Niles (Michigan) Voyage Tips and guide

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Niles is a city of 11,000 people (2019) in West Michigan. Niles lies on the banks of the St. Joseph River, at the site of the French Fort St. Joseph, which was built in 1697 to protect the Jesuit Mission established in 1691. Between 1820 and 1865, Niles was an integral part of the Underground Railroad, helping slaves escape from as far south as New Orleans through the Heartland, and eventually into Canada.

After 1761, it was held by the British and was captured on May 25, 1763, by Native Americans during Pontiac's Rebellion. The British retook the fort but it was not re-garrisoned and served as a trading post. During the American Revolutionary War, the fort was held for a short time by a Spanish force. The occupation of the fort by the four nations of France, Britain, Spain, and the United States has earned Niles the nickname City of Four Flags.

The town of Niles was settled in 1827. The town was named after Hezekiah Niles, editor of the Niles Register, a Baltimore newspaper.

U.S. Highways 12 and 31.

See also: Rail travel in the United States

• 41.8373-86.25231 Niles station, 598 Dey St. (updated Oct 2023)
  • Amtrak, ☏ +1 215-856-7924, toll-free: +1-800-872-7245. Operates train service around the United States of America. (updated Mar 2022) Routes serving Niles:
    • Wolverine Service operates several times daily between Pontiac and Chicago including stops along the way in Troy, Royal Oak, Detroit, Dearborn, Ann Arbor, Jackson, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Niles, and New Buffalo.
    • Blue Water operates daily between Port Huron and Chicago including stops in Flint, East Lansing, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Niles, and New Buffalo.

• 41.8407-86.22592 Jerry Tyler Memorial Airport (NLE  ^IATA). General aviation only  

• 41.829167-86.2533331 Fort St. Joseph Museum, 508 E Main St (at 5th St), ☏ +1 269 845-4054. W-F 10AM-4PM, Sa 10AM-3PM. Features exhibits on Fort St. Joseph, a French fort built in 1691. Located in the former carriage house of the Victorian-style Chapin Mansion; the main house is now Niles city hall. Free.  
• 41.829167-86.2533332 Henry A. Chapin House (Chapin Mansion), 508 E. Main St. (updated Jan 2020)
• Fernwood Botanical Garden, 13988 Range Line Rd, ☏ +1 269-695-6491. $10 adults, $7 seniors. 

• 41.825278-86.2569443 Riverfront Park. East side of the St. Joseph River from Wayne to Fort St (updated Jan 2020)
• 41.823056-86.25754 Island Park. entrance off Parkway, south of Broadway (updated Jan 2020)
• 41.82-86.2402785 Southside Park, 15th and Silverbrook Ave. (updated Jan 2020)
• 41.762222-86.2688896 Madeline Bertrand County Park, 3038 Adams Rd, ☏ +1 269 683-8280. (updated Jan 2020)

• Michiana Antique Mall, 2423 S 11th St, ☏ +1 269 684-7001, toll-free: +1 800-559-4694, [email protected]. (updated Jan 2020)
• Main Street Antique Mall, 109 East Main St. (updated Jan 2020)

• Iron Shoe Distillery, 3 North 3rd St, ☏ +1 269 262-0454, [email protected]. (updated Jan 2020)
• Prime Table Restaurant, 1915 11th St, ☏ +1 269 684-2112. (updated Jan 2020)
• Pizza Transit, 215 E. Main St, ☏ +1 269 684-6600. (updated Jan 2020)
• Jim's Smokin Cafe, 220 E Main St, ☏ +1 269 449-8144. Located in the Paris Soda Company. (updated Jan 2020)
• Front Street Pizza Pub, 510 N. Front St, ☏ +1 269 687-4992. (updated Jan 2020)

• Quality Inn & Suites, 1265 South 11th St, ☏ +1 269 684-3900. (updated Jan 2020)
• Spaulding Lake Campground, 2305 Bell St, ☏ +1 269 684-1393, [email protected]. (updated Jan 2020)
• Holiday Inn Express & Suites Niles, 1000 Moore Dr, ☏ +1 269 684-0300. Check-in: 3:00 PM, check-out: 11:00 AM. (updated Jan 2020)

• 41.829552-86.2522381 Niles District Library, 620 East Main St, ☏ +1 269 683-8545, [email protected]. (updated Jan 2020)

Routes through Niles

Chicago ← New Buffalo ←	W  E	→ Kalamazoo → Battle Creek
Michigan City ← Three Oaks ←	W  E	→ Bronson → Coldwater
Muskegon ← Benton Harbor-St. Joseph ←	N  S	→ South Bend → Indianapolis