Fort Wayne Travel and Things to Do Guide

Located in the heart of the Midwest, Fort Wayne, Indiana’s second-largest city, boasts a convenient central location. Once here, groups can enjoy the visitor-friendly downtown skywalk system linking many Fort Wayne event venues to each other. A three-time All-America City with more than 60 hotels, two sizeable convention centers, and 500 restaurants, Fort Wayne has amenities that rival any big-city neighbor's – all in an affordable, friendly package.
Thanks to the Fort Wayne International Airport – guests can take advantage of 12 non-stop flights to Chicago, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Myrtle Beach, Orlando, Phoenix/Mesa, Tampa/St. Petersburg, and Fort Myers. Downtown hotels offer free shuttles from the airport, too.
Chief among Fort Wayne convention venues is the Grand Wayne Convention Center. With 225,000 square feet of total space, it has a wide range of spaces to accommodate any type of configuration. The convention hall has nearly 50,000 square feet of space and is divisible into thirds or halves. The Anthony Wayne ballroom spans almost 10,000 square feet, and eight meeting rooms have about 10,000 space total, seating 70 to 320 people. The center's second floor has an additional ballroom, offering room for up to 350 banquet guests or 660 guests theater-style. The city's second convention facility, the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, has more than 1 million sq. ft. of meeting space, 5,000 parking spaces and 15 event spaces. Host to some of the largest trade shows in the region, the coliseum's expo center space spans more than 108,000 square feet and is divisible into four spaces. The 13,000-seat arena is perfect for large seminars and presentations, and the Appleseed Ballroom can seat an impressive 240 banquet guests. The coliseum also has several meeting rooms, lobby space and a recently renovated rooftop lounge. In 2016, the Memorial Coliseum added a 27,000-square foot, multi-purpose conference center, featuring five separate spaces with portable walls, a state-of-the-art culinary kitchen, a new entrance, and pre-function lobby space.
Hotel venues in Fort Wayne include the 246-room Hilton Fort Wayne, which is attached to the Grand Wayne; the 249-room Courtyard Downtown at Grand Wayne, which has 6,000 square feet of space; the 222-room Hotel Fort Wayne, with 18,000 square feet of space; the 130-room Don Hall's Guesthouse & Conference Center, with 6,000 square feet of space, and the 161-room Holiday Inn at IPFW and the Memorial Coliseum with 6,000 square feet of space.
After a day on the trade show floor, groups will have no trouble finding a place to regroup and relax amongst Fort Wayne's alternative venues. Located in the historic City Light and Power building, Science Central can spark creativity for up to 500 people with its interactive exhibits. Parkview Field, named the 2015 "Best Minor League Baseball Experience" by Stadium Journey magazine, has several event venues, including a conference room, lounge and even the field itself. Guests can explore Fort Wayne’s immense trails system by bike, canoe or kayak from Fort Wayne Outfitters, dine among antique automobiles at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, or sip cocktails next to contemporary sculpture at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, both of which offer private event space.