We discovered Krider World's Fair Gardens, the crown jewel of the Middlebury, Indiana's park system, while exploring the beautiful and historical town of Middlebury, IN. Krider Nurseries began business operations in 1896 by Vernon Krider. Their first catalog was produced in 1906 and primarily did regional wholesale business, but also mail order.
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| Krider World's Fair Gardens - Middlebury IN |
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| Krider World's Fair Gardens - Middlebury IN |
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| Krider World's Fair Gardens - Middlebury IN |
Exploring the town of Middlebury, we discovered the cool, quiet beauty of a garden with landscaping and appointments that duplicated the 1933-1934 Century of Progress Chicago World's Fair. Krider World's Fair Gardens is known as one of Indiana's oldest garden parks, and has been designated as an Indiana Historic site.
Long before social media was ever visualized, Krider gained more than 250,000 names and addresses from visitors signing the Garden's guest register at the Chicago World's Fair. Using this list, Krider Nurseries grew into the largest mail order nursery business in the United States.
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| Krider World's Fair Gardens - Middlebury IN |
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| Krider World's Fair Gardens - Middlebury IN |
It took about 10 years for Krider Nurseries to become Middlebury's largest employer (100 people) and it obtained the patent for "Festival" .... the first thornless rose, which was offered to the public in their mail order catalogs.
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| "FESTIVAL" ROSE - KRIDER NURSERIES |
Krider Nurseries closed in 1990 as a result of declining sales and box store competition.
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| Krider World's Fair Gardens - Middlebury IN |
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| Krider World's Fair Gardens - Middlebury IN |
In 1993, a 2.4 acre nursery display garden was donated to the town of Middlebury to be used as a community park. In 1995 the Krider Nurseries World's Fair Gardens was dedicated as a garden park, for displaying plants and landscaping features.
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| Krider World's Fair Gardens - Middlebury IN |
After the Chicago World's Fair the Dutch Windmill was returned to Middlebury as a display garden for its customers.
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| Dutch Windmill - Krider World's Fair Gardens Middleburg, IN |
The Middlebury Quilt Garden is on the area's Heritage Trail/Quilt Garden Tour. The Quilt Gardens along the Indiana Heritage Trail offers 18 quilt inspired gardens and 21 hand-painted, quilt-themed, supersized murals in the communities of Bristol, Elkhart, Goshen, Middlebury, Nappanee and Wakarusa.
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| Quilt Garden - Krider World's Fair Gardens Middlebury, IN |
The Toadstools, more than 85 years old, were also a feature from the Chicago World's Fair.
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| The Toadstools - Krider World's Fair Gardens Middlebury, IN |
The statue of Hebe, goddess of youth, is in keeping of the 1930's when Greek revival statues were popular garden features.
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| Hebe - Krider World's Fair Gardens Middlebury, IN |
The community of Middlebury, IN is fortunate to have such a beautiful and peaceful part of town dedicated to perpetuating a natural park for all to enjoy. A regional bike path also meanders through town with parking on the edge of the Krider World's Fair Garden, offering a place for rest for passing bikers.
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