My spouse and I went on the Columbus architecture tour. The Miller House and Garden is the focal…read morepart of the architecture of Columbus. The architect Saarinen developed plans for only three houses all for the Miller's. Almost all the doorways are handicapped accessible and the house is one level. Although built in the 1950s many of the design concepts are still seen today. if you are going for the architecture tour, this is a must

loved the aesthetic of this house. first saw it on Kogonada's film Columbus and just had to go see…read moreit. the one thing though is the movie makes it seem like you can walk freely through the house, you cannot. it's an informative guided tour. and you're only allowed to take pictures on this particular rug. I'm fine without getting anymore photos, but I would have loved to spend some more time outside exploring the grounds. also I saw pictures of the couch with red cushions, it was definitely more eye catching with those. (big thing: read your confirmation email and show up at the visitor center first)

Located in a quaint little park, this bridge was actually moved here from the Brownsville area…read more Originally build in 1840 , it had to be restored after a fire. They did great work. While it looks somewhat small from afar, it seems to really grow once you are inside. Very photogenic by itself or as a backdrop for your selfies or even important photo shoots. Don't forget to enjoy the rest of the park as well.

It seems like it is a "new" bridge but in fact the Brownsville Covered Bridge was built between…read more1837 and 1840. It originally spanned the East Fork of the Whitewater River in Brownsville, measuring 182 feet long. Built by Henry Mason, it is a "Long truss" style bridge. It was then dismantled in 1974 with the plan of installing it in Indianapolis. Instead, it was relocated here to Mill Race Park in Columbus in 1985. The bridge is open to vehicular traffic and the posted limits suggested that my Sprinter van would work. It did. There is parking nearby (for the park and the tennis courts) so I was able to walk the bridge in addition to driving across it. [Review 20530 overall - 75 in Indiana - 1511 of 2023.]

I was excited to visit the Bartholomew County Courthouse in Columbus because the Victorian…read morestructure is whimsical and lovely. The building was designed by Isaac Hodgson completed in 1874. The building is Registered as a Historic Landmark. The building is constructed of red brick and trimmed with limestone. The Courthouse is very much a working courthouse. The building house the Circuit Court and two Superior Courts. A person can get a marriage license, pay property taxes or go directly to jail here. I was excited about going inside and seeing what's in those fabulous towers. However, there is no walking tour and no photos are allowed inside. In fact, you must turn your phone off. The interior has been renovated multiple times removing original details. There was no grand atrium that I have seen in other Indiana courthouses. There is a lovely spiral staircase that goes up to the third floor. The courtrooms do have older style (1930's) chairs and bookcases. Many of the doors are antique as well. The courtyard outside has a gorgeous garden and water fountain. There are several war memorials surrounding the building. The grounds are immaculate. There is free parking around the square. Entrants to the building go through security. The guard was all business. There is an ADA access at a different entrance than the front. The businesses surrounding the courthouse are thriving. I would recommend a visit to the grounds of the courthouse as part of a visit to Columbus.

My second courthouse in Indiana and so far, I remain impressed. This is a beautiful structure and…read morewell worth a visit even if you're not here for court business. Batholomew County was formed in 1821and the count seat of Columbus was originally called Tiptona after John Tipton donated thirty acres for the building. Tipton went on to serve as state representative, Indian agent, and United States senator. The building was designed by Isaac Hodgson and was completed in 1874. It is the county's fourth courthouse and is in the Second Empire style. Constructed of red brick with white limestone trim, the foundation is rusticated blue limestone. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. [Review 20522 overall - 68 in Indiana - 1503 of 2023.]

This Veterans Memorial in Columbus is the most moving war memorial that I have visited. The…read moreartistic structure is composed of 25 dramatic limestone pillars that tower forty feet high. This spectacular monument was designed by Maryann Thompson and Charlie Rose and unveiled in 1997. The monument honors those who lost their lives during WWI, WWII, Korean and Viet Nam Wars. The names of soldiers who sacrificed their lives and their final letters home, are carved in the pillars. Their stories make this memorial personal. As I read the letters to mothers, wives, grandmothers and others, I couldn't fight back tears. At night, lights shoot up through the pillars into the sky. The monument is located on the Courthouse square in Columbus. There is free parking around the courthouse. There are a few benches around the monument. This monument is a must see for anyone.

