Sometimes the best vacation is the one you take 20 minutes from home.
You don't always need a flight, a long drive, or a week off work to genuinely decompress. What you need is a break from your own routine — a night or two where someone else makes breakfast, the pool is right down the hall, and your only obligation is deciding what to do next.
A Richmond, Indiana staycation does exactly that. And if you've lived here long enough to stop noticing what's around you, this guide is a reminder that Richmond has more going on than most residents ever slow down enough to explore.
Why a Staycation Actually Works
The case against a staycation is that it doesn't feel like a real vacation. The case for it is everything else.
- No packing stress — you're 20 minutes from home if you forgot something
- No travel day — Friday evening check-in, Sunday morning checkout, full weekend recovered
- No budget blowout — a two-night staycation costs a fraction of a destination trip
- No catching up after — you come back rested, not exhausted from traveling
The secret to making a staycation feel like a real trip is simple: stay somewhere you wouldn't normally stay. A hotel room changes the experience entirely. You're not at home — you're somewhere with room service, a pool, and no dishes to wash. That shift in environment is what makes it feel like a vacation.
Why Best Western Plus Richmond Is the Right Staycation Base
An Indoor Heated Pool — Open 6 AM to 11 PM
This is the centerpiece. An indoor heated pool available from 6 AM to 11 PM means you can swim in the morning before anyone else is up, or take a late-night dip after dinner. No outdoor pool that closes at dusk. No weather dependency. Just a pool whenever you want one.
For families, it's the thing that makes a two-night stay feel like a full vacation. For couples, a quiet pool at 9 PM with no crowds is its own kind of luxury.
Private Jacuzzi Suite
If you want the staycation to feel genuinely indulgent, book the jacuzzi suite. A private in-room jacuzzi tub, more space, and a completely different feel from a standard room. It's the option that turns a nearby hotel stay into something that actually feels like a getaway.
Ask about suite availability when you book: (765) 939-9500
Free Full Breakfast Buffet Every Morning
Hot eggs, waffles, fresh fruit, coffee — made for you, included with your stay. Waking up on a Saturday morning to a full hot breakfast you didn't have to cook is one of the small things that makes a staycation feel worth it. No grocery run the night before. No cleanup after.
Free WiFi, Free Parking, No Fees
Everything that adds up on a destination trip — parking fees, resort fees, WiFi charges — doesn't exist here. What you see is what you pay.
Pet-Friendly
$20/night. If your staycation includes the dog — and many do — that's covered.
How to Build Your Richmond Staycation Weekend
The mistake most people make with a staycation is not planning enough to make it feel different from a regular weekend. Here's a framework that works.
Friday Evening — Check In and Actually Arrive
Check into the hotel after work. Don't go home first — go straight to the hotel. The moment you walk in without your usual evening routine waiting for you, the staycation starts. Drop your bags, change clothes, head to dinner somewhere you've been meaning to try, come back, and use the pool.
That's a Friday evening that already feels different.
Saturday Morning — Breakfast and Something You've Never Done
Start with the breakfast buffet. Then pick one Richmond attraction you've driven past a hundred times and never actually visited.
- Wayne County Historical Museum: The Gennett Records exhibit alone is worth it — Richmond is the birthplace of American recorded music, and most locals have never stood at the spot where Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington recorded. Free on certain days; check waynecohistorical.org.
- Joseph Moore Museum at Earlham College: A genuine natural history museum with a mastodon skeleton, Egyptian mummy, and seven distinct natural science collections. Free admission. Open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday 1–5 PM.
- Richmond Art Museum: Over 1,000 works from American artists. Free to visit, open Tuesday through Sunday. Quieter and more impressive than most people expect.
- Enchanted Fairy Trail: Pick up a free map at the Old National Road Welcome Center and find miniature “fairy doors” hidden in gardens, museums, cafés, and shops across the city. Genuinely fun for families and surprisingly charming for adults.
Saturday Afternoon — Get Outside
July in Richmond is warm but manageable with the right timing. Head out mid-morning before the heat peaks, or wait until 5 PM when it backs off.
- Thistlewaite Falls: Richmond's waterfall along the Whitewater Gorge. A short trail from the Cardinal Greenway, and one of those places that surprises people who've never stopped. Cool, shaded, and genuinely beautiful in July.
- Hayes Arboretum: 466 acres of trails, free to visit, dog-friendly. The east entrance is open dawn to dusk daily even when the Nature Center is closed. Go early or go at golden hour.
