This restored, historically and materially rich home is a real treat to tour. I strongly recommend…read moreeveryone visits this home turned museum at least once.

Stumbled on this when in town to visit the county historical museum. Google or Apple or someone…read moreknows I am a history buff, and this popped up. Fit it in when I could. Pull up to the building on the hill. Nice parking area. But it turns out that is the smaller, annex building, really. Head down to the row of shops across the street, and you will enter a world full of Model Ts. Beautifully restored and displayed, with good explanations of their backgrounds, and often a copy of the group's magazine in front with an article about that particular car. Superb staff, friendly and knowledgeable. Tons to see. When you finish here, there are more cars (and a plane) across the street. They have events, and it's really worth a visit if you are anywhere nearby, are at all a car buff or history buff. Or just curious. A few cars for kids to sit in, etc., and they'll have fun too.

A fun and interesting diversion, but I think unless you're really a car buff, the $7 admission is a…read morebit stiff. Fascinating to see actual 100-plus year old vehicles arranged in such a way that you learn about their development. Interesting how they were really toys for the very wealthy until about the early 20s when the assembly line started to bring the prices down. It's housed in two buildings, the second one really had much more to see than the first. The docent/tour guide was full of knowledge and enthusiasm and would probably talk for hours if you were willing to listen. A couple visitors who were there were major car buffs, looking closely under hoods and discussing valves and pistons at great length. The guide did a good job balancing between them and those of us who were really more interested in the historic aspect and a somewhat shorter tour. Along with the cars, tractors, trucks, you can see antique office equipment, tools, car accessories, vintage advertising and mannequins dressed in period costumes. Most of the vehicles have been restored with fresh Ford paint jobs, but a few are on display in all their ancient, rusty glory. Be prepared to spend the entire visit on your feet. As with most antiques, the general rule is 'look but don't touch' but they are not obsessed with this and didn't seem to mind some careful, respectful touching of the restored vehicles. Perfect activity for a Sunday afternoon.

The museum at Earlham College has an amazing collection of fossils and artifacts. The museum is…read morefree and open to the public. It is usually only opened in the afternoons. Although small, they have a complete allosaurus, mastodon, giant sloth, giant beaver and much, much more. You can get close up to the exhibits. They also have a great display of Ordovician fossils with descriptions. You can find many birds and other small mammal specimens native to Indiana. The staff is knowledgable and friendly. They offer tours and programs for kids as well. Nicole was our guide and she was engaged and had a passion for the museum. They have a small gift shop with educational items. If you pass through Richmond, Indiana, this needs to be in your to do list. What a great experience and opportunity to see world class specimens.

Absolutely worth the visit! My children were pulled into the portions of the exhibit that are hands…read moreon! It can seem quick at a child's speed of looking through the exhibits. I think every corner is utilized in a learning experience. They have reptiles too! Something worth looking into are the 'trail talks' the museum offers during warmer weather. My kids will not stop talking about the fossils they collected while on a trail talk lead by two Earlham students. So much fun, but worth wearing the right gear and packing water. *Yes, you do need to wear a mask and show your vaccination card to enter the museum. It is on campus, and therefore abides by protocol of trying to keep campus as safe as possible for everyone.

My favorite Richmond museum. They always have something interesting on display. Special exhibits…read moreare top notch, and support for the local art scene is amazing. Their permanent collection is bigger than they have room to keep up so they're always rotating their displays. Definitely worth multiple visits.

As someone who has only recently devoted time to appreciating art, I am truly glad that the…read moreRichmond Art Museum (RAM) exists. The more research I put into local artists, the more I find source material from the Richmond area. That includes numerous artists that are from the Golden Era of Indiana Artists as well as the book written by the RAM curator Shawn Dingwerth. This free museum is open on Tuesdays through Saturday from 10 to 5. Parking is free in the lot on the north side of the building and on the street. The museum is attached to the school, so it has made due with size constraints and old building problems, but will be undergoing some large construction/renovation in 2017 to ensure better lighting (the current UV emitted by old lights is damaging) and climate control so that when space becomes available, more paintings will be able to be displayed. On my visit, the staff was very helpful and I had the opportunity to talk with the curator which I found quite interesting since I had read his book about the Richmond Group (local artists from the late 1800's to early 1900's) the week before. There are several galleries that have a theme for each: Ceramics, Contemporary, "Golden Age Artists", Portraits, and an exhibition hall. The lobby holds some of the large sculptures and paintings as well. The museum has an extensive program to reach out to local children to give them the opportunity to see the art first hand and learn. Programs are tailored to the age levels and focus on introducing different styles and cultures with each visit. The works themselves are truly representative of the different styles of art and serve as a time capsule of local artists that may be under appreciated by the current generation. Along with the Swope Art Museum in Terre Haute and the Haan Mansion Museum in Lafayette, the RAM has preserved our State's cultural best. I look forward to returning to see the improvements and the new exhibits. Review #233