Located on the grounds of the county courthouse, this set of limestone pillars is impressive even…read morebefore you get close. Arranged 5 by 5, there are 25 of them. And then you get inside them and can read the inscriptions. These are letters from soldiers sent back home and include the date the letter was sent and then the tragic date of the soldier's death. Usually a few days later. "20 September 1943. Dear Grandma, Well, Grandma, it's a rough road but we have to follow. When this is over we will share our love together. Love, Raymond." and followed by "PFC Raymond Scroghines, U.S. Army, was killed in action September 29, 1943 in Italy." And once again, it is very dusty here. Are you cutting onions? Don't miss this. It is a great tribute to those who fought and died for our freedoms and way of life here in America. [Review 20523 overall - 69 in Indiana - 1504 of 2023.]

Columbus has to be the most beautiful city in Indiana. Their city and local businesses have…read moreembraced the arts like no other with amazing sculptures and galleries. The world renowned architecture for a city of only 50,000 is incredible. The city has done a remarkable job of preserving old, while introducing new structures. As I walked through the streets and visited landmarks, I was struck by how easy Columbus is to visit. Parking is easy and there is a flow downtown that suits a walking tour. Most of the buildings are free to visit and restroom facilities were easy to find. People are friendly and eager to describe their buildings and help visitors get around. The local restaurants are really good with and interesting mix of American and International cuisines. I found prices reasonable. The local history is interesting especially the impacts made by Irwin Miller. It would take a week to see everything. Next visit, I will make reservations for some of the tours and exquisite restaurants in advance.

This is a small, but upcoming city located about 45 minutes from Indianapolis. It home to about…read more50,000 residents and is HQ for the engine company Cummins. This town has a good down home family feel to it. My kids really liked the play space in The Commons. I could not believe that it was actually free. Their is also a kids museum across the street called Kids Commons. Columbus is not the most diverse city in Indiana. 87% of its population is white. I really like this town. It is not as crazy busy as Indy, but still has a lot going on. The town host many events such as First Thursday, Holiday Pops!, Festival of lights, Canines and Cocktails and Movies in the Campground. An interesting fact about the town is that it is home to footwear pioneer Chuck Taylor. Taylor is an alumunist of Columbus High School. The town has a very storied history. It is known for its art and architecture. Be sure to check out all the public art and wonderful architecture while visiting. Some notable public art includes: Choas, History and Mystery, C, Heroes, and the Family. Some architectural structures to be on the look out for include: the Irwin Union Bank, Bartholomew County Courthouse, Columbus City Hall, First Baptist Church, First Christian Church, and the McEwen-Samuels-Marr House. Additionally, in 1844, the first railroad in Indiana was constructed to Columbus from Madison, Indiana. Additionally, the city's Crump Theatre, which was built in 1889, is the oldest theater in Indiana. This is a nice place to visit and and I like to bring my family here to spend the day sometime on a nice day to take in all of the history and sights.

I am an enormous fan of architecture and public art. I think that celebrating the two by involving…read morean entire town is a fantastic idea. Exhibit Columbus is an annual art event that is for the community. There is Art Basel in Miami, countless museums and galleries in NYC and LA, and street art in large cities. I think it is a great to see that regardless of recognition and size, Columbus, IN celebrates art and engineering! The pieces I saw were in open, outside spaces. I've read that the event is free. Parking was easy and available in every stop I did. The website is a great resource. They provide a map for all the pieces and information about the event and it's artists involved! It is common to think that there is nothing outside of major metropolitan areas but Exhibit Columbus disproves that! Pay a visit if you're within driving distance. If you are visiting Indiana and don't know what to do, come here! You won't regret it.

Exhibit Columbus is a massive design, art and architecture explosion of joy throughout the city of…read moreColumbus. With anything from funky rainbow shape sculptures in a local park to live dance performances and pop-up gardens to soften public spaces, Exhibit Columbus is something to definitely check out. This year (2019), it extends from the end of August to end of December, and will return the following year. There are even a few pieces of public art from past Exhibits that were so well-received that they still stand today. It's free to walk throughout the city and enjoy all of the art, so be sure you grab an info map from the Visitors Center and get going!

The visitors Center is an extraordinary resource for anyone interested in learning about Columbus…read moreand it's incredible architecture and history. I only stopped by to get a map, but instead spent several hours watching films about Irwin Miller, his home and the architecture of Columbus. The building itself is lovely with modern artistic areas and a fabulous Chihuly glass sculpture. The staff is super friendly, helpful and knowledgable. One staff member played a film for us (alone) to learn about the local architecture. They offer guided tours of the city and the Miller house. Reservations are required for the tours, which fill up quickly. They have information on their website about the tours so you can book in advance. Their gift shop is filled with art and books about architecture. There is plenty of parking in their private lot. Restrooms are available.

