There's much more to French Lick, Indiana than I had understood and so much of it was spelled out…read morefor me through the displays and exhibits at the museum. Frankly, this museum is much nicer, informative, and engaging than it has any right to be. The very friendly docent on duty welcomed us warmly into the lobby and, after we paid our small admission fee, she took us through everything we needed to know about accessing the audio tour, the basics of the exhibits and I'm sure anything else that we had wanted to know. She was very friendly. The exhibits wind through the building with an early focus on the founding of the town. The major portions of the museum, however, are devoted to the flashier aspects that really shine of this small burg in the Midwest: the circus and laxative waters! Massive exhibits are devoted to the sulfur water that was an early cure-all which gave rise to the large spas that drove tourism to town. The most square footage is devoted to the huge, massive, enormous circus in miniature. My partner is all about miniatures and was totally engrossed in this display. And rightfully so; it is very impressive! Everything was above average for cleanliness, order, and functionality; which, if you've visited other small-town museums, you know isn't always the case. I left having a much greater appreciation for the town and its history!

This is NOT a holiday inn, it is truly a RESORT. The word luxurious only begins to describe the…read moreresort. Well worth EVERY dollar

I am not a big train enthusiast but I do enjoy them some and had a free day here in French Lick so…read moreI decided to ride the rails with my wife and one of my sons. The train had three sitting arrangement to chose from - an open car at the back of the train, a first class car with tables and servers, and the coach car (3 of these) which we chose. The coach cars are very old - which I think made the trip more enjoyable. They were built in the 1920's and you could hear and feel all of their creaks and cracks. The seats can be tilted either direction so you can be looking ahead or behind as you travel. We went on a lovely day with temperatures about 80 degrees so we did not get hit or cold. The windows did open (but they are old so some took a bit of effort to raise) so you could raise them to get a very nice breeze. Basically the train goes out about 45 minutes and then stops. At the stop some days they let you out to walk for a few minutes but not this trip. After we stopped we just went back on the same tracks where we came from. There is not a lot to see on the train's route - mainly woods and some rural homes but it was very nice. Yes, the train is a little bumpy and a little loud at times but heh, it is a historic train, not a modern marvel. They had a small snack bar on the train that sold beer, soft drinks, chips and candy. The employees were all very nice and answered any questions that we had. There in a cute souvenir store in case you want to take home a Shirley, magnet, etc. There was ample parking and they did have a portable lift for people who may need a wheel chair lifted into the one of the cars. There were several kids ages 5-12 and they all seemed to love the trip - especially the tunnel that they had to blast into a hill over a hundred years ago. The tunnel is about 1/2 mile long and definitely gets dark even on the brightest day. I would take this trip again. Price for the coach was $25. I am not sure if the first class or open car prices.

Was a nice trip, I had fun…read more I thought that the staff were very friendly and informative. The train had some air conditioned and some non-air conditioned cars. Some of the windows are colored and old, so hard to see from. If you have a group and want to sit in a seat with a clear window, go a little early to secure yourself one. It is important to note that there are other cars with great seats and clear windows. The cars are old, and while functional, they were not restored to the point which I was expecting. They are a work in progress, and you should be aware that you are riding in history, and your ticket helps the restoration process. They had a little bathroom, I didn't use it, but there was at least one on the train. The snack bar was small, but functional. There was a little bit of a narrative as we rode the rail, I thought that while it was nice, it was not as complete as it could have been. Train folks: you have a real opportunity here to make the trip not just neat, but memorable and awesome. Beef up your history lesson. Tell us about the other cars and locomotives you have, the town, it's history, about the settlers, did Indians run the hills? A good docent makes the difference on a tour and we paid to be part of this ride, what better way to make us feel like we not just spent 1.5 ours on a train, but took a trip through history! The train stopped about half way and you had a chance to stretch your legs, the ice cream shop there in the little town we stopped in was closed and the walk outside the train gave you the opportunity to look at the cars, up close and from a unique perspective. The train travels backwards from here and goes back to the station. The train speed was not real fast, the rocking slow. Nice and relaxing. Kids had a blast. Had fun, would have loved to had learned oodles more on the trip.

As the culmination of my family's holiday trip to French Lick, my parents bought all of their kids…read moreand grandkids tickets on the Polar Express, via the French Lick West Baden & Southern Railway. My sister, especially, loves the Polar Express book and movie -- so much so that when we started to board the train she teared up. And it's clear that a lot of love and thought is put into this attraction, from the golden tickets everyone gets to be punched by the conductor to the elves who dance in the very skinny aisles and sing the "Hot! Hot! Hot Chocolate!" song to the cups of cocoa and cookies that are served to the visit from Santa aboard the train and the sleigh bells everyone gets as souvenirs. If you're a fan at all of the movie -- and doubly so, if you have kids who are fans -- this is a great holiday treat. As an adult who maybe only saw bits of the movie once or twice, I can say this was fun. Would I make it an annual tradition? I think once is enough. But it has its charms. Unfortunately the speakers in our train car did not work well, so we couldn't hear when the story played over the sound speakers. And the dancing and the conductor going up and down the aisle with a big Polar Express book didn't sync as well. Also, the hot chocolate, cookies, tickets and bells all happened in the first 30 minutes or so of the 90-minute ride, so there was some downtime to fill. Still, like I said, if you get a chance to go -- especially since this sells out the previous January and February -- dress in your best Christmas jammies and do it. And one more bonus tip: You might have a better shot at getting a large group of tickets if you also book rooms with French Lick or West Baden. They can reserve them for you.