I was deeply moved by my visit to the Coffin House in Fountain City. Levi and Catharine Coffin were…read morepart of the Underground Railroad. They housed nearly 1000 freedom seekers (run away slaves) before the Civil War. They developed a network of people to help clothe, feed, provide medical attention. and transport the runaways through town to safety. Today, their immaculately preserved home and adjacent Interpretive Center tell their story to thousands of visitors. The home and Interpretive Center are part of the Indiana State Museum system. We arrived on a Friday, not realizing that tours of the home began at certain times. The morning tour had left. We were lucky that Joanna, one of the guides, took us through the house despite our late arrival. Joanna was knowledgeable and passionate about the Coffin story. We learned a great deal. Joanna went above and beyond to provide us with this tour. The interpretive center has interactive story boards, artifacts and a theater. In the theater, a short film paints a picture of the challenges of the Underground Railroad. There is also a gift shop with some great books. Restrooms are also available. Parking is free. There is an admission charge, but we had museum membership, so there was no additional charge. The Interpretive Center is fully accessible, but the house has limitations. This is a must visit for school age kids and anyone interested in history. Be sure to visit the web site and arrive in time for tours. You will want to reserve space in advance. Plan two hours.

I will confess that for the longest time I confused the Levi and Catharine Coffin State Historic…read moreSite with the Huddleston House. I'm a nice guy, but I'm not always the brightest. The Levi and Catharine Coffin House in Fountain City is one of those rare historic sites that lives up to the "must see" label. Quite honestly, it's one of Indiana's quiet icons. This 1839 home looks like your usual Federal-style brick home at first glance. It's certainly been beautifully restored. However, looking at the house doesn't begin to give you the true history of the place. Once recognized as "The Grand Central Station of the Underground Railroad," this eight-room home served as a safe haven for over 1,000 freedom seekers on their journey toward Canada. Levi and Catharine Coffin were Quakers and spent their approximately 20 years in Newport, now called Fountain City, providing food, shelter, clothing, and transportation for the over 1,000 freedom seekers who would learn that their arrival at the Coffin House was to be met with true hospitality and fierce determination. The Coffins would eventually move to Cincinnati and over the course of their lives they helped approximately 3,300 freedom seekers. The Coffin House has been ranked by The History Channel as one of the nation's "Top 25 Historical Sites." In 2016, the Smithsonian named the Coffin Interpretive Center as "One of 12 new museums around the world to visit." The Indiana Office of Tourism Development has, unsurprisingly, also called it one of Indiana's top museums. There are so many amazing experiences to be had here - simple yet profound. The Interpretive Center is sublime. While the house is, of course, not completely accessible there's much here that is and that can truly be experienced. The home is now a National Registered Historic Landmark. Fun facts: Every person who traveled through the Coffin House is known to have reached freedom. While the Coffins were by far the most active in this community, the entire community was known to be supportive and would often serve as lookouts to give the Coffins warning if bounty hunters were about to arrive. While Levi Coffin's reputation as a leader of the abolitionist movement was well known, the house was never searched. Admission is affordable - members get in free, children under three are free, children ages 3-17 are $5, adults are $10, seniors are $8, and they offer a variety of event, tour, and field trip options. The pandemic is currently influencing tours and they are scheduled and timed. This site is truly one of Indiana's gems and worth a day trip out to Fountain City. The area also has a nearby Amish population making this an ideal day trip for those who enjoy historical sites and cultural awareness.

