I'm a lover of labyrinths and working to develop a memorial labyrinth here in my home city of…read moreIndianapolis. I've long been an activist and I've frequently visited Terre Haute on my travels allowing me to visit the Kenneth E. Smith Memorial Labyrinth, an 80-foot in diameter labyrinth with 34 turns located in Hawthorn Park adjacent to the Dogwood Shelter. It is patterned after France's Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth, an early design that continues to inspire many of today's labyrinths. This labyrinth is one of the few in Indiana to make a conscious effort to be wheelchair accessible. The path is 30" wide with 6" in-between in an effort to allow room for wheelchairs and strollers. My guess is that this would actually work well for most manual wheelchairs. This labyrinth was completed in 2003 and is constructed of aggregate mix concrete. As it's in a park setting, it's surrounded by much greenery. I wouldn't say this is one of Terre Haute's premiere parks, though most times I've visited it's been fairly well kept. This is especially true of the labyrinth itself as it has a garden maintained by the Wabash Valley Master Gardeners. A meditation garden surrounds the labyrinth. It features a swing, benches, rose bushes, a fountain, trees, and other greenery. Much of the funding for the labyrinth was donated by Mrs. Lavern Smith in memory of her husband who had passed in 2000. It is intended to be a family friendly labyrinth and is open to children during the dawn to dusk park hours. Because of the meditative atmosphere here, it's an ideal location for a small wedding or more serene, spiritual type of event. The J.I. Case Wetland Refuge is also located within the park's grounds. The entire park is just over 256 acres and includes camping options. It's on the border of Rose-Hulman and also accessible from the Heritage Road National Trail.

One of the newest parks (2011) for the area is a 25 acre nature park with a lake in the middle…read more For enthusiasts, there is a boat launch for boats using a trolling motor. Fishing is allowed for those having the proper licences. For everyone else, the park has a shelter and covered picnic tables, a great paved hiking path that loops around the lake, and a small playground on the west side of the park. Everything seems to be well maintained and there is plenty of parking on the south side of the park (Maple Street). Review #908

Very nice area with the exception of a large amount of broken glass along the perimeter of the lake…read moreclosest to parking area. Definitely needs remediation!

we booked a stay in july 2026 we arrived on a sunday and left on friday. camp store is closed…read moreuntil thursday the nature center is closed until thursday but they didnt open until friday for some reason. beach was closed due to flooding which is very common for this state park. NO campground gate attendant. at most 10 campers all week. Pool was closed on monday for cleaning and closed again on thursday they closed it all day because the power went out for two hours.

Lieber state park was a great spot for camping. The online reservation system made it a little…read moredifficult to picture where our campsite was going to be in relation to shade and trees, but the one we ended up getting was just fine! They have a great camp store where we bought our firewood, nice beach, a really great shaded walking trail, and a lovely place to spend a morning- the Cataract falls! There was one incident of a camper next to us getting roudy, loud, and drunk, but the rangers came and talked him down. This made us feel safe. It was reasonably priced. On the drive to cataract falls (about a 20 minute drive) there is a lovely ice cream shop in an old school house- perfect for an afternoon treat after doing some hiking along the river. Bring bug spray, sunscreen, and your swimsuit as there is plenty to do outdoors! Your admission to Lieber state park also gets you into cataract falls for the entire duration of your stay, which is really helpful. There are out toilets but there are also nicer, regular toilets with sinks and showers. They were fairly clean, just a bit more of a walk from our campsite. But it was worth it!

This is a nice little museum that is located on the campus of Dobbs Memorial Park. It is operated…read moreand maintained by the Terre Haute Parks Department. They have three exhibit rooms in the museum that displays artifacts, native American living quarters, animal skins, some Native American dress, pictures, Jewelry, a canoe and other items. Just outside the museum is an active Native American Heirloom Garden. They pack a lot of material into this museum and they have an attendant on duty. It was very informational. The intent of the museum is to educate visitors in the life ways of the native peoples of the Northeast Woodlands The museum is free to visit, but they gladly accept donations. Additionally, They host monthly Saturday programs that feature crafts and topics of interest to people of all ages. The museum is not very popular for some unknown reason. I was the only person in the museum the entire time I was there. They have ample parking available in the park that it is in, but it is a slight walk from the lots to the museum. The museum is pretty clean and has a restroom available. Groups and tours are welcome and they have guest speakers available to address the groups/tours. I like this museum and it is a nice addition to the park.

