Berrien Springs
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Berrien Springs

Berrien Springs

Small southwestern Michigan village linked to Andrews University, Seventh-day Adventist history, and an old courthouse square.

Home of Andrews University and Pioneer Memorial Church, Berrien Springs is a small village just off US-31 in southwestern Michigan. The village itself is not much more than a few stores, gas stations, and restaurants, but it carries more historical weight than its size suggests, especially in relation to the early history of Seventh-day Adventism and to nineteenth-century county government.

The old Berrien Springs Courthouse on the original Courthouse Square — said to be the oldest town square in the Midwest — is the centrepiece of the village. The James White Library on the Andrews campus houses the largest collection of original writings by Ellen G. White, a founding figure of the SDA church. For shopping, beaches, and more substantial restaurants, head north to Benton Harbor and St. Joseph.

Guide

Getting There

Berrien Springs sits just off US-31, about ten minutes south of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph and forty-five minutes north of South Bend, Indiana. The nearest airport with commercial flights is South Bend International (SBN), about thirty miles south. Chicago O'Hare and Midway are around two hours by car if traffic cooperates.

There is no scheduled passenger train or intercity bus service to the village itself; the closest Amtrak stop is Niles, fifteen miles east on the Wolverine line between Chicago and Detroit.

Guide

Things to Do

For such a small village, Berrien Springs has more historic substance than you would expect. The old county courthouse square, the Andrews University campus, and a couple of curiosities tied to the Seventh-day Adventist movement are the main reasons visitors stop. Most of it can be covered in a half day on foot.