Michigan City

Michigan City is in Northwestern Indiana on the shore of Lake Michigan.

Get in

By train

• South Shore Line. The South Shore Line is an interurban commuter line running from Chicago to South Bend that serves much of northern Indiana and has two stations in Michigan City, 1 11th Street and 2 Caroll Avenue. The former is in the city's historic downtown. Its original station house is closed, so riders have to make do with a small passenger shelter at the tip of the adjacent parking lot. The later station is near Michigan City's southern border, in the railroad's depot and repair facilities. Late at night and early in the morning, South Shore Line trains only run between this station and South Bend. South Shore Line runs on a single track embedded in the middle of the street as it travels though Michigan City. When the train stops at 11th Street station, it literally stops in the middle of the street. The city designed special traffic lights that signal the cars not to travel on this section of the street when the train is picking up and dropping off passengers.
• Amtrak. In addition to South Shore Line, the city is served by Amtrak's Wolverine Service, which stops in Michigan City twice a day. Amtrak uses the tracks along the lake shore, north of downtown but close to Washington Park, the Old Lighthouse Museum and the beach. The 3 Michigan City station is at 100 Washington St and has a rudimentary passenger shelter.

By plane

The closest commercial airport is the South Bend International Airport (SBN ^IATA), which is in South Bend, Indiana.

• 4 Michigan City Municipal Airport (MGC  ^IATA). Allows private and charter flights, but it isn't used by any commercial airlines. 

Get around

The city is served by Michigan Transit, a municipal bus network that operates Mondays-Saturdays. The buses run once every hour. The network is made up of four one-directional routes that begin and end at Michigan City Public Library. Every route also stops at Marquette Mall at some point. Route 1 serves the city center, as well as the southern neighborhoods and the Washington Park area. Route 2 serves serves the center, southern and south-eastern neighborhoods. Route 3 passes though eastern and southern neighborhoods. Finally, Route 4 passes though the city's West Side before connecting to the southern neighborhoods.

See

The Indiana Dunes National Park begins on the western edge of Michigan City. The largest dune in the National Lakeshore, Mount Baldy, lies just inside the park. Access to the dune's summit (126 feet above Lake Michigan) is provided by a marked trail from the parking lot off the US-12.

Do

• The large Blue Chip Casino is on a docked riverboat in Michigan City.

Buy

Michigan City is home to Lighthouse Place shopping mall, an outdoor mall best known for a variety of high-end jewelry stores. The Franklin Street Art District in the city's North End section contains several art galleries.

Eat

• 1 Hokkaido Sushi Restaurant, 725 Franklin Street, ☏ +1 219 814-4226, hokkaidomc@yahoo.com. M–Th 11AM–3PM, 4:30PM–9PM; F 11AM–3PM, 4:30PM–10:30PM; Sa 11:30AM–10:30PM; Su noon–9PM. Delicious sushi restaurant with friendly staff. (updated Apr 2017)

Drink

• 1 Shoreline Brewery, 208 Wabash St, ☏ +1 219-879-4677. Brewpub near the harborfront, serves lunch and dinner. (updated Apr 2017)
• 2 Three Sheets Bar and Grill, 227 W Barker Ave, ☏ +1 219-878-9872. 7AM-3AM. Excellent real small town tavern. Karaoke on some nights. Bands on Saturday nights. Daily dinner specials. Best cheeseburger in town. A must see Michigan City attraction. (updated Apr 2017)

Sleep

• 1 Blue Chip Casino, 777 Blue Chip Drive, ☏ +1 219 879-7711.  

Go next

• Indiana Dunes National Park – beaches, dunes, and a variety of plants and animals on the shores of Lake Michigan

Routes through Michigan City

Chicago ← Hammond ←	W  E	→ New Buffalo → Battle Creek
Elgin ←	W  E	→ Sandusky
Beverly Shores ←	W  E	→ Granger
Chicago ←	W  E	→ Michiana
Chicago ←	W  E	→ South Bend
END ←	N  S	→ Wanatah
Chicago ← Porter ←	NW  SE	→ South Bend → END