Krider World's Fair Garden

 Since we have not taken a vacation away from home since last January/February, my husband decided we should drive to Middlebury, Indiana and eat lunch at Das Essenhaus restaurant. We found the food rather mediocre for the price charged. The best thing to eat there is a piece of pie. We probably won't go for lunch again, but we would stop by for a piece of pie. It is very busy during the lunch time, however. 

Not far from Das Dutchman Essenhaus is the Krider World's Fair Garden. This is now part of the Middlebury park system. Running along-side the park is the Pumpkinvine Trail, a biking and hiking paved trail that combined with two other connected trails runs from Shipshewana to Goshen (about 25 miles). Besides Krider there are several parks with restrooms and parking so you do not have to do the whole trail, but you can select segments.

Krider World's Fair Garden has an interesting history. Krider Nurseries set up a display at the 1934 Chicago World's Fair. This display was an actual garden where people could rest and enjoy the outdoors. The nursery had a guestbook to sign. About 250,000 names and addresses were recorded. Krider used this list to mail out catalogs of its plant offerings. The company became one of the biggest mail-order nurseries in the United States.

The current park is in the location of the nursery (which shut down in 1990). The park fell into disuse, but it was restored as a city park in 1995. Part of the restoration was to include replicas of features that were used in Chicago in 1934. I believe some of these 1934 features were part of the Middlebury park across the street from the nursery when Mr. Krider first established the park. A brochure will help you see the layout of the garden and its features.

This detail of the Gather sculpture interested me because the tail is made of screws.

This sculpture was added in 2022.

The garden is peaceful and shady; there was a family picnicking and a few people ambling through or sitting and enjoying the outstanding day we had yesterday.

A replica of the waterwheel in Chicago keeps the water circulating down a waterfall and into a lily pond.

A fountain constructed in 1935 still works.

Across the street is the Middlebury Historical Museum (blue awning) which we did not visit.

I was surprised to see this container of succulents. Certainly not winter-hardy.

Other artwork included Hebe (the goddess of Youth), an insect, and a Stewart Johnson figure because it turns out Krider garden has a quilt garden.

I was disappointed in the quilt garden. It is the worst one we have seen this summer. Title: Fireworks

Near the parking lot was a windmill that replicates what was used in Chicago.

I didn't get a good shot because to photograph the front meant facing directly into the sun.

We saw lots of Amish buggies, one Amish wagon, several Amish on bicycles, and one farm implement being hauled by a team of horses on a city road (supposedly to a field?). Driving lots of country roads was a slower pace, but we were not in a hurry. Next time we want to enjoy a shady park and a delicious piece of pie we will know where to go in Middlebury.