There’s a genuine personality that translates into authentic experiences for visitors traveling Indiana.
Travelers to the state can spend their days paddling a winding river, fishing an inland lake or browsing the shops on Main Street. They can visit a bustling capital city, sunbathe beneath the soaring sand dunes, climb the highest hilltops or explore the deepest depths beneath the surface of the earth.
They may enjoy homegrown produce — and get to know the growers — at Indiana’s farmers markets, eateries and vineyards. World-class cities offer internationally-renowned museums, performing arts venues and high-energy sporting events with a friendliness that is an added bonus.
Anywhere travelers go in Indiana, they’ll encounter genuine people and experiences.
Even the busiest attractions aim to satisfy and delight because in Indiana, more so than anywhere else, hospitality matters.
That’s real. That’s “Honest-to-Goodness Indiana.”
North
Elkhart Quilt Gardens: A one-of-its-kind experience that showcases 20 gigantic quilt-patterned gardens. The gardens, stitched with hundreds of thousands of blooms combine with 21 hand-painted quilt art murals to create a tapestry of color in the heart of Indiana’s Amish Country.
Central
Indianapolis Zoo: Pet sharks, view dolphins from beneath the sea and experience orangutans like never before in the new International Orangutan Center. In this world-class exhibit, visitors witness the orangutans interact with each other as they climb and swing 80 feet in the air. The center was designed to stimulate the apes’ physical, social and intellectual abilities and is an international research center used to better understand this extraordinary species.
West
Parke County, the “Covered Bridge Capital of the World” is home to 31 of Indiana’s 98 covered bridges. History, stunning architecture and beautiful outdoor landscapes are waiting to be experienced in Parke County. Be sure to experience the Mansfield Covered Bridge during the Covered Bridge Festival — one of the best fall festivals in North America.
East
Parkview Field is home to the Fort Wayne Tin Caps. This baseball stadium is a signature attraction in the newly revitalized downtown of Fort Wayne. The stadium and the amenities around it have been named the best minor league baseball experience in America.
South
Indiana Caverns is one of the longest cave systems in North America. Visitors can take an underground boat ride, see a 3-story waterfall and explore diverse ecosystems with ice age fossils.
Madison remains one of the Midwest’s favorite small towns, complete with great shopping and wonderful restaurants. Travelers can admire the amazing architecture in Madison’s National Historic Landmark District and take scenic driving tours around the town to admire the riverfront, fountains and Victorian-era mansions.
South Central
French Lick is home to the French Lick Resort, the Best Historic Resort in the Country. Comprised of French Lick Springs Hotel and West Baden Springs Hotel, this resort lets guests step back in time to the splendor of the early 1900s. French Lick offers boutique shops, a variety of restaurants, bowling alley, a fitness center, pools and luxury spa. West Baden, a National Historic Landmark, continues to wow visitors with its one-of-a-kind domed atrium spanning 200 feet.
There’s an added bonus to traveling in Indiana this year: Indiana is celebrating its bicentennial in 2016. The bicentennial year is off to a great start as Indiana destinations and attractions continue to rack up accolades.
“USA Today” named Indiana one of the “14 places in America you have to visit in 2016.” The beaches along Indiana’s Lake Michigan shoreline were recently named one of the Top 4 beaches in America by “Coastal Living Magazine.” The Levi Coffin House’s new interpretive center, set to open this fall, was named one the 12 most important new museums in the world by “Smithsonian Magazine.” Just last week, Indianapolis’ culinary scene was called “a rising star of the Midwest” by “Food and Wine Magazine.”
Later this year, the Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay will pass through more than 260 communities. The torch will touch each of Indiana’s 92 counties during a 3,200-mile journey throughout the state. The torch relay will be an inspirational and unifying event during this year of celebration and will connect people, communities and generations in unprecedented ways.
With the popular spring and summer travel season here, make plans during this bicentennial year to visit an Indiana destination.