The East Main Street-Glen Miller Park Historic District in Richmond, IN. comprises an almost…read morenine-tenths mile length of East Main Street between 18th and 30th Streets, including the 175 acres of Glen Miller Park. This area is also known as Indianapolis's "Millionaire Row." The overall character of East Main Street is that of a broad tree-lined residential street--with some fine homes. The park district recognizes the historical significance of East Main as a major entrance to Richmond and the Richmond Tourism Bureau has free public access walking tours, if you are interested in a closer look. I was very impressed with the lovely, sturdy brick houses, circa 1880, that reflect the early existence of the street as part of the National Road. There are larger, ornate residences such as those of architect John Hasecoster, piano and phonograph manufacturer Henry Gennett, and lawn mower manufacturer Elwood W. McGuire that "attest to the prominence of the street in the decades around the turn of the century," said www.waynet.org, These distinctive homes have been referred to as "Millionaire's Row". Not every home here is a mega-mansion here but the street and residential area has a well-tended attractiveness that cannot be denied. Glen Miller Park was originally owned by John Miller, an executive with the Pennsylvania Railroad. The city purchased the land from Miller and named the park in his honor, opening it in 1880. The park is still owned by the city and maintained by it. Glen Miller Park is proof of the relationship in the past century of parkway and housing development. Two features once characteristic of many American cities - the large outlying park, and the grand residential street leading to and from the center of town - are here and remarkably well preserved. If in the Richmond area, I would certainly go admire and appreciate this beautiful Historical District and Millionaire's Row.

Has an amazing amount of historical photos, helmets and overall historical info on Indiana…read morefootball. They had quite a few high school helmets all through out the building, which are donated from individuals. There is some astro turf from the Hoosier/RCA Dome in the basement. Admission is free but takes donations. The only bad part is the parking is TERRIBLE!! If you are a football fan in Indiana, this is a must visit!!

Morrison-Reeves Library is the public library in Richmond, Indiana. Founded in 1864 thanks to…read moreinitial funding provided by Robert Morrison, the library opened with an initial 6,000 books at a location now known as the corner of 6th and A streets. In 1893, the library was bequeathed another $30,000 by the widow of Mark Reeves. Reeves had actually worked for Morrisson when he was younger and shared a similar passion for the library. The library stayed in that building until the late 60's when it became apparent that the much loved building simply was no longer conducive to contemporary library needs and upkeep was becoming more than the library could handle. They would move into a new 52,800 square-foot building thanks to the efforts of librarian Mrs. Harriet Bard and currently remain in this building. The former building, sadly, had since been demolished. However, they did save many architectural aspects of the building along with furnishings. Morrison-Reeves Library is now pretty much what you expect from a library. I visited it occasionally while in seminary in Richmond and had the chance to return recently to visit a friend's art exhibition. Elements of the library respecting its history include the Harriet Bard Meeting Room, the Bimbo Memorial Fountain, the historic courtyard, The Bimbo Memorial Fountain is actually a dog fountain donated by a family in memory of their dog Bimbo. It allows passing dogs to get a drink of water. It's actually very cool. There are other decorative pieces incorporated throughout the library. The library is strong in access with several accessible parking spots, an automated front door, and ramps in places where they are needed. People over the age of 5 are eligible for a library card. The library is open six days a week - closed on Sundays. They have meeting spaces that can be reserved, public workstations, free wifi, and you can check-out up to 30 items. You can send faxes at $1 per page; make copies at $.10 per page black-and-white, $.25 per page for color. They offer quite a few digital services and community events (including art exhibits pretty regularly). The collection is up to around 85,000 books now. While I'm not sure I'd consider Morrison-Reeves Library a destination library, for those in the Wayne County area it's an absolutely essential library and some of the art exhibits are definitely worth the 60-90 minute drive to Richmond, Indiana. Richmond is a cool little town with quite a bit you can take in and it's easily worth a day trip.

It's big, that's for sure! They've got a large children's section, which is great. It's got tons of…read morebooks, computers with kid programs, audio books and even a play area. And they do have a lot of programs for kids. Downstairs is the media section; movies, music and audio books to borrow as well as computer/internet usage and classes for computers, etc. They're also set up for those who prefer ebooks. And they've got an awesome book sale every year. I mean come on - fill a bag for a couple bucks. I'm in. We like the library, especially for the youngin. The only problem we've noticed is that if you're not part of the weekly "library crowd" you're a bit shunned. We've done the weekly reading time for kids, but because we don't make it every week, our daughter is basically left out and alone at craft time. I get the the other kids and families know each other already, but the library staff member running the class makes little effort to involve the new kid. Pretty sad to watch. That being said, we still frequent the library for books, ebooks and movies and as long as we aren't in a kids class the staff is always friendly, helpful and they're great at getting our daughter excited about reading.