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Things To Do In Indiana
Known as the Hoosier State, Indiana is a veritable tourist attraction. From national parks to museums and art galleries. From vibrant cities to suburbs with the most welcoming people, Indiana will give you a lot of memories when you visit it.
The capital of Indiana, Indianapolis is a great place to be and will offer you a lot of things to do and see while you are here.
This article brings to you the best things to do while in Indiana. Keep reading below to find out about the best attractions and places to be when you visit Indiana.
From the museum of Indianapolis to the Eiteljorg Museum, Indiana is filled with a lot of must-see attractions that you as a tourist would be foolish to miss out on. Find out more about the best things to do in Indiana as you read this article.
Brown County State Park
The Brown County State Park is a great location when you are touring Indiana. It is ideal for people of all ages and offers many activities. It is known as Indiana’s Playground, marking its relevance for the state.
Located in the historic artist’s colonies in Nashville county and is particularly great for a budget vacation. A great day trip from Indiana State’s Capital, the Brow County State Park is only an hour away from the city of Indianapolis.
While you are here, you can pick a cabin or a hotel to stay in depending on your interests. If you are at the Lodge, you can enjoy their indoor aquatic center that has waterslides and whirlpools at the center of the park.
This lodge is particularly great if you aim for a day of relaxation and rest. Otherwise, you can also choose to camp out at the Brown County State Park. There are many hiking or biking trails that run through the Indiana hills. Other activities to do at Brown County are fishing and horseback riding.
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
The largest children’s museum in the world, with an area of over 472,900 square feet, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is a great place that offers exhibits spanning over 5 floors and featuring over a hundred thousand artifacts.
There are 3 sections within the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Indiana: the American Collection, the Cultural World Collection, and the Natural World Collection. Other great attractions here are the Dinosphere exhibit where you can see a simulated dinosaur, the steam locomotive, and the world’s largest water clock.
While being a children’s museum, the place is really great for adults as well. The interactive displays at this museum are educational and entertaining for everyone. Enjoy a ride at the Old Carousel with your kids. A great place to learn and connect with your children, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis must be on your list of the best things to do in Indiana.
Spirit of Jasper Train
A great place for train enthusiasts, the Spirit of Jasper Train takes you into the past where Steam Locomotives were a thing. This location not only offers a great setting and one of the best ways to spend your day in Indiana but is also a great way to learn more about history. The Historic Train Line at Jasper, Indiana must be on your list of things to do in Indiana.
The Spirit of Jasper train is an attraction departing from the historic Jasper Depot and to the French Lick, Indiana, or any of their organized excursions. Book your ticket in advance for their climate-controlled lounge cars. Other options include the romantic dinner train – with local meals and drinks that you can enjoy aboard a relaxing ride.
Parke County’s Covered Bridges
Parke County is known as the world capital of covered bridges, and there are over 30 covered bridges here. It is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the county. One of the best things to do while you are here is to take the self-guided driving tour of these bridges that cover over 9 counties.
While the Parke County Covered Bridges is a great attraction all year round, you will be in for a special treat when you come here for the Covered Bridges Festival in October
An extremely picturesque location, you can enjoy the scenic views of the roads and bridges and just explore beautiful nature to your heart’s content. The oldest bridge and one of the most famous ones are the Portland Mills Covered Bridge. Your road trip will be made even more fun by the many villages along the way filled with great food and even sweeter local people.
Antique Alley
For serious Antiquing hobbyists, Antique Alley in Richmond County is the place to go to in Indiana. From classics to new pieces, Antique Alley will definitely have what you are looking for and will also surprise you. You can find Antique Alley as a 60 mile-long stretch of Historic National Road linking Richmond to Knightstown.
Here you will find over a thousand antique dealers lining the national road. You may browse through thousands of antiques along with experiencing the beautiful countryside of Indiana. There is also an antique mall and several dealers in Cambridge City.
Turkey Run State Park
A great place for a day trip is the Turkey Run State Park where you can find sandstone formations and ravines as well as hemlock groves and old trees. This natural wonder is extremely scenic so be sure to bring your camera and explore nature as it was hundreds of years ago. There are much wildlife such as deer and vultures in the area and this park is a truly wonderful place for birdwatching.
You can take a hike here and get lost in the serene beauty of nature in the Turkey Run State Park. You can even take a horse ride into the trails as well as camp. While you are here, one option to stay in the Turkey Run Inn.
