If you are looking for things to do in Vincennes, swing by the local Visitors Center located near…read morethe entrance to the Indiana Military Museum. The center is located in a small building with most of it being offices for the Visitors and Tourism Bureau. But there is a space in the lobby where you can find brochures and merchandise promoting the area. The folks who work there are friendly and were glad to answer any questions. Still, for the small space that they have, you can get a lot of information. Review #3568

Carlisle Carnegie Library burnt in 1967. It is currently located at the entrance to the Carlisle…read moreElementary / Jr High School. The Library offers an great online library service.

If you are in Vincennes, this place is a must stop if you enjoy hearing about history and being…read moreable to see authentic pieces from the period. The Harrison Mansion was built from 1802-4 for a price of about $20,000.(around $1 million in today's dollars.) Tours are available on the hour. Parking is available on the street next to the entrance. But: No photography of any kind is allowed inside the mansion. It is privately owned, not part of the State Museum collection. There are numerous plaques outside that give you a little history for events that took place on the grounds of the mansion which is called Grouseland (grouse were hunted for food and were William Henry Harrison's favorite dish.) Harrison was Governor of the territory and would go on to become the 9th President of the United States at the age of 68 (the oldest elected until Reagan.) While in Vincennes, he often had dealings with the local Native American tribes including historic meetings with Tecumseh and his brother Prophet a while before the Battle of Tippecanoe during the War of 1812. There are grounds marked where the first meeting with Tecumseh took place since he refused to enter the mansion. Besides the history, the mansion is a museum. Much of the Harrison family possessions are still on site and the rest of the home is filled with period pieces. (I really wish I could have taken pictures!) All the original hard wood floors are still intact. Visitors are limited to viewing most rooms from the area by the doorway entrance. The house had three parts: The ceremonial and affairs of state section; the family section; and the servant - soldier section. It is easy to spot the differences between the family and servant sections. In fact, if you take the tour, you will need to be able to walk steep and narrow stairs and will have to watch your head if you are of average height or taller. I also found it interesting that the mansion was constructed with extra thick walls to serve as a fortress for the family and locals in the area to retreat to when under attack by the native people. The mansion had a view of the Wabash and could see travelers on the river, but that also made it easy for an attack to arrive silently via the water. Fortunately, the house had a place in the roof to send light signals to the fort 2 miles away. The tour was filled with anecdotes and interesting information. Some of the furniture was quite different from what we use in modern times. I could only guess at some of the pieces (fortunately the tour guide knew). Overall, it was an enjoyable visit. Just wish I could have taken pictures. Review #2968

This is the home where Red Skelton was born. It is not open, but you can go there and see the…read moreoutside and read the Historical Marker

Well kept I am proud to have seen it I do recommend the time to take to see it once it's not like…read morebreath taking but it is special to those in our community

Indiana has some of the best monuments when it comes to celebrating our appreciation for Soldiers…read moreand Sailors. Vincennes added its monument made from red granite in 1914 on the northeast corner of the county courthouse. Rising over sixty feet, the vault like structure base supports an obelisk that is topped with a bronze flag bearer. The flag bearer and four other statues, one on each corner of the vault, were created by sculptor Rudolf Schwarz and were cast posthumously to his death in 1912. The other four statues represent Navy, Artillery, Infantry, and Cavalry. The monument sits in a plaza that allows access to all sides of the monument. The plaza also has granite monuments to significant historical documents on one side of the plaza. The other side has monuments honoring those who served in the military in each of the wars in our country's history. Flags fly behind the military monuments. The space is well kept and is beautiful. Because everything is done in bronze and granite, there has been little deterioration over the 100+ years. While at the monument, check out the nearby courthouse for additional statues. On the north end are two statues on the third story. One is George Rogers Clark and the other is a Union Soldier. On the south side of the courthouse is a statue of Justice. All three statues were carved by Andrea Barrot in Carrara, Italy in time for the dedication of the courthouse in 1874. The monument and neighboring statues are worth stopping by the next time you are in Knox County. Review #2976

Over 100 years ago, this Soldiers Monument was erected on the south side of the Daviess County…read moreCourt House. Standing nearly 30', it is made of white granite. Back in 1913, local artist John Walsh designed the monument. It features a flag bearer on top with a figure representing Artillery on the west and another figure representing Infantry on the east. There is also the state seal on the base of the monument. Review #3184

This monument is located in front of the Daviess County Courthouse. It was erected in 1913. It…read morealong with the courthouse itself has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This memorial is a tribute to the brave soldiers who endured the hardships and fought the battles of 1861 to 1865. Daviess County supplied 2,312 men to the Union Army during this time. One of the panels is dedicated to the memory of the pioneers who blazed the trail and cleared the fields, to the brave hearted soldiers of the Indian wars who fought the battles of civilization upon Indiana's soil, and to all who answered the call of patriotism upon the nations battlefields. There is street parking along all sides of the courthouse so you can get out and get a closer look at the monument. It isn't a place you will likely spend a lot of time, but if you are interested in history it is certainly worth checking out if you are ever in the area.

Some of the statues in historic Vincennes are for frontiersmen. But this collection of statues…read moreoutside the Old Cathedral Saint Francis Xavier Church in downtown Vincennes pays tribute to religious leaders & saints. Standing 9' tall in bronze is Father Pierre Gibault, the "Patriot Priest" which is located in the mall area in front of the church. Gibault was key in his attempts to convince the French settlers to switch their allegiance from the British to the Americans in 1778. This support along with his life savings which were given to help George Rogers Clark in his campaign of defeating the British helped turn the tide for the young American country. The Old Cathedral is the oldest Catholic Church in the state. Dating back to the early 1800's, the Cathedral added three figures to the front of the building in 1908. Viewing from left to right are Saint Joan of Arc, Saint Francis Xavier, and Saint Patrick. No artist data is available. Though starting to show some weathering, these three statues are still identifiable from ground level. If you are a history buff or are interested in art, these sculptures are worth checking out. Review #2973

Local sculptor Bill Wolfe (Terre Haute) created a tribute to the man who is considered the Founder…read moreof Vincennes: Lt Francois-Marie Bissot. Bissot's father was in charge of promoting loyalty to the French among the Miami Indians. When Bissot's father passed away, Bissot was promoted to take over this duty. Bissot was French and worked his way up through the ranks of the French army in the Louisiana Territory in the area of modern day Indiana. In 1730, he was promoted to Lieutenant and was made commandant of the area. He was charged with promoting French trade with the native people and keeping British traders out. Vincennes became the site of the trading post set up by Bissot. Sadly, Bissot died at the age of 36 due to a fire started by the Chickasaw Indians while on a trip to the southern part of the Louisiana Territory. The bronze statue is a new addition to the downtown Vincennes waterfront. Review #2969