Going in the afternoon does not seem as festive because of the daylight bit was our choice to go…read morethen. Will replan for next time. The speakers were horrible. As much as the young students gave it a good try they needed to be more into the singing. Their soft voices were sweet but we need robust role interacting on this train ride. Fix the speakers. You could not understand the story telling at all. Hot chocolate was good. Cookies good.

My kids loved this place! We got to watch 4th and 6th generation confectioners make candy right in…read morefront of us. Really cool. 134 year old business and still operating!

We were in town visiting family when they brought us to this adorable confectionery…read more The decor is quaint and vintage. You can even watch the owner and staff prepare the candies. We especially loved the heart shaped red hot candies. They give out samples to taste. The red hots are perfect! Not burn your mouth hot! I bought several bags to take home to friends in California. We enjoyed exploring the museum room with all of the candy tins from years past. They have original candy making equipment and all of the history to offer a nostalgic experience. Be sure to try the marshmallow, chocolate carmel and pecan treat. The Modjeskas definitely came home with us to share with family and friends. I love these little town treasures!

I have been to two exhibitions at the museum. The staff is extremely helpful. The building is…read moreextremely handicapped accessible. The graduate students are extremely gifted and developed great exhibits for the public. One exhibition was African art and another was Holocaust artists from q940-1970. You will discover many treasures here. Your greatest challenge will be parking.

I purchased a pack of cards of things to do in Indiana. This card lead us to the museum in…read moreBloomington. The museum was much bigger than we thought it would be. It was very well presented. We took a small one hour tour that highlighted 3 works of art. It was lead by a student. The pace could have been quicker and more areas highlighted, but it was interesting non the less.

Since the Hoosiers did so well this year NATIONAL CHAMPIONS I thought of a great place in…read moreBloomington. The Wonderlab!!! It's a nice sized science of wonders in my opinion. They have a bubble room! It's awesome. A place where you can parachute little figure people over and over again. Shoot I laid down on a bed of nails once here. They have a huge climbing vine that you can climb all the way up to the second floor. But, you have to climb back down it doesn't exit on that floor. They have a cool water science area for kids complete with rain gear - which is optional do what you want ha. It's just a cool place. It's not too big and it's not too small. It the perfect sized science museum. They have the coolest gift shop! I still have my Wonderlab water bottle from years ago. If you've never been make a day of it!

Tucked in amidst the buildings step into this wonderland for kids to explore science. All sorts of…read moreexperiments and things to learn, places to climb and things to do. Good for all ages! There is even a gate enclosure for toddlers to play separately.The older ones,even adults, will enjoy seeing what it's like to be laying on a bed of nails! It is a very busy place however so do keep an eye on your littles as they may feel the desire to walk to the next activity without you! If this were closer then I believe we'd take my grandkids more often, but it makes an excuse for a little road trip, although I'm always easily persuaded to be on the go!

Great people good vibes laughter education just everything was good from my experience I would like…read moreto take other people with me

Loved the history!!! Such a great visit with my husband and his uncle! It really made his day! The…read moretrain was very cool as well as all the war history from this area. It was my first trip to Evansville and neat to learn about its past!

I recommend checking this out if you are ever here it is the home of William Henry Harrison it is…read morepretty and if you are a history buff check this place out

I am a self proclaimed presidential history "nerd". I've read a biography on each president in…read moreorder (currently reading F.D.R.), and my bucket list includes visiting all their birth and burial places. I also make it a point to visit presidential libraries, national historic sites, etc. I've seen DOZENS of locations now, and I can honestly say Grouseland is - by far - one of the most impressive locations I've visited. The amount of authentic items dating back to William Henry Harrison is jaw dropping! Additionally, the collection of items not necessarily related to Harrison are breathtaking. For example, they own an impressive collection of real signatures as far back as Adams, Madison, and John Quincy Adams (to name just a few). The staff was fantastic. The day I visited, their computer system was down and they were unable to run my card for the entry fee. No matter, they let me get back with them later. Their volunteers are knowledgeable about their collections and items within the home. Can't say enough about this "diamond in the rough" presidential history site. I was truly blown away...

If you're a history buff, this is an amazing place to stop! This museum is very informative and has…read morea lot of well preserved items from various time periods across U.S History. The price of admission is very reasonable, and you're getting access to 3 museums including the beautiful outside area which is very scenic! I'd highly recommend people to visit here if you're interested in history, this is a top quality museum!

This was an AMAZING self-instructional museum. Once you pay the entrance fee, you are welcome to…read morestay, read and relax for as long as you like. There are LOTS of displays with explanations about the how's and why's of the civil war. There is an outdoor "village" that you are welcome to walk through and experience the actual housing situations. Very Cool!