The lanthier winery and distillery is literally a must see attraction for anyone looking to visit…read moreour small town of Madison Indiana or for anyone who has never stopped by or maybe you just haven't visited lately. Its Indiana oldest winery but with its constant up keep of beautiful sceneries and event changes with every season Its hard to believe its a modern piece of the 1800th century. Its an amazing destination for anniversaries or special events but also so big with so much to see its perfect for anyone wanting to just stroll and explore all its beautiful unique sights and enjoy a free wine tasting of all thier award winning wines.

We stopped at Lanthier Winery and Distillery on a whim during a day trip to Madison, Indiana. What…read morea surprising treat! In our region, local rural wineries often offer sweet berry wines. There are plenty of sweet options, but the dry wines are great! Mr.Lanthier has refined his skills since they started in 1994 and the juice is from the Great Lakes wineries that have gotten drier over the years. Distilling wines into unexpectedly good vodkas and gins since 2020 adds more reasons to visit this terrific gem, especially on a beautiful spring day.

I love art galleries and this one was no exception. I was in the small town of Vevay for an event…read moreyesterday and stopped in here first. I was told while in the shop that all of the art was local and you had to live within a 60 mile radius to display and sell your artwork. There are some talented folks in the Vevay area. I really enjoyed perusing the art and all of the different art forms and techniques used. There were paintings, wood work, fused glass, sculptures, clay work and jewelry. There were items at all price points depending on what you were looking for. I ended up with two items from the same artist. I purchased a magnet to mark my time in Vevay, Indiana and also a necklace that she handcrafted. I will definitely stop in here again to check out new pieces when I am back in town.

For Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I thought I'd pull up a review for a piece of Black history in…read moreIndiana. To my surprise, Eleutherian College is unreviewed. Sometimes, you just stumble into the coolest places. Eleutherian College, founded as Eleutherian Institute, was founded by local anti-slavery Baptists in Lancaster, Indiana (about 10 miles north of Madison). The school began instruction as a secondary school on Nov. 27, 1848 and was known for admitting students without regard to ethnicity or gender - this included freed and fugitive slaves. In 1854, it was renamed Eleutherian College because it began offering college-level coursework. It closed in 1874 and the main building became a private school and then a public high school. It is now operated by a non-profit organization. Eleutherian was the second college in the U.S. west of the Allegheny Mountains and the first in Indiana to provide education to students of different races. The three-story stone chapel and classroom building was built between 1853-1856 and currently serves as a museum for local history. In 1993, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and became a National Historic Landmark in 1997. In the decade before the Civil War, African-American students comprised 1/4 to 1/3 of total enrollment. At one point, enrollment reached 150 students. Interestingly, no Black students were enrolled past 1861. During the Civil War, the grounds were used for military training. The main building was used for meetings/concerts. You can actually tour inside and work continues in terms of renovation. The Lancaster area during this time was known for its anti-slavery sentiment. While I know Eleutherian has had some renovation done, my und Noteworthy graduates include Moses Broyles, who became pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Indianapolis and an organizer of the Indiana Association of Black Baptists Churches in 1858. Broyles was a slave from Kentucky who purchased his freedom as an adult. Notable female students included Sarah B. Hoyt, who also studied at Oberlin College. She became a teacher and later served as a high school principal at Newport, Kentucky. Also, Rebecca J. Thompson, who completed studies at the Young Ladies Institute, which later became Shepardson College in Granville, Ohio, was chair of the mathematics department at Franklin College (Indiana) for thirty-eight years. She retired from Franklin College in 1910. It's worth noting that as a historic building accessibility is limited. It's likely possible to get to the first floor (some assistance may be needed). For the exterior, the main building was constructed in the Greek Revival style. The three-story building has a rectangular plan that includes a square bell tower (belfry) centered above a gable-fronted main entrance. The gable roof includes a triangular-shaped wood pediment above the third-floor windows. The building's windowsills, lintels, and corner quoins are finished limestone, which contrasts to the rough-hewn stone walls. The north (front) facade of the building has three bays wide with two wooden doors flanking a single, ground-floor window. East and west facades are identical, with four double-height windows below four more on the third level. The south (rear) facade has two windows at the third-floor level. In terms of interior, the main building has a small entryway leading to a two-story chapel that runs the length of the building. The chapel includes double-height windows and a balcony, which crosses the north side of the room. The chapel ceiling is covered in wood panels. Stairs at each end of the entry hall lead to the upper floors. The second story includes two classrooms above the entryway and five additional rooms on the third floor. Stairs in one of the third-floor rooms leads to an unfinished attic. A ladder in the attic leads to the belfry tower. The cast bell was manufactured by J.A. Kelley of Franklin Brass Bell Factory, Madison, Indiana. This is a pretty significant part of Black history in Southern Indiana leading up to the Civil War. All of Madison is worth a day trip and that day trip should include a stop at Eleutherian. Contact Historic Eleutherian College, Inc. for more information!