- Glen Miller Park: Walking paths, a fishing pond, tennis courts, and open green space. The Rose Garden has transitioned from peak bloom but the park itself is lush and well-maintained all summer.
- Middlefork Reservoir: Kayak, canoe, and paddleboat rentals available on the water. One of Richmond's most underused summer options — a calm, quiet afternoon on the reservoir is exactly the kind of thing a staycation should include.
- Cardinal Greenway: Indiana's longest rail-trail at 62 miles runs through Richmond. Bring bikes or just walk. The Thistlewaite Falls access point is right along the trail.
Saturday Evening — Dinner You've Been Putting Off
Use the staycation as the occasion to finally make that reservation you've been saying you'll get to.
- Old Richmond Inn — 138 S 5th St. Chef Galo Molina has been running this Victorian mansion restaurant for over 26 years. Steaks, fresh seafood, daily specials, patio dining in July. This is the staycation dinner. Call (765) 962-2247 for reservations.
- Galo's Italian Grill — Same family, more casual. Imported Italian pasta, wood-fired pizza, and steaks. Better for groups or families with kids.
- Firehouse BBQ — Richmond's oldest firehouse, fire pole still in place. Casual, flavorful, fun. Good for a Friday night when you don't want anything formal.
After dinner, come back to the hotel and use the pool. That's your Saturday.
Sunday Morning — Breakfast, Then One More Thing
Don't rush checkout. Breakfast is included. The pool opens at 6 AM if anyone wants an early swim. Checkout is 11 AM — use the morning.
Before you head home, pick up a Chocolate Trail passport at the Old National Road Welcome Center on US-40 at I-70. Visit local bakeries and candy shops across Wayne County, collect stamps, and earn a free t-shirt at 10 stops. Free samples at every location. It turns the drive home into the last activity of the weekend instead of just the end of the trip.
July Events to Add to Your Staycation Weekend
If you're planning your staycation for late July, Richmond has live events worth building around.
- Richmond Symphony Orchestra “Christmas in July” — July 15: Free outdoor RSO community concert. Seasonal favorites performed live. If your staycation falls the weekend of July 12–13, this is a Saturday evening option that costs nothing.
- Twelfth Night (Shakespeare comedy) — July 17: Performed at The Reid Center, 7:30 PM. Shakespeare's most accessible comedy — mistaken identities, audience participation, genuinely funny. Good date night or family evening option.
- Bark in the Park — July 18: Dogs welcome at the Richmond ballpark for the 6:35 PM game. If your staycation includes a pet, this is a uniquely Richmond summer evening.
- MRL Story Con — July 25: Cosplay, gaming, LEGO building, crafts and activities in Cambridge City (about 15 minutes west on US-40). A full family afternoon if you're staying the last weekend of July.
- Midwest Truck Nationals — July 31: Annual GM truck show with cruises, vendors, and food trucks. If you're extending your staycation into the last weekend of July, this is a good Saturday activity for car enthusiasts and families alike.
Staycation Tips That Make It Feel Real
- Leave your laptop at home — or at least in the car. You're not working this weekend.
- Tell the people in your life you're unavailable. A staycation only works if you treat it like a trip.
- Book the jacuzzi suite if it's available — the upgrade cost is nothing compared to a destination trip, and it changes the feel of the whole stay.
- Use the pool at least twice. Morning and evening. That's what it's there for.
- Make one reservation in advance — the Old Richmond Inn on a Saturday night books up. Plan ahead.
- Pick up the Chocolate Trail passport. It makes Sunday morning feel like an activity instead of just going home.
Staycation Rates and Packages
Weekend Getaway Package: Book Friday and Saturday nights together and receive 10% off your total stay.
Extended Stay Discount: Staying 5 or more nights? Receive 15% off. If your staycation is more of a stay-cation week — taking time off work to decompress close to home — this discount applies.
Pet fee: $20/night.
Rates vary by date and availability. Book direct for the best rate.
Book Your Richmond Staycation
Best Western Plus Richmond Indiana I-70 533 W Eaton Pike, Richmond, IN 47374 Hotel Direct: (765) 939-9500 | Toll-Free: 1 (800) 780-7234 Check-in: 3:00 PM | Check-out: 11:00 AM | 24-hour front desk
Book at richmondbw.com →
Summer goes fast. The weeks where you said you'd do something different tend to pass before you get around to it. A Richmond staycation is low-effort, low-cost, and genuinely restorative — exactly what a mid-summer weekend should be.
Pick a weekend. Book the room. You're already close enough to make it happen this week.