Other things to do at the Turkey Run State Park are to canoe on Sugar Creek or fish. The best part about the Turkey Run State Park is a natural beauty and untouched breath of fresh air. They also have a swimming pool.
Indiana Dunes State Park
The Little Calumet River Trail is another great Indiana Dunes State Park attraction offering you the chance to wander the Mnoke Prairie. A great place for fishing, you can tour Mt Baldy and rent a boat out at Lake Michigan. A company known as Latitudes Waterfront Dining will help you with your catch by cleaning and preparing your fish.
The Indiana Dunes State Park is a great location that will help you connect with nature and offers a plethora of activities to do while you are here. Make sure that this place is on your list of things to do while you are in Indiana State.
Indy 500
The Indy 500 is one of the most well-known attractions in Indiana. It was founded in 1911. The Indy 500 race is held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It is a 500-mile event that the race car drivers complete 200 laps of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Indy 500 is the largest single-day sporting event in the entire world.
If you are in Indianapolis during May, you may consider it quite worthwhile to book a ticket for the race. There is a tailgate party as the stadium fills up with people. A visit to the stadium will be worthwhile even if you are not here in May for the actual racing event.
Enjoy the Yard of Bricks which is the name that the stadium is affectionately known as. A great attraction here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is that you can pay $500 and have a professional driver take you around the track.
Holiday World & Splashin Safari
Many people dream of the holidays all year round, and in Indiana, that dream has finally come true. The Holiday World and Splashin Safari is a theme park/water park combination located in Santa Claus, Indiana. A great attraction where it seems that holidays go on forever, the Holiday World and Splashin Safari has four sections that are dedicated to the four festivals of Thanksgiving, Christmas, the 4th of July, and Halloween.
This was originally a retirement community in the 40s which later became a theme park for people of all ages. The founder, Louis Koch, is known to have created this place to make the town of Santa Claus truly live up to its name. By offering a Christmas in the city for all the children to see.
You can enjoy this interactive place by picking your favorite holiday and starting in that section. There are rides, entertainment, and games for everyone who comes here in each section and you are sure to have the experience of a lifetime at the Holiday World and Splashin Safari.
One of the most well-known attractions of the park is its wooden roller coasters known as the Ravine, the Legend, and The Voyage. The place is also a water park, helping you cool off the Indiana heat by offering you a ride in two of the world’s longest roller coasters: the Wildebeest and the Mammoth. Not only that, there are slides and raft rides as well. Look out for the costumed Santa wandering around the park.
Falls of Ohio State Park
This state park is historically relevant as the meeting point for Lewis and Clark before their expedition and is located in Clarksville, Indiana. The Falls of Ohio is located quite close to Louisville in Kentucky and is right on the banks of the Ohio River. One of the attractions in the park is the alligators and crocodiles that seem to crop up every now and then.
Their most popular attraction is the fossil beds at Jeffersonville Limestone dating back to the Devonian period. Greatly picturesque, the limestone formations along the Ohio River are the centerpiece of the park.
You can learn about the history of the beds by taking a trip to the interpretive center. You will be able to learn about the human pre-settlement and settlement history of the area at the Falls of Ohio State Park.
Conner Prairie Interactive History Park
Conner Prairie Interactive History Park is a historic park located in Fishers, Indiana. A great attraction here is William Conner’s National Historic Place home. Conner Prairie recreates life in the 19th century for visitors for an interactive experience.
Different sections of the grounds represent different time periods. The staff here remains in costume and wears period clothing and they even perform everyday activities from their respective time periods.
A visit to Connor Prairie can be a very educational experience and visitors here are invited to participate. Many events keep happening here such as “Taste the Past”, candlelight tours, a country fair, or their Civil War reenactments.
Tour des Lakes
For the tourists who are also cyclists, the Tour des Lakes is an event that you shouldn’t miss. This track offers you the chance to discover the rural countryside and gorgeous lakes that Indiana is known for. The Kosciusko County is the place you will be touring.
There are three routes divided into three sections, 25k, 50k, and 100k. During your cross-country cycle trip, you will be able to some of the most famous attractions in Indiana such as Webster Lake, Winona Lake, and Lake Wawasee. More attractions offered are the professional BMX show and a Scavenger ride for kids.
