Stained Glass, Studebakers, a Basilica, and more
Thursday, June 5, 2025
Join us for a Summer Pilgrimage to an array of captivating, historic sites in South Bend and Kokomo. Several of the distinctive sites are nationally renowned, including the oldest producer of stained-glass in the country and the tallest university chapel in the country, both built in the 1800s. In South Bend, the Studebaker National Museum has the country’s largest collection of U.S. presidential carriages. Author and historian Nelson Price, our pilgrimage chairman, will provide commentary on the motor coach en route to the sites.
- Tour the historic factory of Kokomo Opalescent Glass, the country’s oldest producer of hand-cast art glass, including stained-glass. Founded in 1888, Opalescent Glass distributes sheet glass internationally and is known for its hundreds of color recipes and combinations, as well as various textures and densities. Its tours are enormously popular.
- Enjoy a box lunch en route to South Bend.
- Visit the stunning Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the University of Notre Dame campus, a Neo Gothic-style church built in the 1870s with 44 stained-glass windows, vaulted ceilings and a bell tower that, at 230 feet high, makes it the tallest university chapel in the country. A parishioner will be available to answer questions about the Basilica, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and a major tourist attraction in northern Indiana.
- Enjoy a guided tour of the elegant Oliver Mansion, a Queen Anne Romanesque house built in the 1890s for leading industrialist J.D. Oliver and his family. J.D. Oliver, the president of Oliver Chilled Plow Works (his father invented the chilled plow), called the 38-room mansion “Copshahlom”, the ancient name for the Scottish village of his ancestors. The mansion is a house museum with special exhibits. At The History Museum complex in South Bend, enjoy self-guided tours of three adjacent sites:
- The Studebaker National Museum, which has vehicles ranging from Conestoga wagons used by pioneers to sleds, military vehicles and the world’s largest collection of U.S. presidential carriages, including the carriage that took President and Mrs. Abraham Lincoln to Ford’s Theatre on that tragic night in 1865. The three-level Studebaker National Museum has a vast collection of an array of automobiles made by Studebaker, the largest employer in South Bend from the early 1900s through the early 1960s.
- The Northern Indiana Center for History, a museum that explores the region’s heritage beginning before the arrival of the first settlers of European heritage and fur traders. Exhibits describe the industrialization of South Bend, the founding of neighboring towns and lost landmarks of the region.
- The All American Girls Professional Baseball League exhibits and collections. The league of women who were pioneers in baseball during World War II – and the focus of the hit movie “A League of Their Own” (1992) filmed in Indiana – featured a team from South Bend as one of four initial cities to field teams. The History Museum has become the repository for artifacts, photos and other memorabilia associated with the league, which lasted 12 years.
- Savor dinner at Tippecanoe Place, an upscale restaurant located in the historic mansion of Clement Studebaker, one of five brothers who made a fortune with a wagon-making business in the 19th century that eventually manufactured automobiles. Built in the 1880s, Tippecanoe Place is a four-story mansion listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Dinner guests are welcome to briefly explore the spacious mansion.
Price per person is $198, and includes transportation, lunch, dinner, and admissions. Not included is a recommended gratuity to the driver of $3.00.
Deadline for reservations is April 16, 2025. After that, reservations will open to the public.
Guests are welcome; number may be limited. Minimum travelers: 30; maximum: 50
To reserve your spot, download and complete the reservation form here and mail it to:
Thomson Travel
5764 East Fall Creek Parkway, N. Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46226
For answers to questions, contact Sue Thomson at 317-908-9602 or thomsontravel@gmail.com.
