Such a great experience! Extremely informative! The museum has many cool artifacts from Lew…read moreWallace's life as well as props from Ben-Hur film adaptations. The study itself is stunning. Our tour guide Tom was extremely knowledgeable and explained the history of Wallace's life and all the objects in the study in a very engaging way! This is a can't miss spot in Crawfordsville!

If you watch the 1959 movie "Ben-Hur", you will see a story about a man who lived a life that was…read morefitting to be on the big screen of Hollywood. However, if Hollywood wanted to make a movie about a real life man who accomplished a variety of great things, a movie should be made about the author of the novel, General Lew Wallace of Indiana. Born in Brookville in 1827, the man was a war hero in the Civil War, an author of seven novels, an inventor, sculptor/painter, foreign minister to the Ottoman Empire, and governor of the New Mexico Territory. And for a day job, he was a lawyer in Crawfordsville, Indiana where he settled and raised his family. Before living such an active life in service to his country, he moved to Crawfordsville and attended an event at the home of his former commander in the Mexican War, Henry S Lane. Lane's wife was one of the daughters of prominent Crawfordsville business man Isaac Elston. Another of Elston's daughters, Susan, was in attendance. Wallace met Susan which led to their eventual marriage and raising of a son, Henry Lane Wallace. Being a man of means, Wallace acquired property near the Elston family land holdings which is the site of the study and museum. He had the study built on his property that featured a 25 x 25 room with a skylight and walls filled with rows of books. In the study and beneath a large tree just west of the building, Wallace did his writing, sculpting, inventing, and painting. Truly, he was a modern day Renaissance man. If you visit the Wallace property, you can walk the grounds outside the study for free. There is parking by the carriage house or street parking outside the property on the east and west sides. However, if you want to go inside the study and learn more about the life of the man, you can take a tour for only $5. The tour begins in the carriage house with a 15-minute video about Wallace and his most famous creation, "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ". The video room is filled with movie memorabilia. From there, you see some of the property including the site of the former moat, some flower gardens, and a Wallace Statue placed where the tree he used to write under had been. And finally, you get a tour of the study and get to see many of the paintings, inventions, and books that where mentioned in the video. The place has been painstakingly preserved while restoring it and updating things like plumbing and wiring for safety reasons. The room is filled with art and details that were innovative for their time. You can spend a lot of time looking at this extensive collection. Note: there is also a side room that was set up to show some of Wallace's Civil War activities and collections. Tours are available during normal business hours and can be started whenever you arrive unless another tour has already begun. If you are a fan of history and appreciate creativity, then this is a tour you will definitely enjoy. Review #1387

I don't think I will ever get the images of the Rotary Jail out of my mind. The Rotary Jail is both…read morefascinating and horrifying piece of local history. This is the last rotary jail that is functional in the United States. Like many Midwest towns, the sheriff's home also served as a jail for short term stays. The rotary cell system was designed to minimize the number of guards required to secure thirty or more inmates. The birdcage shaped contraption, is made up of two layers of small wedge shaped cells. There is a single door that cells must rotate towards to add or release people. Benjamin Haugh and William Brown of Indianapolis built the system and installed many throughout the US. Unfortunately, the rotation of the cells proved to be extremely dangerous for inmates and most rotating jails were condemned within a few years. The jail in Crawfordsville became functional in 1882 and operated through 1973. Modifications were made to the jail in the 1930s to improve safety. The building was restored and preserved as a museum in 1975. The museum also has several displays describing the local sheriffs and their equipment. Several pieces of period furniture and housewares are on display. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places. The tour guide was amazingly knowledgable and realistic about the dangers of the rotary system. She demonstrated the rotary action of the cells for us. We are allowed to walk into the cells. Admission is $8 per person and small kids are free. I didn't see ADA access and there are a lot of up and down steps, so it would be difficult to maneuver a wheel chair or stroller. There are no public restrooms either. We parked downtown and walked two blocks. There is a small gift shop in the rear of the house selling sheriff themed and other trinkets. I highly recommend a visit if you like history, architecture and engineering.

