The Pioneer, Soldiers and Sailors Monument is the focal point on the Courthouse Square in Bedford,…read moreIndiana. She is a carved wonder remembering local heroes through the ages in the heart of limestone country. She looks pretty amazing for turning 100 years old in 2024. This is one of the most impressive monuments that I've seen in Indiana. The names of local heroes are posted around the little courtyard surrounding the monument. There is parking near the base of the monument. A few stone benches surround the statue but sitting on the massive limestone steps seems like the thing to do. The City of Bedford was sponsoring Memorial Day concerts across the street during our visit. Well worth a visit when in the area.

In the home of limestone, it seems fitting that one of the most prominent art pieces in the county…read moreis a multi-layered monument made from that material. Located on the west side of the court house, a monument to Pioneers, Soldiers and Sailors rises in a dedication plaza that seems to be a catch all for everyone/everything someone in the county wants to commemorate. The main monument was erected in 1924 and features the artistry of two sculptors. The base of the sculpture rises above eye level and features four sides, each with a relief chiseled into the limestone. The artist was Charles Dodd. Each of the sides is unique in the theme and each features several human images portraying a scene. Standing atop the square pedestal is an allegorical figure representing Indiana. The robed figure stands 14' and was created by artist Harry Easton. Review #2009

This is one of the better County Museums I have visited in Central Indiana. They seem to have…read moreregular/dependable hours which is always a plus for visitors. There is a someone to greet you at the entrance who lets you know about the layout of the museum (records are on the second floor, gift shop across the hall.) Inside the main gallery of the museum, there seems to be rows of free standing cases filled with items on the shelves. Along the walls of the gallery are larger displays and some individual pieces like antique pianos or a replica of Spring Mill (from the state park). Of course, Bedford has a basketball tradition, so they feature letter jackets and memorabilia from the schools over the years and even a special Damon Bailey tribute, the best player to come out of the county who went on to national notoriety with his ball playing before leg injuries (from running so much) slowed his career. The county has also produced three astronauts including the famous Gus Grissom. There is a section of the museum devoted to those individuals. Admission was free and parking is easy along the courthouse property to the south. Review #2010

This is a very nice and interesting county museum. I'm originally from Bedford and have gone to…read morethe county museum there off and on for all of my life. (Disclaimer: my grandmother worked at the old museum and my mother volunteers at the new location). That said, give yourself a treat and take a tour of this fine museum. It's well designed, has many items of interest on display, is well lighted, uncrowded, and is just plain fun. Among my favorite items are the amazing chains made from a single chunk of the local limestone. The workmanship and skill involved is amazing. I could go on about the old clothing, maps, photos and numerous artifacts but you should go for a visit. That's a better way.

I don't know what's going on here being a visitor to the town, but when I look at pictures from…read morewhen the park was dedicated in 2012 to a veteran, this park has slid downhill...hard! The playground is gone. The play area has been bulldozed down to the dirt. All that is left is a small shelter and a bench. No parking. Bad location next to a recycling/trash area. I can only hope that the park is being renovated and I just visited at a bad time. Signs could help if that's the case! Review #2005

I came here to visit the famous limestone statue of Joe Palooka that stands outside the Oolitic…read moreCity Hall on Main Street. Oolitic and nearby Bedford, Indiana were thriving communities during the early-mid 1900's due to limestone industry. The quarries in this region produce high quality limestone due to the unique geology. The statue of Joe Palooka is a product of that time. Joe Palooka was a popular comic book hero back during WWII created by Ham Fisher. The Indiana Limestone Association adopted Joe as a mascot as he was considered a "Cornerstone of Freedom" and carved his likeness into 20,000 pounds of limestone. The 10' statue was dedicated by Ham Fisher on June 14, 1948 in the town of Bedford. Over the years the statue has moved around due to vandalism and other factors. Today, he stands outside the City Hall in Oolitic. He wears a boxing cape and has the chiseled features of a 20th century superhero. The statue shows a little damage from hail and vandalism but stands tall as part of Indiana's history. The City Hall is a modest building with a welcoming front porch. Local residents can pay bills and find information here. There is street parking directly out front. The building is accessible through an entrance in the rear. I loved seeing and learning about Joe and recommend a visit.

