Bloomington has a lot to offer, from the many restaurants to its awesome parks, there is something for everyone. With all these options, it’s hard to choose how to spend just one day in Bloomington. But if I had to narrow it down, here is how I would spend a single day in Bloomington.
First on the agenda is breakfast.
There are a few good breakfast spots in Bloomington, like the Lincoln Square Pancake House or The Runcible Spoon. But what I would pick if I had a busy day ahead of me is Bloomington Bagel Company, specifically the one at 113 N. Dunn St. It’s close to Sample Gates, an iconic part of the IU Bloomington campus, which is the gateway to one of the most beautiful and oldest sections of campus.
After breakfast and a walk around this section of campus, it’s a good time to get a coffee.
There are a few popular coffee shops in Bloomington, like Soma or Inkwell, but my favorite is Hopscotch because of their many options of syrup flavors. There are two locations, one at 212 N. Madison St. and one at 235 W, Dodds St, which I prefer because it has more seating.
After seeing a bit of campus and downtown, getting a glimpse of the nature of Bloomington is the way to go. So put on your hiking shoes and head up to Griffy Lake. Once you get there, you can take in the view of the lake and start on the North Shore Trail, which sits at about 3.3 miles long and is along the lake.
After seeing a glimpse of nature, head back to town and take a stroll down Kirkwood Avenue, another iconic Bloomington location. On Kirkwood Avenue you can shop at one of the many stores that sell IU merch. There are also plenty of restaurant options for lunch, like Nicks English Hut, one of the oldest restaurants in Bloomington.
While Bloomington has plenty of restaurant options for lunch, another option that I love is having a picnic. Cascades Park has a lot to offer and is a great place for a picnic. I would set up in or near the waterfall shelter in the Lower Cascades and then take the short boardwalk trail to the waterfall.
For entertainment, Bloomington has plenty to offer.
If you are lucky, there will be something going on at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, which is a great place to see movies and other performances. But even if there isn’t something at the theater, there is usually something going on in town. To find out about town events, the visit Bloomington website is a helpful place to look.
Finally, all you need is dinner to round out your day in Bloomington. The Kirkwood Avenue and town square area is a great place to find all kinds of restaurants. My favorite is Osteria Rago, an Italian restaurant that has delicious pizza and pasta, my favorite is their cacio e pepe, but Bloomington offers all kinds of cuisines for whatever you’re looking for.
While these are just a few options for how you could spend a day in Bloomington, there is still plenty more to do. So, no matter what you choose, it’s easy to make a day in Bloomington your own.
This story was originally published in the Indiana Daily Student's Fall/Winter 2026 Source Campus Visitor’s Guide.