Extraordinarily friendly folks work here. Anything you want to know about Columbus, you can find…read moreout here. I highly recommend the tours they offer. I took the tour because I have heard so much about the architecture in this small town. I was not disappointed. I loved hearing the back ground stories on all the buildings as well as the facts about each. Very interesting and a must if you love architecture. I do have one big gripe , which is that the air conditioning wasn't working on the shuttle we took, which was rough since it was quite a hot and humid day. Once back at the visitor center, I did a little shopping. Love the merchandise from local artists. Also picked up a few more brochures about Columbus specifically and some about the region in general. If you are new to the area, you should stop here first so you can plan your visit and not miss anything. Pick out your favorites and take it from there. Enjoy this little town with lots to offer.

I drove from Indy one day to bring my toddlers who are 2 and 3 here. They had a blast! For the…read moreprice it can't be beat. I felt like it was reasonable priced, wasn't too crowded. We won't come often since it's over a hour away but def something I'll keep in mind for rainy days.

This children's museum was perfect for my 20 month old! The entire building is full of hands on…read moreplay, learning, and craft activities. The staff were all extremely friendly and engaging with the kids. I loved throughout our time they had "5 minute" programs, perfect for a quick learning opportunity and then back to play. Price was very reasonable, especially compared to other children's museums in the Indy area. I felt the interior was clean with a hand washing station available on the 2nd floor. I like that ticket sales are split between morning and afternoon to help with crowd management. Such a fun way to spend a day!

I was in the Franklin area for a work obligation and finally made it over to see the famed "Grave…read morein The Middle of The Road." One of the more unique graves around, this grave nearly always shows up on any list of Indiana's most unique roadside attractions. Of course, this isn't "roadside." It's in the middle of the road and serves as a sort of divider in the road. The grave is for Nancy Kerlin Barnett, married to William Barnett. Fun fact: William was the great great great grandson of Pocahontas and John Rolfe. Nancy passed away on 12/1/31. She was buried here - a place that used to be a hill overlooking Sugar Creek. Over the years, the area became a small cemetery. Eventually, a small footpath was made. Finally, they wanted to put a small county road here. While it's not certain, it's believed that most graves in the area were moved. However, Nancy's grave stuck around as one of the son's protested moving it. Eventually, they wanted to widen the road - this time around, per report, grandson Daniel showed up with a shotgun essentially saying "Over my dead body." So, she stayed again. They built the road around her and a concrete slab was placed over the grave. On August 8, 1912, a historical marker was also placed. To this day, the grave remains and is definitely considered an "attraction." Anyone who visits roadside attractions in Indiana will eventually make it here. It took me way too long. Surprisingly, it's also fairly accessible and the road is really fairly lightly traveled. It's not hard to stop and see it, though given it's a hill you do have to be a bit cautious even with slow traffic. Is this the best roadside attraction you'll ever see? Of course not. It is, however, a cool sort of cultural icon in Indiana and worth a stop for those in the area. It's definitely not what I'd call a destination attraction. Franklin is a great community to visit, however, I'd certainly not drive down just for this unless you're truly a gravesite person.

This was on a list of unusual things to do/see in Indiana so I had to check it out. The story goes…read morelike this. They were developing the road and it was going right through where the grave is. So they decided to dig the grave up, to which the grandson of the deceased said, ohh heck nawww. It ain't going down like that, and he grabbed his shotgun and threatened the powers. to be so bad that they came up with the compromise of incorporating his gam gam's grave into the new road. So, here we are. Down the center line of the road you will find a tombstone covered with pennies and an occasional flower or two. There is also a historical road marker on the side of the road as well, detailing the significance of the spot. This stop is just or brief stop or drive by. There is really no good place to pull over. I had to be creative and pray. To my favor was that the street was not very busy. An occasional car would pass by. Well now, I can check off "seeing a grave in the middle of the road" off of my bucket list. On to the next adventure.

Back in 2017, international artist Kelsey Montague created her signature "What Lifts You" angel…read morewing murals a block north of the county court house. Though looking like simple silhouettes in white on a black background, the pair of angel wings have the detail of landmark Greensburg buildings built into the wing patterns. There are two pairs of wings: One is large enough for adults to stand in front of for taking selfies; the other is much smaller and lower to the ground for taking pictures of pets. The artist hopes that when visitors post their photos, they include their ideas about what personally lifts them up. For me, one of the things that "Lifts me up" is finding new art in unexpected places. This fit the bill quite nicely! Review #2461

Greetings from Greensburg from Michelle and Tony. Greensburg is our favorite place to dine and…read moreexplore. It has beautiful old houses and buildings. The park is one of the best we've ever seen.