Our first Capitol as a state, not a territory, that belongs to Vincennes. This is a beautifully…read morepreserved historic building highlighting our beginnings as a state. If you're looking for a way to celebrate our bicentennial this year, visiting this historic landmark is a must do on your list. Centered in the heart of downtown Corydon the building is surrounded by a beautiful park, a memorial to Governor Frank O'Bannon, and restaurants and shops. Be sure to check the days and times of tours and make a stop at the local library to pick up some great history of Corydon.

Corydon is full is history. Who knew? I thought it was just a bunch of caves. It was the original…read morestate capital. Anyway, this attraction is an old tree stump covered in a pavilion. Rumor has it that Indiana delegates met under this same tree to draft Indiana's state constitution in 1816. At the time it was estimated that the tree was already 150 years old. It is interesting to not that the actual tree has been dead since 1925 due to Dutch Elm disease, and the stump and trunk is all that remains. It does look well preserved though. I guess the coal tar they used worked like magic. The tree limbs and branches that were cut from the trunk, opened up a money making opportunity. They were chopped into pieces and sold as souvenirs There is limited parking in front of some of the houses on the street that the stump is on. However, much of the curb is painted yellow for no parking. tree's limbs and branches. These were subsequently chopped into pieces and sold as souvenirs. This is definitely worth a visit if you are in Corydon. Some people question how long the stump will be around due to the declining number of people that knows the tree's significance and the uncertainty of how long the tree's preservation efforts would be effective. Well, as with most road side attractions I visit and review, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. You may want to consider planning out additional stops or making it part of a larger itinerary.I would start with the Indiana Caverns and/or the Harrison County Discovery Center, which is right down the street.

Indiana's first constitution was signed under this tree! And although the tree died from Elm…read moredisease in 1925, the trunk was preserved. It's huge! The story goes... In 1816, the 43 Indiana delegates met to draft the first constitution. It was unbearably hot in the log cabin they met in, so they stepped outside to work on the constitution under this elm tree. At the time, the elm was reported to be over 130 feet tall and 50 feet wide, and about 150 years old. Indiana's first constitution included several progressive laws, like a ban on slavery! This is not only a cool roadside stop, but also a part of important Indiana history.

I've been taking a trip down memory lane as I look at old photos, articles, and notes from my…read morethirty years of doing my Tenderness Tour outreach event. As someone who attended a Black college for my undergrad and who has spent a good amount of time immersed in the Black community, I often make it a point when I visit cities and towns to explore sites that are important to the diversity of Indiana. The Leora Brown School is one such site. Located in Corydon, Indiana - the state of Indiana's first capitol - the Leora Brown School is a one-room schoolhouse that was built in 1891 for the sole purpose of educating African-American children. It is one of Indiana's oldest schools established for that purpose and Brown's family largely spearheaded the effort to restore the school. Originally known as the "Corydon Colored School," it was one of the first African-American schools and had its first graduating class in 1897. Leora Brown was one such graduate and she would go on to attend Blaker's Teachers College in Indianapolis. Once she graduated from college, she returned to Corydon and would teach in the school for the next 26 years until the end of segregation (theoretically, anyway). The building has been beautifully restored including a ramp that offers wheelchair access. It's a historical site and cultural center. Part of the original blackboard is still in the building. The state of Indiana has marked the school with a Historical Marker. In 1949, Indiana did move toward desegregation (slowly). In 1950, all public schools were required to be integrated. In practice, this eliminated many teaching jobs for African-American teachers as they had difficulty finding work in formerly all-white schools. This included Leora Brown. The school was restored around 1993. This is definitely a must-see for history buffs and those interested in Indiana's history of addressing racism. Since Corydon has an abundance of history to see, it's a delightful day trip that I would highly recommend.

As Hoosier, celebrate our bicentennial by visiting our first official "state" Capitol in Corydon,…read moreIndiana. The original Capitol building is still standing and offering tours on certain days and times. The town is full of unique shops, antiquities, and delicious restaurants. The trip to this town wouldn't be complete without stopping at the famous Butt Drugs (pronounced just as it's read). Make sure to watch the hilarious commercial on YouTube before visiting to get a sense of its importance in the community. Also, don't leave without trying a Vanilla Coke!