This is a nice little neighborhood park with a small playground, shelter, and a soccer field…read more There is a limited amount of parking along the roadside. The soccer nets were down for the winter, but there seemed to be a decent playing field for the kids. The playground had swings and a climbing/slide structure in the center of the mulched area. Review #2006

We had Vivi as our tour guide and she was very educational for my husband and my first cave tour…read more It lasted close to an hour and the average temp was a very comfortable 54 degrees on a summer day! We saw a transparent cavern fish that you can see their spine and a frog and a bat.

It was the day before mine and the wife's 30th anniversary and I was looking for something fun and…read moredifferent to do. Enter Bluespring Caverns Park. So on our Anniversary Eve I told her what time we needed to get up and what time we needed to leave to make the drive from Louisville to the park. She had no idea where we were going. When we pulled in to the parking lot she said "Well, this looks fun!". We were fortunate enough to arrive about 10:45 am and were the last two booked for the 11:00 tour. The entre fee is around $25 per person, but being a Veteran I was able to get a $4 discount (I'm also told that the Veteran discount is the only discount they offer any more). The tour starts with a walk down a hill that I couldn't help but think would be GREAT on a sled in the winter. It's a helluva walk (both down and up), but VERY scenic. As you descend you can feel the air cool. On a 90° degree day it felt REALLY nice. Once you're down to the bottom you board a boat and start the tour. Sam was our tour guide and he was Most Excellent. Sam has been doing tours at Bluespring Cavern for about 9 years and he shared all kind of facts and trivia during out tour. As I recall our tour was about 5/8 of a mile at a very leisurely pace. Caverns are such amazing, wonderful places. They're their own little, secret underground world. No matter how many I my brain goes into overdrive trying to imagine how it was hundreds/thousands of years ago, how incredibly still and quiet it must be when empty, and how completely isolating they can be. Sam educated us as we went along and entered different "rooms" in the cavern, giving us history and safety tips (DO NOT drink the water) along the way. We even got to see a few bats on our journey. Our boat tour got over a lot sooner than I expected, then it was time to walk back up the hill I think it'd be a blast to sled down. No worries, I'm in pretty good shape. A quick visit to the gift shop and we were on our way. (I added another shot glass to my collection of over 700). We did the boat tour, but they also offer kayak tours and have an overnight room where groups can actually sleep overnight in the cavern. That would be SO freakin' cool! The staff was friendly and funny, the tour was great, and the gift shop wasn't overdone or kitschy. Bluespring Caverns is SUCH a cool place, and we will absolutely visit again.

Excellent tour. I had this on my things to do list and passed it in the morning. Since my other…read moretour was short I decided to hit this up. I called just before 4 pm and the man said I would make the last tour. I was the only one but how sweet to let me go through. Malory was my guide and she did an excellent job. She was probably surprised at all the notes I was taking. I even had to have her spell some of the words. It is a little scary when you go to the door in the side of a mountain and it is pitch black. You only have to walk a few feet and then you enter another door to the cave. It can get cold and drops do fall on you so wear appropriate clothing or hats. You also have to go down (I think she said 73 steps) and the stairs are narrow. Wear good tennis shoes or boots. Very interesting cavern and this was my first. Interesting fact: Squire Boone is buried in the cavern. Truth and interesting story as to why. There are a lot of things to do but because I came late and spent an hour on the tour all the other shops were closed down. There is a large gravel parking lot, so you park wherever. They have animals you may feed too. This is at least a two-three hour visit, so get there by noon. I visited May 31, 2023. $24 entrance

Really great tour--informative and enjoyable! Definitely worth a visit. I came during the…read moreoff-season, so it was a bit slower, but still an awesome experience.