This museum is designed to collect and share the history of the regional Native Americans who once…read moremade the Terre Haute area their home. As the only city park museum of its kind in the Midwest, the museum doesn't have a huge budget and with admission charges being free (donations are gladly accepted), the museum relies upon donated exhibits to enhance its offerings. There are several rooms inside the museum for displays. I was surprised at the number of life size pieces like a canoe, a wigwam, a long-house, and full ceremonial costumes that were inside. There are also quite a few necklaces, daily tools, and other artifacts with plenty of labeling for identification. Outside, there is an heirloom garden which has preserved some of the natural plantings that were common to the local population. During my visit, the garden was in transition as the summer months approach, so I didn't wander through the garden. Overall, I was glad to see the park system take the initiative to preserve and archive the collection. The park has participated in a program that has digitized the images and information for sharing and future study. The museum opens at 10 a.m. on most days. If you get there early, there is plenty in the surrounding park to help you pass the time. Review #891

This area includes two adjacent campgrounds run by the state of Indiana -- Poplar Grove has…read moreelectric sites 1-120 and Sunny Acres has non-electric sites 121-216. Reservations can be made online at stateparks.IN.gov or upon arrival at the park on a space-available basis. The state recreation area (SRA) is easy yo access -- about 45 minutes west of Indianapolis, and just a few miles south of the interstate. We stayed at a tent (non-electric) site for one weekday night in early May, 2023. We did not have reservations but sites were plentiful in both campgrounds. The ranger allowed us to "check out" the sites before we returned with a few options. (Some might not be available due to prior reservations). The price was right -- only $16 plus 7% Indiana tax. The sites were flat and grassy, with some along the tree-line. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring with grill. Usage was very low, and the campground stayed quiet all night. (We could hear occasional muffled sounds from the interstate in the distance). There is a pleasant short nature trail, and one could walk or drive down to the lake/beach. The pool was still closed for the season. On the negative side, the main toilet/shower was still locked, so only pit toilets were available. (There were separate units for men and women, and they were relatively clean with raised seats). Potable water was only available between the two campgrounds. The camp store would only open on Thursday. Finally, the girl who checked us in needed to be better informed. While pleasant, she was unaware that the main toilet was still locked, or where the potable water was.

Stan's is a wonderful place to work out. Everybody is friendly, there's a good variety of…read moreequipment and Kevin, the owner/personal trainer is very helpful and extremely knowledgeable. It's great for all fitness levels and whether you use Kevin for training or go it alone, he will help you out. All ages (I'm 76) , all sizes, all fitness and experience levels can get a great workout at Stan's and will feel welcome. I'm happy to have found this gym!

Passing through town and Stan's offers a one day pass for $10! Mix of older and some new equipment…read moreand lots of good cardio machines. Got a great workout and the folks were super friendly! Thanks Tony!

On the south side of Greencastle, a new park was added directly west of Mama Nunz's restaurant. In…read morethe wedge between Ohio St and Broadway, the space is mostly open lawn with pull in parking (free) on Ohio St. The west end of the park has a new playground that targets smaller kids with a small fortress that includes places to climb and a slide. A couple animal themed stand alone pieces are there as well. Though there aren't any shade trees yet, the park has a couple benches that have built in shade for those who need to take a break from the sun. To the east is an picnic area, but it currently only had one table available and it was without any shade/shelter. Hopefully, the funding will continue to improve this location with some tree plantings, additional picnic/shelter areas, and possibly some restrooms (even portable would be an improvement.) The park is off to a good start! Review #3624

The Bridgeton Covered Bridge is a replica of the original covered bridge built by J. J. Daniels…read moreback in 1868. Sadly, the historic original bridge was destroyed by arson in 2005. The bridge served as a picturesque highlight of the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival for decades. The replica 261' bridge was built by a team of engineers in 2006. The double Burr Arch truss construction was replicated. The bridge is not opened to automobile traffic but is opened to foot traffic. I walked across the span several times during my visit and loved hearing the rush of the water beneath the bridge and the echos inside the bridge. Windows inside the bridge offer views of the creek and mill. A small parking lot and overlooks provide stunning views of the bridge, Big Raccoon Creek, the dam and old Bridgeton Mill. Flowers are in bloom on the bank of the creek. During the Covered Bridge Festival, the small parking lot is packed with tourists anxious to enjoy the beautiful views. There is a fee for parking during the festival, but other times, parking is free. The area is a must visit for history lovers, photographers and explorers.

One of the perks of taking day trips when retired is that you find time to explore, discover, and…read morelet your mind imagine. So when I decided to explore the covered bridges of Parke County, it wasn't during the peak fall festivals where the traffic is crazy. It was during an off season day where I was the only one on some of the roads. As I worked my way south from Rockville on Bridgeton Road, I was delighted to find this town that seemed like a memorial to days gone by. Arriving from the north, I could see this 245' bridge spanning Big Raccoon Creek. It was by far in the best condition of the bridges I had seen. I realized that this was a reconstruction of a bridge that was originally built in 1868. But after a fire destroyed the original, the folks of the town banded together to rebuild this in 2006. I love that it has windows that you can look through as you walk through the bridge. (The highway now bypasses the bridge for preservation and safety.) There is a mini park next to the bridge (and you can park off the road as well) that you can get a closer look to the dam and waterfall that spans the creek. Seems like a great spot for a picnic! Across the river (south side) is the original Mill which is still functional and has a shop in it where you can pick up the items they have. I, unfortunately, was pressed for time and didn't make it into the mill on this visit. As I drove through town, I could see numerous buildings where the Fall Festival vendors would set up to attract tourists. Seeing all the buildings, I let my imagination run wild and wondered what the town was like before it had the fall festival. What is it like now when the town is filled with visitors? Sounds like another road trip is needed. Review #2731