's a small gift shop. The local history museum is attached, and the Bell museum used to be in that building. There's also a memorial marker to him around the corner. We'll worth checking out if you are into aviation history and are anywhere nearby.

My Tenderness Tour events have long taken me around the state of Indiana and, at times, even around…read morethe country. As a grassroots activist and writer/speaker, I tend to come in contact with a lot of other people who are using creativity to make the world a better place. It was during one of my trips that I ended up in the Rochester, Indiana area and ended up receiving press coverage from Shelby Lopez, a photographer who was doing work for the local newspaper. Most of my road connections end up being just that - road connections. However, I had a great experience in Rochester and nearby Peru and Shelby is a connection I've maintained. She and her friends ended up coming down to Indy for my final Tenderness Tour in 2019. When they started a project called Digital Wolf Network, I was supportive and would end up being featured in their magazine and I've even written one essay for their magazine. The Native Nook is located on Main Street in Rochester. It's a creative hub for all things Digital Wolf and is also a local art gallery that carries local, regional, and national artists who are likeminded. Essentially, it's membership-based gallery of artists who are using creativity to make the world a better place. Located right next to the Times Theater (amazing building), The Native Nook is an evening and weekend gallery. This means, it's only open evenings and weekends and does have some fluctuation. If you show up during the day, you'll most likely be disappointed unless there's some sort of special event in which The Native Nook is participating. The Native Nook hosts art, of course, along with special events, You can also rent the space and they periodically offer artist exhibits, book signings, and other appearances. The Native Nook celebrates diversity with an amazing and awesome array of different folks. Young artists are also celebrated here and empowered. Memberships for artists are surprisingly affordable, though great care is taken to ensure artists tend to be consistent with the spirit of The Native Nook. I think I'd describe that spirit as somewhere between openly progressive and intensely familial. The folks involved can be very different in some ways, yet there's such a strong creative common bond that it feels like there's a true familial devotion to one another - while I'm not from Rochester and don't get there often, I've experienced that devotion when they show up and are truly involved in my events. The Native Nook offers a glimpse inside Digital Wolf magazine, hosting space for podcasts, and hosts art from all mediums including paint, sculpture, and others. They do sell books, as well, and I'm hoping they'll include my upcoming book. I find the prices to be a wide range - there's definitely something for everyone. They've also recently added a website showing a good amount of their art work that you can also purchase online and truly be supporting a local art gallery and local artists. I'm definitely a huge fan of this warm, creative space and the people who run it. If you're in Rochester, I'd definitely check it out. If you're not in Rochester, I'd check out some local art work on their website. You can also get copies of their magazines and listen to the "On the Burner" podcast. It's awesome. Generally, accessibility is solid throughout. The entryway is accessible and the gallery itself is situated in such a way that it's easy to get around. However, if a bit of assistance is needed there's no doubt this crew will do what they can!

This is such a nice local museum. Their staff is friendly, their exhibits well-maintained, and…read moretheir property is beautiful and right in the heart of downtown Columbia City. My favorite thing about the museum is that they sell local postcards at very reasonable prices - the only place in town that sells them!! Definitely worth a stop if you're in town.