Overview
Hammond is a Chicagoland city of some 76,000 people (2019) in Lake County, Indiana—bordering Chicago's Far Southeast Side. Most visitors will find themselves passing through or on business, but Chicagoans would do well to include it in a close-in Lake County day trip, if for no other reason than to get some good food, perhaps stock up on fireworks, and realize that Chicagoland doesn't stop at the state line!
4 things to do · 4 places to eat · 2 bars & cafés · 6 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Hammond
Hammond Lakefront Park and Bird Sanctuary
Beautiful Lake Michigan beach access and woodland walking trail. Great for observing birds. Plenty of people swim here, and there are lifeguards in the summer. You can gaze out across the lake and see the Chicago skyline…
Wolf Lake Boardwalk
For an interesting juxtaposition, try this boardwalk weaving through a tapestry of nature and industry as it courses through the Wolf Lake basin and articulates with several other trails.
Horseshoe Hammond
Gaming entertainment.
The Venue at Horseshoe Hammond
This performance hall has hosted national and international comedians, singers, musicians, etcetera. You must be 21 since it is in the casino.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 85°F; winter lows dip to about 20°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: May and Jun. (climate data from nearby Chicago)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- GYY Gary/Chicago International Airport, Gary — 4 mi away. Directions
- MDW Chicago Midway International Airport, Chicago — 18 mi away (major hub). Directions
The big highways cutting east west across the city are I-90 and I-94/I-80, both of which head east towards Gary and I-65 towards Indianapolis, and west towards Chicago and its south suburbs. The biggest north south streets are Calumet Ave (US-41) and Indianapolis Blvd (IN-152). Both lead into the city coming from Chicago in the north, and are a far more interesting drive than the big highways.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Hammond Lakefront Park and Bird Sanctuary, Horseshoe Hammond
- Lunch Cavalier Inn
- Afternoon Wolf Lake Boardwalk, The Venue at Horseshoe Hammond
- Dinner Madvek's Dog House
- Evening Billy Bear's Bar & Grill
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
It may come as a surprise to other Hoosiers that Hammond is the state's sixth largest city. Its history and culture, as with nearly all of Indiana's Lake Michigan coast, is inextricably linked to a big blue-collar industrial workforce. While the industrial economy is not what it once was, Hammond is still in decent shape, with a big new casino drawing in visitors from the Chicagoland area.
Get in
By car
The big highways cutting east west across the city are I-90 and I-94/I-80, both of which head east towards Gary and I-65 towards Indianapolis, and west towards Chicago and its south suburbs. The biggest north south streets are Calumet Ave (US-41) and Indianapolis Blvd (IN-152). Both lead into the city coming from Chicago in the north, and are a far more interesting drive than the big highways.
By train
The South Shore Line, which stretches from Chicago's East Loop to Indiana's South Bend, has one stop at Hammond station, located at 4531 Hohman Avenue, and another literally on the East Chicago/south Hammond border. Tickets are $4.75 per way. Amtrak offers a limited service on its Wolverine route between Chicago and Pontiac via Detroit. These trains calls at Hammond-Whiting station, located in the Robertsdale neighborhood of north Hammond at 1135 North Calumet Ave.
By plane
The closest airport is certainly Gary/Chicago International Airport GYY, but there are a lot more flights coming into Chicago Midway MDW, which is about a 30 minute drive without heavy traffic.
Do
Do Wolf Lake Boardwalk
For an interesting juxtaposition, try this boardwalk weaving through a tapestry of nature and industry as it courses through the Wolf Lake basin and articulates with several other trails.
Buy
Hammond and the rest of the cities immediately bordering Chicago across the state line are well known among Chicagoans for fireworks and far cheaper cigarettes. Indeed, here you'll find big box stores selling cases of either—the easiest to reach being on Calumet Ave just north of I-94/I-80.
Eat
Eat Cavalier Inn
Cavalier Inn serves many good Polish dishes, and many good burgers and roasts too. The bar has Polish beers and liquors. The inside is very pretty and there is a lot of parking adjacent. The restaurant is a pleasant, two-block walk from the Hammond South Shore Line train station, for those who want to take a day trip from downtown Chicago.
Eat Madvek's Dog House
Best known for serving great hot dogs, 50-year-old Madvek's also makes a hard-to-find "loose meat hamburger," where the hamburger meat is sauteed with onions and butter, and served loose in the bun, somewhat like a sloppy joe. It's an unassuming-looking place, but you'll be glad you stepped inside.
Eat Schoop's Hamburgers
A Northwestern Indiana chainlet, Schoops has pretty great handmade burgers in another rare style you probably haven't seen before. The patty is thin, crisp, crunchy—almost sort of caramelized!.
Eat Taco Real
Probably the restaurant to go to for Mexican in the region, this place has great chicken in mole, pork tacos, and queso fundido. It is a little on the pricey side, though—for Mexican in Northwest Indiana! Very surprisingly, they have good micro-brews on tap at the full bar.
Drink
Drink Billy Bear's Bar & Grill
Billy Bear's is also a good place to drink draft beer. They have Old Style and MGD, and a small pitcher is only about $3.00. There is also a pool table, and dart board, and jukebox that plays mostly Classic Rock. Decor is Harley motorcycles and bikers. Sometimes they close early so be sure to call ahead.
Drink Flat Rock Tap
The Flat Rock Tap has a wider variety of beers on tap, although they charge much more per glass. They have fancy local beers like those from the Three Floyds Brewery, but also have European beers on tap and bottled. There is usually live music on Thursday nights.
Sleep
The following hotels are located along Interstate 90, the Indiana Toll Road:
The following hotels are located along Interstates 80/94, the Borman Expressway:
Go next
Chicago is the obvious nearby destination, but if you are up for staying far off the beaten path, exploring Lake County a bit can be quite rewarding. Check out the historic planned industrial-utopian community of Marktown, Meyer's Castle in Dyer, the confounding ruins of Gary, or even the far-off-the-beaten-path parts of Chicago just west, in the city's Far Southeast Side.
Nearby
East Chicago
City / town · 4 listings · 2 mi away
Munster
City / town · 13 listings · 4 mi away
Lansing
City / town · 4 mi away
Gary
City / town · 17 listings · 8 mi away
Dyer
City / town · 3 listings · 8 mi away
Harvey
City / town · 2 listings · 8 mi away
Schererville
City / town · 1 listings · 9 mi away
Blue Island
City / town · 1 listings · 10 mi away
My experience
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