Overview
Syracuse is a small city in Northern Indiana. At the northern shore of Lake Wawasee, Indiana's largest lake. Syracuse is also the nearest municipality for visitors and summer residents to Wawasee for grocery and drug stores, automobile repair, banking, and bars or taverns. The population is 2810 as of the 2010 census.
1 sights · 1 things to do · 8 places to eat
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Syracuse
Lake Wawasee
Black Pine Animal Park
Black Pine is an animal sanctuary that takes in rescued and retired animals. It's a simple, authentic sanctuary that is raw and real. Their tours offer a chance for you to touch, experience, and observe these animals up …
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 82°F; winter lows dip to about 18°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: May and Jun. (climate data from nearby Indiana Dunes National Park)
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.
- SBN South Bend International Airport, South Bend — 35 mi away. Directions
- FWA Fort Wayne International Airport, Fort Wayne — 42 mi away. Directions
- GRR Gerald R. Ford International Airport, Grand Rapids — 102 mi away (major hub). Directions
Fort Wayne International Airport is the nearest large airport. It is roughly a one hour drive north-northwest from the city of Ft. Wayne.
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 Black Pine Animal Park
- Lunch Syracuse Cafe
- Afternoon Lake Wawasee
- Dinner Pat's Chicago Dogs
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Fast food establishments are well represented and include Dairy Queen, Burger King, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Subway, Taco Bell and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Local fast food options include:
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
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
By plane
Fort Wayne International Airport is the nearest large airport. It is roughly a one hour drive north-northwest from the city of Ft. Wayne.
By car
- U.S. 33 makes Syracuse accessible from both Fort Wayne and South Bend by car from the southeast and northeast via county roads.
- Indiana State Road 13 runs north-south through Syracuse. It can be accessed from U.S. 30 running out of Fort Wayne to the south at the town of Pierceton or from US Route 6 to the north accessed by County Road 29.
- U.S. 6 makes Syracuse accessible from Chicago running from the Illinois-Indiana state line as Interstate 80/90 to the Indiana-Ohio state line.
By train
- Amtrak Waterloo Station - The nearest Amtrak station is located at Lincoln and Center Street, Waterloo. Arrange for transportation from the station to the city is limited. The station is part of Amtrak's Capitol Limited and Lakeshore Limited lines.
See
See Black Pine Animal Park
Black Pine is an animal sanctuary that takes in rescued and retired animals. It's a simple, authentic sanctuary that is raw and real. Their tours offer a chance for you to touch, experience, and observe these animals up close and personal. Big cats, primates, bears, camels, birds, snakes and more. It's quite a nice experience, local and friendly, and the animals are well kept and maintained!
Do
Do Lake Wawasee
- Syracuse Lake
Eat
Fast food establishments are well represented and include Dairy Queen, Burger King, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Subway, Taco Bell and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Local fast food options include:
Restaurants
Go next
Junction Pierceton, Indiana
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My experience
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