Learn of interesting places to visit in the state of Indiana. Find out where to go to: swim, fish, tobaggon, or explore.
Indiana, "Home of the Indians," is commonly called the Hoosier state. The people of Indiana are known as Hoosiers. No one really knows the origin of the term "Hoosier," but there are several theories about it.
Indiana has varied landscapes that attract many visitors each year. If you like sand dunes along Lake Michigan, boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, hunting, toboganning, flea markets, caves, rolling hills, forests, or peaceful farmland, Indiana has them all.
There are many historic sites throughout Indiana. There are several large Amish settlements. There are caves and waterfalls. Winter sports are popular also. Let's begin our journey!
We'll begin in northern Indiana. Northern Indiana boasts miles of sandy beaches along Lake Michigan at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Or you may visit the John Dillinger Museum in Hammond, Indiana. You can see the Milwaukee Clipper, a passenger ship that sailed Lake Michigan in the 1940's, at the Hammond Marina.
Michigan City has the state's only operating
lighthouse as well as the Great Lakes Museum which contains military memorabilia from all eras. Like shopping? Michigan City has a 120 outlet store shopping mall featuring famous brand names at discount prices.
Just south of La Porte you can visit the Door Prairie Auto Museum spanning over 100 years of automotive history.
Heading farther east we come to South Bend,Indiana home of the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame and the famous Golden Dome. South Bend offers a number of attractions including the College Football Hall of Fame, the Northern Indiana Center for History, the Studebaker National Museum, and Copshaholm, a 38 room mansion built in 1895.
Elkhart, Indiana has several museums also. You can find the Ray Miller Auto Museum, the National New York Central Railroad Museum, the Midwest Museum of Art, the RV/MH Hall of Fame, and Ruthmere, a 1910 Beaux Arts mansion.
If you travel a little farther east you will be in Amish country. Middlebury, Indiana has Das Dutchman Essenhaus. This includes a hotel complex, gift shops, restaurant, bakery, walking trails, Sunshine Farm, and more. People visit the Essenhaus from all over the United States each year.
Going east from Middlebury we come to Shipshewana with its famous flea market, held every Tuesday and Wednesday from spring through fall. The whole town is a tourist attraction now with restaurants, shops, carriage rides, and much more. Warning--the traffic gets backed up for miles so go early or be prepared to wait in traffic. There are several large hotels in the area now so coming the day before is a big help.
Another large Amish tourist attraction is in Nappanee, Indiana. Amish Acres is an 80 acre restoration of a working Amish farm. There is a 12 room Amish homestead as well as 18 other restored buildings. There are daily demonsrations of chores and activities. You can also find a 400 seat restuarant, horse drawn buggy rides, and the Round Barn Theatre, where plays are performed.
Pokagon State Park is in northern Indiana. Here you will find excellent hiking trails, swimming, fishing, horseback riding, a nature center, and in the winter--a huge toboggan slide. Pokagon is a popular place in the winter, with a hotel, indoor pool, and the toboggan slide.
As we head south we come to the Auburn Cord Dusenburg Museum where more than 100 classic cars are exhibited.
Ft. Wayne, Indiana, is the home of old Fort Wayne, where many battles took place before Indiana became a state. You can visit historical Ft. Wayne and see how life was lived in the old days. Ft. Wayne also has a Botonical Conservatory, an excellent children's zoo, Museum of Art, Old City Hall Historical Museum, The Lincoln Musem(Abraham Lincoln's legacy), and Science Central--called an "amusement park for the mind".*
Much of Indiana is known for museums and historical reenactments because so much history took place here, especially between the Indians and the white settlers. Indiana still has areas where the Indian tribe members live today.
Central eastern Indiana also has a state historical site from the Underground Railroad--the Levi Coffin State Historic Site at Fountain City.
In almost every county in Indiana you can find rivers or lakes for swimming, fishing, boating, and camping.
There are festivals and fairs throughout Indiana on almost any weekend of the year.
Moving toward central Indiana we come to Connor Prairie where you can visit an outdoor living history museum--a pioneer village with hands on activities.
Peru, Indiana, the city where many of America's greatest circus shows used to lodge, is home to The International Circus Hall of Fame.
Grissom Air Force Base houses the Grissom Air Museum, the state's largest display of static aircraft.
Indianapolis, the state capital, has many things to see and do. It boasts of the Indianapolis Moter Speedway Hall of Fame Museum, Indianapolis Zoo, Art Center, NCAA Hall of Champions, White River Gardens, the Children's Museum(a real hands-on experience), and a number of other fine museums. There are wonderful eating establishments and abundant motels and hotels. Of course on Memorial Day the Indy 500 takes place--but you had better have tickets WELL in advance.
The central region of Indiana also offers unique golfing opportunities for you golf enthusiasts.
Moving to western Indiana we come to Parke County, famous for its covered bridges. There are 32 covered bridges in Parke County. Yearly festivals and other activities take place here.
At Rockville you can visit the Billie Creek Vilage & Inn, a historic craft village with a general store and three covered bridges.
If you need some wet and wild recreation you can visit Indiana Beach at Monticello. Indiana Beach is a summer amusement camp resort on Lake Shafer. It features 35 rides, a water park, accomodations, and nightly entertainment.
Interspersed throughout Indiana are 24 state parks with wonderful hiking trails, camping, and other outdoor activities. State historic sites also abound.
As we move along to south central Indiana we come to more Amish settlements in Daviess County. In Knox county we find the state's oldest city--Vincennes. Vincennes was founded in 1732 and was the hub of the American frontier for a number of years. You can see historical reenactments and visit the George Rogers Clark National Historical Park. Several wineries are also available to visit in this area.
Brown County is famous for its woodlands and beautiful fall colors. Brown County State Park is a favorite place for camping, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, swimming,---AND--there is a 200 acre paintball field.
Heading to southern Indiana the scenery is lovely. There are scenic drives to take along State Highways 66 and 62. The Hoosier National Forest has 60,000 acres of rolling hills. The Ohio River Scenic Route has vistas you won't want to miss.
Southern Indiana also has caves and caverns to explore. In Crawford County you can find the Wyandotte Caves State Recreation Area and the Marengo Cave National Landmark.
If you like winter activities you can ski at Paoli Peaks from December through March. It offers over 65 acres with 15 trails, 8 lifts, a family ski zone, and a 15 acre fun park.
You might enjoy Squire Boone Caverns & Village near Corydon. The village gives a living history lesson of pioneer days and tour guides lead a 3/4 mile tour through underground passageways.
Clifty Falls State Park has hiking trails, waterfalls, and beautiful scenery.
I hope that this has stimulated your interest to explore the richness of the state of Indiana. For excellent, colorful Indiana tourism literature try www.enjoyindiana.com--the official tourism website. If that does not work try typing "Indiana" in your favorite search engine. Order your free brochures and Enjoy Indiana!
Information for this article was partly taken from the Indiana tourism brochures "Enjoy Indiana" and "Indiana Timetrip".
