The little town of Madison is a beauty. I have been trying to appreciate the smaller towns around…read moreme more, and it's amazing the hidden gems that you can come across. Located right by the Ohio river, Madison is a beaming community. Their main street stretches pretty far, and many of their residents live right on there. A lot of pedestrians, and easy walking access to most businesses. You could consider it a college town being close to Hanover, but you'll find folks of all age ranges here. In the summertime, you can head down to the river and hop on a boat for a joyride. Only about an hour from Louisville, and a cleaner-looking side of the Ohio River, this town sure has a lot going for it.

Historical town in Indiana along the Ohio River. Great little places to eat, tours, shopping and…read moreclose by is Clifty Falls State Park and Hanover College. We really enjoyed it.

Beautiful fountain located right in the center of town. It's surrounded by meticulously manicured…read morehouses and was a perfect mini-stop on our trip through town. It's just a short walk or drive from Main Street and there is also free street parking.

GO AGAIN: Yes, this was worth seeing, as was Madison, IN. Beautiful fountain and great town for…read morewalking around.

Such a sweet little house designed by one of the most noted early architects of Indiana. Where else…read moreare you going to find a SLIDING front door?! This is a little gem, beautifully preserved. Check out the fun purple and green wallpaper in the dining room. Also the HUGE windows. Just amazing.

Wonderful tour. Our tour guide was so knowledgeable and made the tour very interesting. If you're…read moreever in town, I recommend it.

A fantastic way to spend an hour! The one hour home tour is absolutely worth the admission price…read more Purchase tickets at the Madison Visitor's Center located across the street. Parking is ample along the street bordering the home. Our tour guide proved exceptionally friendly, patient, and knowledgeable. No bathrooms in the home, so plan accordingly.

We decided to spend some time in Madison on the way up to Columbus. it was a beautiful sunny day…read more The city has made some very nice improvements around the city. Since the new bridge has gone in the road to the downtown area has been reworked so it is no longer all the turns through the neighbors hoods. Now it it is a nice fairly straight road. The downtown area seems to be coming back to life as there are a number of new businesses that have opened up. The last time we were here it almost looked like a ghost town. We took some time to go visit the Broadway Fountain, the Visitor Center, some of the neighborhoods and the James Lanier house. The neighborhoods have also had a lot of activity. So many of the homes have been refurbished and now look like they would have in the day when they were built. Even the gas lights are on the major corners. We can't wait to come back when the weather warms so we can walk the downtown streets and go in all the shops.

We visited Madison this past weekend with my two brothers and their spouses. We thoroughly enjoyed…read moreMadison. The preservation of the historic structures is amazing, and it gave the city a historic charm that you seldom find anywhere else. It had an abundance of antique shops, gifts and craft shops, and a variety of restaurants. We took the free walking tour of several of the historic buildings and it was entertaining and informative. Again, the preservation of the historic character of this town is worth the visit. They also had an event where old time racing boats were competing on the Ohio River. We watched some of that and it was fun if you're into that type of thing. I took one star off for a single reason. The noise of automobiles with poor mufflers along with loud motorcycles up and down the downtown streets made it very difficult to hold a conversation at a sidewalk Cafe. I would recommend the city institute some type of noise ordinance and strictly enforce it, because the noise detracts from the charm of the town. With the amount of violators they would ticket, I imagine the revenue would pay for a lot more historic preservation.!

After the 1937 flood this was still standing…read more A German immigrant, C. Heigold built a mansion and to prove his patriotism he carved all sorts of symbols into the walls of stone. During this time, Irish peoples were frowned upon. Allow a German immigrant, they were forced to live a lower class of individuals too! Following Bloody Monday where Irish were forced to stay away from voting with their lives. The Germans had actual live ammunition fired upon them by angry citizens. But still he loved his new country and home! We have the ornate stone symbols to remember how much someone loved their country. This door has been relocated all that was left from the mighty Ohio River. It shows the symbols of freedom, literally liberty carved into it! The love that comes from a man's soul and spirit can still be enjoyed over 150 years later. Now if you are looking to remember your loved one. You could have a brick placed here forever more . When close to the Big Four Bridge and Ohio Water Park Front this is a must. It's on the road directly across from the Botanical Gardens. The flora is maintained by the Botanical Gardens of Kentucky. When in doubt always smell the flowers! Walk through the facade to find the other sides of life.

TikTok really has opened my eyes to hidden treasures everywhere. I'm sure that I'm not the only one…read morethat feels this way. When you doom scroll, you come across many different places that are true hidden gems. Door To Nowhere, or Heigold House, is definitely an oddity and salute to the past. Some housekeeping, you know, things to know about this place. BE CAREFUL. This sits on a roundabout island with steady traffic. Be mindful to the traffic flow and businesses nearby (I parked at a nearby business off the road and walked over here). Be kind to the natural beauty that surrounds this. And most of all, be respectful. As I said, this sits on a roundabout with flowerbeds surrounding it. Whether you are facing front, as in looking at the front of the façade, or looking from the rear, please stay on the sidewalks provided. Take in the informational plaques as well. Built by Christian H Heigold, a successful stonecutter. Majority of the house was completed in 1853. Heigold was a master at stonecutting and completed the home with busts of Presidents George Washington and James Buchanan. Heigold was also a staunch opponent of the 'Know Nothing Party,' and anti-immigration political party and I would like to think that he built his house with all the busts was a big middle finger to those that were anti-immigration. This façade sat in what was known as the The Point neighborhood, which was favored by those that moved to the city from the New Orleans area. Once Louisville diverted the Beargrass Creek away from downtown, this place started to flood annually. Shifting people away from the neighborhood and then the Great Flood of 1937 happened. Slowly the city started buying houses and demolishing them. Ultimately using the land as a dump site. Then this façade was listed on the National Registry of Historical Places. Remained in that area which became Thruston Park. That is until a developer bought the land adjacent to this and build condos. They moved this massive beast, 70,000-pounds, across River Road to where it sits today.

This is a cool castle that I took my family to over the summer. I enjoy visiting random unique…read moreplaces. It's one of my favorite things to do in exploring and adding things to help. So of course we had a great time at this castle in Lagrange

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!