Rum Village Park

Rum Village Park 160 acres of rolling woodlands, home to our Nature Center, playground, dog park & disc golf course! Come out and visit us :)

There's so much to do at Rum Village Park! DOG PARK
There’s a new dog park in town! The Rum Village Dog Park offers an area for small dogs, large dogs, community area available for rental, pavilion and more. Tucked away in the beautiful wooded Rum Village Park, you’ll feel like you aren’t even in the city. Rum Village is home to diverse wildlife. Over a hundred species of birds have been seen at R

um Village, including nesting owls, woodpeckers, and warblers. Foxes, deer, reptiles and amphibians can also be found in Rum Village. NATURE CENTER
Nature-lovers, families, and students will enjoy exploring Rum Village Nature Center, FREE! DISC GOLF
Come out to Rum Village for a game of disc golf! The view from the hills of Rum Village makes this 18 hole course a great place to play- and its FREE! Well-groomed park with a very old trees and elevation. Begins with birdie-able holes – the back 9 tests accuracy. MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS
There are now over five miles of trails at the Rum Village Annex, which is located on the west side of Gertrude Street, south of the entrance to Rum Village Park. There are beginner, intermediate and advanced trails to suit the skills of various riders. HIKING TRAILS
The 160 acres of natural woodland is a designated nature area. Three miles of trails wind through this habitat. Many native trees and a wide selection of flowering and herbaceous plants may be found here. It is a remnant of the land that once was, a source of food and shelter for a variety of wildlife and a haven for renewal of the human spirit. EDGE ADVENTURE
This treetop adventure trail ranges 16-60 feet in the air. Participants choose their own self-guided course an engage in a combination of obstacles and zip lines.

"After a year long process which included community engagement and stakeholder meetings, the City of South Bend and Venu...
06/07/2026

"After a year long process which included community engagement and stakeholder meetings, the City of South Bend and Venues Parks & Arts would like to invite you to an open house on Wednesday, June 10th from 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the TRC (1165 Franklin St #100, South Bend, IN 46601) to share the final draft of the Master Plan for Rum Village. Site Design Group used the feedback shared by the community through multiple input sessions to put together this master plan, which will be used as guide for future projects in Rum Village Park."

06/05/2026

This mother deer came by the nature center after hours for a quick drink and a snack, but she didn’t come alone. She had two baby deer, or fawns, with her! These are the first fawns we’ve seen this season (though we have heard them)!
[Video Description]

This video shows three deer in the backyard of Rum Village Nature Center at night. It is in black and white. There are bird feeders and a water dish in front of the nature center building. An adult deer is grooming one of her babies. The baby turns to the right side of the video, and the mom sniffs the water dish again and then turns to follow her baby. While mom is turning, the second fawn tries to get some milk. It then jumps around before following mom and its sibling. At the bottom of the video is a semi-transparent grey bar with white text reading, “06/04/2026. 01:51:01 AM.” There is no audio.

When younger visitors to the nature center see the many chipmunks outside, they often say that the little rodents are ba...
06/04/2026

When younger visitors to the nature center see the many chipmunks outside, they often say that the little rodents are babies, only to be surprised when we say that the chipmunks they see are all grown up!

Chipmunks don’t get very big. They usually grow to be about 8 to 10 inches long including their tails, and weigh about 2.3 to 5.3 ounces. For reference, two AA batteries are about 2 ounces, and a baseball can weigh between 5 to 5.25 ounces.
[Image Descriptions]

Picture 1 shows a chipmunk at the base of a metal pole. There are fallen bird seeds and shells on the ground around it. There is green grass in the top right and at the bottom of the picture. The chipmunk is brown with cream colored fur around its eye, under its body, and a stripe on its back. There are also dark brown stripes on its back. The chipmunk is facing the right side of the picture.

Picture 2 shows a chipmunk in the grass in front of a pond. The chipmunk is turned slightly away from the viewer and is facing the left. It is holding something in its forepaws. The chipmunk is brown with cream colored fur around its eye, under its body, and a stripe on its back. There are also dark brown stripes on its back. There is a blurry bee flying by the pond.

This toad was wonderfully camouflaged among the rocks outside the nature center! While touching a toad won’t give you wa...
06/01/2026

This toad was wonderfully camouflaged among the rocks outside the nature center! While touching a toad won’t give you warts, they can irritate our skin. Toads secrete toxins from those bumpy “warts” on their bodies as a defense against predators!