Most interesting museum we've ever been in! We've traveled the US and several countries and I must…read moresay, this is the one that we stumbled on that will forever be remembered! Who knew a rotary jail was a thing? Not us! The guided tour takes you through the sheriff's residence which has several original furnishings and household items. There's plenty of history to read on the walls and other time period items to learn about but the main attraction is of course the jail! Our tour guide was a bit odd and he was pretty short in his stories and explanations but the gal that toured the jail and basement was perfect! She explained everything in detail and embellished with some tales of the jail! The jail rotates! Literally spins around with one door in and one door out! Well, that was the way it was built originally and operated until 1933, then they said no more rotating, too many prisoner injuries! It still rotates though, the only one in existence so definitely a must see!

On the east side of downtown Crawfordsville, you may notice a stretch of land on Wabash Street that…read moreis lined with large estates with beautiful old homes. A great deal of the property was once held by local business man, Isaac Elston. He and his wife raised nine children, many of whom lived along this stretch, including his daughter Joanna and her husband, Henry S Lane. Lane was a lawyer and prominent politician who was a key player in getting Abraham Lincoln nominated for President, and was actually elected Governor of Indiana with his Lieutenant Governor Oliver Morton. In those days, US Senators were appointed and since Lane knew he would become appointed Senator, led the gubernatorial ticket instead of the controversial Morton. Two days after taking office as Governor, Lane stepped down so that he could become Senator while allowing Morton to step into the Governor's position. Seems like wheeling and dealing have always been part of the American Way. Lane is known as one of the most popular founders of the Republican Party as the Whigs were losing power and elections to the Democratic Party. New life needed to be breathed into the party, so a fresh start was needed. Lane, along with others like Lincoln, was a great orator and he was able to bring people together to agree with his ideas. The Lane House/Place/Mansion/Museum (it goes by many names including Antebellum in the description) is a beautiful estate which faces Water Street, but has access from Pike Street which allows you to pull onto the driveway and walk around to the entrance. For $5, you can take a guided tour of the home and see the elaborate collections of historical and political memorabilia. It is open from March 1 to December 1, Tuesdays through Saturdays until 5 p.m. The tours are individually available so you don't have to wait until a set time to start. That allows time to ask lots of questions. So, the tour can last for well over an hour if you are curious like I was. (see website for specifics on prices and other issues.) The house started off modestly, but was added to over several phases as the family grew. The tour starts off with showing the formal entry and music parlor. The opulence is immediately apparent as you see the paintings of family members and a porcelain inlaid cabinet designed specifically for holding piano music. That room connects to the study which is filled with collections of political papers and photos that were collected by Lane. There are many historical items as well, including doctor's medical kits, and many other period items. From there, you enter the formal dining room loaded with more plates and serving specific bowls, plates, and utensils than most people could guess at. Everything had a purpose and though it may seem odd now, was expected of those wishing to maintain the highest social standing. Rounding out the rest of the first floor tour is a less formal room where the children would often play while the adults would meet in the previous rooms. Paintings of the children and a miniature tea set can be seen. Heading upstairs via a custom made stairway (Joanna was quite short in stature), the tour leads you through three bedrooms. There you will see the crib that Joanna and her eight siblings all slept in as infants. Beyond that room is the one selected by Joanna's niece Helen who became the home's owner after Joanna passed away. Helen blew through her inheritance fitting the house with more upgrades (?) and additions. The room is quite bold in appearance. The last room on the tour was the guest bedroom which includes a knocker on the door and a private balcony over looking the yard on the north side. In there, a bed of a man named Whitlock is currently being displayed. Wherever Whitlock went, he had his bed disassembled and put up where he stayed. Must have been a man of influence to make his hosts put up with that eccentricity! The house is filled with family items that boast around a 95% authenticity rating. That is one of the highest I've found in my travels. So, if you want to get a feeling for what a place looked like when the owners lived there, this should be at the top of your list! Review #1388

Almost hidden in the little town of Williamsport is an amazing geological feature millions of years…read morein the making. The Williamsport Falls at 90 feet high is the longest falls in Indiana. We knew it was there somewhere, but Eric at the Hot Dog Station said it's right out back and sure enough, there it was. There is a small parking area and maps of hiking trails where you can walk along the creek, descend and watch the waterfall. You can observe the top of the falls right from the parking lot. There was no water flowing due to lack of rain during our visit, but you could see amazing crevasses created by water rushing over the falls. For a small observation deck, you can see the shear drop of the falls. The fall foliage was just starting to change making the view spectacular. There is no charge to enter the park, which is dog friendly. There are several trails.