I've visited quite a few county museums in our state, and this is one of the best ones I've been…read moreto. This one, though not loaded with lots of donated local artifacts, has a real museum like quality with its professionally made plaques and arrangements. The central building of the museum has a gift shop on the left, a children's activity center on the right, and the main museum beyond the children's area. (The matching area on the left is for events like a train display and a holiday gingerbread competition.) The museum is really one large, well lit room. It is divided into sections. I was able to find about a local artist, pioneer life, early manufacturing, ferry steamboats, and Indiana's involvement in the Civil War with a "Morgan's Raid" map/display. There is free parking along the street. There is no charge to the museum though they do have a donation box near the entrance. Sorry, they are only open during the week, so plan your visit accordingly. Review #3394

Copied from the Switzerland County Tourism website: "The Historic Hoosier Theater is registered as…read morea National Historic Landmark. Built in 1837 as a warehouse and store, it has housed a saddlery, the post office, the newspaper and a tavern. It became a building for popular entertainment in 1926, when it was converted to a movie theater. The theater closed in 1955. In 1983, a group rejuvenated the building. Today the theatre present films, live performances and hosts civic events." The theater is not very large, but it is always entertaining to visit whatever show they are presenting, especially plays that feature locals. I've been to it several times and always enjoy myself. They always offer seasonal shows for the holidays, and serve as a venue for "The Shows of Second Saturday" each month, which is a series of concerts featuring a variety of music styles. They occasionally use the theater to show old movies as well. If you happen to be in town when the theater is presenting something, it is well worth a visit.

To obtain tickets was so easy after reading their informative descriptions and therefore ordered…read moretheir VIP tickets. Then, even though the event is over 4 months away , I had a question and received a response from the VIP director herself almost instantly. That is great PR. I can't wait to see the races there. COMPARE THIS: in 2 days there will be 24 hydroplane races of different classes but including worlds largest the Unlimiteds and loudest the GP's VS in Seattle last year it cost $500 a ticket for VIP and 3 competitive races only to see : Unlimited heats 3a, 3b, and the final. The awesome old vintage ran which was and is always awesome and a crowd favorite but wish there were more. And a small kids race over in front of grandstands we could not view ( and is great for our future fans and drivers to start young). So 24 vs 3..hmmmm easy decision if hydro nut wanting competitive fun in front of you! I wish Seattle would learn to increase competitive heats of hydroplanes and just two different airshows of Blue Angels and then a rotating other plane show! Many others agree with that position. But can't wait for Madison Regatta this year!

I have not been to Madison, Indiana for about 10 years now. I thought it a great idea, because last…read moretime I was there on weekend a lot of the stores and shops had sidewalk sales and neat things to look over and buy. We decided to take a drive and view the Hydroplane racers, and enjoy the day. What I first noticed, was the town itself. Littered everywhere with cans, bottles, and trash. This used to be a quaint little town, they did however have hanging baskets of flowers, but most shops were closed. When being denied to the use of bathroom facilities at a service station, where we bought fuel, and drinks, we then proceeded to the River to find out the price of entry was $25 per person!! Entirely too much money to stand around all day when I can watch it on TV. Sorry Madison, but you need a better job promoting this event. We did not feel welcome at this event.

Stopped in here while in town for an event. The folks in here were really welcoming and also didn't…read moremind if we used their restroom while waiting in line for our event to start. While in the shop I learned a thing or two about Switzerland county and also about Fred the Goat! Fred the goat can be found in concrete all over town. Fred has also been taken home to many other states to live. Fred was a goat that lived in Vevay but kept escaping and people would find him. Fred's caretaker finally was tired of chasing him down and gave him to a local farmer but Fred had other plans and escaped from that farmer as well, over and over. Finally the farmer just let him have his way and Fred chose to stay in an abandoned farmhouse and he would still make trips to town. Fred lived a good long life, 16 years, and passed away in 2015 but his legend lives on. In this little shop you can purchase t-shirts depicting Fred or just displaying Vevay for $5 and sweatshirts for $10. There are also many brochures about the area to take home. Stop in this corner shop next time you are in Vevay, Indiana.

This park is very nice. It spans 29 acres and is pretty spread out. There are tons of parking…read morespaces all around. It is located near the pool and the softball/baseball fields, and it is hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. So I will treat them as a single unit. The park has 3 horseshoe pits that are enclosed by a fence. You will also find some decent tennis and pickleball courts near the pool. The park has 3 shelters that are available for rent. The shelters have picnic tables under them and would be great for parties and events. There are 8 soccer fields at the park. They are decently maintained. The park's full basketball court is pretty nice. I almost had to lace them up and make it rain. What this park has that many don't is a remote-controlled car park. It is a pretty nice dirt track, and I have not seen this at any other park I have visited. The park is home to a seasonal farmers' market set up under the large shelter. Some parking spots are reserved for the farmers' market on days it operates. I do not know how strictly that is enforced, though. The park's playground is very nice. It appears to be new and has some kind of zipline swing, a bank of traditional/ADA/toddler swings, a saucer swing, a net climber, a WhirlyQ Spinner, and a huge jungle gym with a couple of slides and a bridge. There is a smaller playground area with a spiral slide, a jet rocker, a saucer swing, and a jungle gym with several slides and a canopy. The playground area is on a bed of wood chips, and the equipment is very modern and in great condition. All in all, this is a really good park. It is adjoined to a pool and baseball fields. It looks like it is where most of the town's events happen. It is definitely worth checking out if you are in the area.

This park has a bit of something for everyone! Shelters, playgrounds, aquatic center, ball fields…read moreand courts, and parking! There is a skate park and a small "raceway" for certain events when the weather is warmer. Located on the north end of town, the park is easily accessible and is undergoing some additional work to make it even better. If you are looking for a park, check this one out first! Review #2176