Our skin can also cause problems for toads! Toads do not drink water; instead, they absorb water through their skin. The natural oils from our hands can clog a toad’s pores and prevent them from absorbing water.
[Image Description]

This picture shows a toad sitting on the ground. There are many small garden rocks and some dead pine needles surrounding the toad.

This white-tailed deer was seen browsing for food in the woods by the nature center! Many does (female deer) in our area...
05/30/2026

This white-tailed deer was seen browsing for food in the woods by the nature center! Many does (female deer) in our area have given birth already, but we won’t see their fawns following them for a while. Baby deer are not able to keep up with their moms at first, so they will stay hidden for most of the day until mom returns.
[Image Descriptions]

Picture 1 shows a deer in the woods. Her head is turned towards the viewer and her ears are facing the viewer as well. There is a fallen tree in front of the deer. She is light brown with some white fur around her eyes and mouth.

Picture 2 shows the same deer from picture 1. She is closer to the road but still in the woods. Her head is turned towards the road. More of her body is visible, including her dark brown tail with white fur underneath. Sunlight is shining through her right ear.

The tulip trees at Rum Village Park are in bloom! With many of our tulip trees being at least 100 ft tall, it can be har...
05/28/2026

The tulip trees at Rum Village Park are in bloom! With many of our tulip trees being at least 100 ft tall, it can be hard to see the flowers. Luckily for us, tulip tree flowers often fall on the ground where we can appreciate them!
[Image Description]

Picture shows a large cup-shaped flower on the ground. The flower has six pale greenish-yellow petals with an orange bar and yellow below that. In the center of the flower is a pointed tube shaped pistil surrounded by thin yellow stamens. There are three tulip tree leaves attached to the stem of the flower: two large folded leaves and one smaller leaf. There is a tree root below the flower. Small green plants and moss cover the ground around the flower and tree root.

We recently had the joy of welcoming Elm Road Eagles to Rum Village Nature Center for a field trip experience filled wit...
05/27/2026

We recently had the joy of welcoming Elm Road Eagles to Rum Village Nature Center for a field trip experience filled with exploration and curiosity!

During these field trips, each adventure begins inside our Nature Center, where students meet some of our resident live critters, including an Eastern Box Turtle and Fox Snake. These close-up encounters give children the opportunity to learn about local, native wildlife.

From there, students gather in our auditorium for a unique sensory experience, quietly listening to the sounds of nature through our microphone and speaker system. From birds chirping overhead to squirrels scurrying through the trees, it’s a peaceful reminder of how alive the forest truly is.

Of course, no visit to Rum Village is complete without a hike through the woods! Along the trails, students discover the forest ecosystem firsthand, learning how fallen and decaying trees eventually nourish the growth of new life in the forest.

While the school year may be coming to an end, Rum Village is still the perfect place to explore this summer. Whether you’re looking for a peaceful hike, connect with nature, or to play disc golf, we invite you to come experience all that Rum Village has to offer.

We hope to see you on the trails soon!
[Image Descriptions]

Picture 1 shows three children looking at a wall of glass tanks. There are two rows of three tanks, but only the first two tanks in each row are visible. The tanks are framed by brown windowsills. Small signs and descriptions are on the walls and tanks.

Picture 2 shows three children standing on a carpeted step looking at the glass tanks in the wall. The tanks are framed by brown windowsills. There are two rows of three tanks. Small signs and descriptions are on the walls and tanks.

Picture 3 shows a group of mostly children and three adults looking outside 4 large glass windows. The people are sitting on and next to a large gray carpet. The walls are light greenish white and the floor is fake brown wood. The ceiling is white. There is a hornet’s nest and tree branch hanging above the large windows. There are two large brown tables on either side of the room. Another smaller window can be seen on the left wall. Between the small window and the larger window is a glass case with a taxidermy barred owl inside.

Picture 4 shows a line of children looking at a small seasonal pond in the woods. The pond starts a few feet off of the trail that the children are on.

Picture 5 shows a line of people, mostly children, walking on a boardwalk in the forest. The boardwalk turns right at a right angle.

Picture 6 shows a cluster of American cancer root, or bear corn, on the forest floor. These plants resemble small yellow pinecones with white points. There are dead leaves and a few green leaves and sticks on the ground around the bear corn.

Picture 7 shows a line of children on a forested trail. The children are facing away from the camera and pointing into the woods. In front of the line of children there is a woman pointing at the same thing off camera that the children are pointing at.