Eiteljorg Museum
One of the most known and sought-after tourist locations in Indiana State is none other than the Eiteljorg Museum. Located in downtown Indianapolis, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art is known internationally recognized for its collection of Native contemporary art.
The philanthropist Harrison Eiteljorg was the creator of the museum who collected the pieces on display at the museum. He wanted people to understand and appreciate the art, history, and culture of the Native Americans and Western Art and the museum is a testament to his legacy in achieving his goal.
The museum covers the intersection of Native Americans with African Americans, the art evolution of pistols and motorcycles in the West, and Jewish life in the West. It is also known to have explored the presence of LGBTQ in Western art and films, along with women’s roles, and also hosts Western and Native artists. When you visit the Eiteljorg Museum then you’ll be sure to enrich your mind and live an interesting experience.
Historic Metamora
A great tourist attraction, the best things that Historic Metamora is known for are the shopping and resort opportunities it offers. You can also take a canal ride on a wooden aqueduct, that is known to be unique in the United States. You can also take a ride on the Whitewater Railroad, or hike through the Whitewater River Valley!
Known to be a great shopping destination, Metamora is a scenic, historic town with the most beautiful little shops. The best time to visit Metamora is on the weekends. While you are here, a place you must visit is the Grannies Ice Cream Parlor.
Monument Circle
Next time you’re in Indianapolis, Indiana, you must come and see the Monument Circle. This is an extremely famous attraction in downtown Indianapolis that features individual monuments such as the sailor’s monument.
It remains ever crowded with people, locals and tourists alike. This place is known to host many events that you can attend and even if they are not right now, you will find that Monument Circle is a great place to visit anyway.
Places to look out for are the Soldier and Sailors Monument. There is a climbable observation deck that offers great views of the city. There are two ways to climb the deck, using the stairs or using the $1 elevator. While you in Monument Circle, the Colonel Eli Lilly Civil War Museum is a place that you shouldn’t miss at all.
Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum
One of the best things to do in Indiana is to visit the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum. This place is an extremely great destination for classic car fans. The museum is known to feature vehicles from the 1890s through the 21st century. It is known to focus on the achievements of the Auburn Automobile Company, along with how cars have developed from the past to the future.
The museum has made up its collection by having vehicles loaned by companies and individuals. There are over 120 vehicles on display here. Containing archives of information about the industry, the museum’s most well-known attractions are the special events and programs it is known to host throughout the year. Take away a souvenir in order to remember your visit from the museum’s shop.
Find the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum at 1600 South Wayne Street, Auburn, Indiana, 46706, Phone: 260-925-1444.
What’s the Number One Attraction in Indiana?
Eiteljorg Museum is one of the most well-known and popular attractions in Indiana.
What’s cool in Indiana?
There are many cool things in Indiana such as the Market Street Catacombs and the Empire Quarry. The Museum of Psychphonics is one of the coolest attractions that you will find anywhere else.
If you find yourself in Mooresville Indiana, then you must check out the coolest spot in the town known as Gravity Hill that apparently pushes objects uphill.
What is Indiana known for?
Indiana is known as the Hoosier State since the 1840s. Indiana is known for its many places that are rife with natural beauty. With a number of great camping sites, hiking trails, lakes, and more, Indiana is the place to be if you wish to explore nature. Indiana is also known to be a major sports-friendly place.
With a number of teams playing for different sports, you will be able to find a very sporty crowd in Indiana. Last, of all, Indiana is known for being a place with a load of attractions from the Eiteljorg museum to many state parks and more attractions that remain open all year round.
Is Indiana a good state?
With one of the lowest costs of living in the country, Indiana can be considered quite an okay place to live in. For sports fans, Indiana offers some of the most welcoming atmospheres. With low crime rates and an okay safety index compared to other states, Indiana can be considered a good state to live in.
We hope that this article about the best things to do in Indiana was helpful to you in planning your trip to the state. While you are in Indiana, you will find a lot of things to do and see and we hope that this article has helped you plan your trip around them.
In light of the COVID 19 pandemic, be sure to take care of all the social distancing and personal hygiene norms as you tour the state of Indiana. Keep your hand sanitizer handy and plan your trip keeping all the safety precautions in mind. We wish you a happy and safe traveling experience.
Also read about the 15 best things to do in Indianapolis.