A great place for a walk and a swim to cool off afterwards! The path is newly updated for easier…read morewalking and the area is all cleaned up and nice!

Come to Casey and see the World's Largest Things. They're all over town and it's only a couple of…read moremiles off I-70 as you're passing between Terre Haute and Saint Louis. On the the big ones in the downtown core is this, the World's Largest Wind Chime. It is accessed through the patio area of what looks like a cute restaurant, Whitling Whimsy Cafe, which was closed on Sunday when I was here. In fact, most of the town was closed on Sunday. Still, the Things are accessible. The Wind Chime is certified by the Guinness Book of World Records and are 49 feet tall with the largest chime being 42 feet long. There is a center rope pull so that you can make the chimes sound if it's not a windy day. I like that this one is interactive. [Review 19676 overall - 131 in Illinois - 648 of 2023.]

The World's Largest Wind Chime is located right in the heart of downtown CAsey, IL, (a quaint…read morelittle town with a population of 3,000). The Wind Chime, Rocking Chair and tetter totter are all located right outside or across the street from the Whitling Whimsy Cafe. This is one of a dozen "things" offically recognized as the World's Largest: World's Largest Wind Chime World's Largest Golf Tee World's Largest Pitchfork World's Largest Rocking Chair World's Largest Wooden Shoes World's Largest Mailbox World's Largest Gavel World's Largest Truck Key World's Largest Barbershop Pole World's Largest Teeter Totter World's Largest Golf Driver World's Largest Swizzle Spoon Well worth a detour off of I-70.

April 2026 Fishers Parks-owned historic house; however, it…read moreseems not possible to arrange a visit for a small group to learn about the home's history. It appears to be used for commercial use under a contract between Fishers and Ritz Charles. You can still visit the park and walk the grounds, but you can't get a tour of the house from what I can tell. All tour requests for the Ambassador House can be sent to: info@simplyservedcatering.com or (317) 575-2244 - but I don't want catering!

The historic Ambassador House, built in the mid 1820s and Heritage Gardens are located in the back…read moreamongst trees in Fishers Heritage Park. The house and the gardens, which is owned and operated by the City of Fishers Parks & Rec Department, make it an ideal destination to host weddings and special events. The house, rich in history, is a Greek Revival style home. There are private grounds and beautiful gardens to host events of up to 250 guests from April to October in a large event tent or during the colder months, they can host up to 60 guests.

From the moment I walked in, everything went really smoothly. The staff at the counter was super…read morehelpful and patient when I had an issue with the app, which made the whole process stress-free. The place itself is spotless and feels really welcoming. I loved how relaxing the theater was -- the seats are comfortable, the atmosphere is calm, and there are nice extra touches that make it feel like more than just a regular movie night. Another big plus is the selection of films, including titles you don't usually find at other theaters. That definitely makes this spot stand out and worth coming back to. Overall, it was a great experience and I'll definitely be returning.

I hadn't been to the Landmark for several years and I feel the quality is not as good as it used to…read morebe. I will go back and I hope they will spruce things up because it was always one of my favorite places to watch a movie.

Still in Parke County but outside Rockville, this is another Joseph A. Britton covered bridge that…read morehe completed in 1913. It is a single-span Burr Arch structure. This is originally the site of two other bridges that had been washed away before this one, the State Sanatorium Covered Bridge, was moved to here. It is open to traffic But I opted to take the bypass with the Sprinter van. The road to the east is hard packed dirt and not a great run. Total length of 170 feed with a clearance of 12.5 feet, it would have been fine for my heavy van but I thought, let's not today. [Review 1297 of 2024 - 174 in Indiana - 22320 overall]

This Single Span Burr Arch Truss originally crossed Little Raccoon Creek on State Sanatorium…read moreproperty, about a mile downstream from its current location. It was moved in 2008 to carry County Road 100N across Little Raccoon Creek. #1 on the Parke County Covered Bridge Map and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, the bridge was built by J.A. Britton in 1913-- one of the twelve covered bridges that he constructed in the county.