We had lots of warblers visiting the nature center for Memorial Day Weekend! Warblers are a family of small birds that m...
05/26/2026

We had lots of warblers visiting the nature center for Memorial Day Weekend! Warblers are a family of small birds that migrate through or to our area. At least 30 species of warblers have been seen and/or heard at Rum Village Park!

The pictures below show 4 different species of warblers seen at the bird observation window this past weekend. The first two pictures are of magnolia warblers; the third and fourth pictures show Tennessee warblers; the fifth and sixth pictures are both blackburnian warblers; and the last two pictures show bay-breasted warblers!
[Image Descriptions]

Picture 1 shows a small bird (magnolia warbler) perched on a thin shrub branch. The bird has a grey back, wings, and head; a yellow throat, chest, and belly; a black “mask” around its eyes and white “eyebrows;” white bars on top of its wings; and black stripes on its chest and belly. The bird is looking towards the left side of the picture. Its head is tilted to its left. There are green leaves on the shrub, some of which have small reddish galls on them.

Picture 2 shows the same bird from picture 1 on a different branch. The bird has a grey back, wings, and head; a yellow throat, chest, and belly; a black “mask” around its eyes and white “eyebrows;” white bars on top of its wings; and black stripes on its chest and belly. The bird is looking towards the left side of the picture. Only 1 side of its face is visible. There are green leaves on the shrub, some of which have small reddish galls on them.

Picture 3 shows two small birds (Tennessee warblers) perched on thin shrub branches. One of them is on a branch almost directly above the other one. The birds blend in with their surroundings. They have whitish chests, throats, and bellies; gray heads with a white “eyebrow;” and greenish yellow wings. The shrub they’re on has many bright green pointed leaves, some of which have small red galls on them. There are some small clusters of yellow flowers on the shrub.

Picture 4 shows a close up of a Tennessee warbler perched on a thin shrub branch. It has a white chest, throat, and belly; a grey patch on the side of its chest; a gray head with a white “eyebrow;” and greenish-yellow wings. There are green leaves on the shrub that it’s on, some of which have small reddish galls on them, and some tiny yellow flowers.

Picture 5 shows a small bird (a blackburnian warbler) perched on a branch. It has a yellow head and throat with gray feathers on top of its head, a white belly with some dark streaking, and dark brown wings with white and black bars at the top. There are no visible leaves on the tree that the warbler is on. The background is green.

Picture 6 shows a blackburnian warbler standing on a rock. It has a yellow head and throat with gray feathers on top of its head and on its cheek, a white belly with some dark streaking, and dark brown wings with white and black bars at the top. It is looking towards the left side of the picture. Behind the rocks there is grass and a tree stump.

Picture 7 shows a small bird (a bay-breasted warbler) on a shrub. It has a white belly and throat, brown feathers on its chest and the top of its head, a gray back and head with a ring of white feathers around its eye, and dark wings with white and black bars. It is looking towards the right side of the picture.

Picture 8 shows another bay-breasted warbler on the same shrub as the other pictures. It has a whitish belly and throat, yellow feathers on the back of its neck and top of its head, a gray back and cheek feathers, and wings that are gray on top, followed by a white bar, a black bar, another white bar, and black feathers. It is facing the right side of the picture.

These two birds perched outside the bird observation window at the nature center are house finches! Male house finches h...
05/25/2026

These two birds perched outside the bird observation window at the nature center are house finches! Male house finches have bright red feathers to attract mates, while female house finches have brown feathers that let them blend in with their surroundings.

Aside from their colorful appearance, male house finches court females by feeding them! Even after the eggs have been laid, the new dads will stick around and keep feeding mom and their chicks.
[Image Descriptions]

Picture 1 shows two house finches perched on a black metal pole that is slanted towards the bottom of the picture. The first bird has bright red feathers on his head and chest and brown and white feathers on his wings and bottom. The second bird has brown feathers on her back, wings, and head. Her face is partially hidden by the pole.

Picture 2 shows the same two house finches from picture 1 on the same black metal pole. The female is looking at the viewer. The first bird has bright red feathers on his head and chest and brown and white feathers on his wings and bottom. The second bird has brown feathers on her back, wings, and head. Her face is partially hidden by the pole.

Address

2626 S Gertrude Street
South Bend, IN
46614

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:45pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Sunday 1pm - 5pm

Telephone

+15742359455

Website

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