From the owner: Welcome to Historic Corydon and Harrison County. Visit our Blaine H. Wiseman Visitor Center to…read morelearn more about our area.

Frank O'Bannon was a Corydon native and 47th Governor of Indiana (1997-2003). He served as a Served…read moreas State Senator from Corydon for 18 years. He is known for Creating the first Community College system in state, and being the first Governor to have a computer on his desk. Sadly, he died in office after suffering a stroke. The bronze statue was created by Raymond Graf in 2008 for the city's 200th anniversary. It is situated on the plaza of Indiana's First State Capitol building, and depicts O'Bannon sitting on a granite bench. There is an empty granite bench behind the sculpture. There is a flag pole behind both of those benches, flying the American flag. To the left of the structure is a bronze plaque that identifies the sculpture, its artist, date of dedication and its purpose. To the right and behind the sculpture is three granite pillars, The first is of Lewis McClellan O'Bannon, Frank O'Bannon's grand-father, the second is of Robert Presley O'Bannon, Frank O'Bannon's father. The bronze plaques on their respective columns have a image of their face and lists their accomplishments. The third column has a bronze plaque that lists some of the Frank O'Bannon's accomplishments. Unlike the other two though, it does not have an image of his face. The sculpture is in a nice plaza area in front of city hall. There are tons of free street parking available on the street in front of and surrounding the statue. It is a nice attraction to see if you are in town. Even if you have no idea who Frank O'Bannon is. I sure didn't. You, however, will probably not spend a lot of time there. Anyway, I would recommend coupling this trip with other stops such as Indiana Cavern, the Harrison County Interpretive Museum (which is across the street), the William Henry Harrison Log Cabin (catacorner from) and the Constitutional Elm Stump (in walking distance across the street).

This little history museum is tiny but packs a lot of information into a small space. Did you know…read morethat Corydon is the first state capitol of Indiana? Neither did I! You can learn facts like this at Harrison County Discovery Center. If you are bringing kids, there are a few things for them to do, but not a whole lot. Don't come expecting this to be a children's museum. This is more for older kids and adults. There are a lot of things to read and a short film to watch, but not a whole lot to play with. We did the whole museum in about 30 minutes, and that was with a personal tour. This history museum is a big field trip stop for 4th graders in the area. If you live in Corydon or the surrounding area, your child will probably visit this museum with their school at some point!

Located in old old Corydon jail, with rooms for interactive learning. Small gift shop, super nice…read morestaff and lots to learn about Indiana. Good for ages 3 to 103.

We (my two grandsons - ages 9 and 16 and their old gramma) opted for the indoor "glow golf" and…read morearcade games today. Glow golf was rough for this old gramma -- dark and kind of dangerous with all the hidden ups and downs making navigating the various holes a bit scary (in that I feared falling and breaking bones, neither of which happened, thankfully). I was very glad when the mini golf was over! Actually, I think my grandsons were as well. They also have daylight outdoor mini golf, which would have been a better choice for me. Afterward I gave each boy $10 in quarters (ATM and change machines on site) to play with in the arcade. Prizes were crap, naturally, but they had fun. A few games were out of order, sadly. I would not wholeheartedly recommend this venue, but it suited this Spring Break entertainment quest today.

We just happened to be out this way and my wife wanted to treat our kids…read more The place is small, for sure, but somehow they managed to cram an 18 hole indoor mini golf course inside. The decorations are pretty cool, definitely very family friendly. I didn't find the holes very challenging, but the ones that were seemed impossible. They have a small arcade with about 15 games. Most seemed kinda dated, but the kids still enjoyed themselves. No prizes! But if you have little kids, that is kind of a godsend. There is a small snack bar inside so you could get a drink. They also offer outdoor mini golf, but it was too cold and we did not for that so I have zero opinion on that. The course seemed pretty small, but Corydon Indiana, It is what it is. Nice guy worked there, very helpful. Three stars just because it was fun, but just left something to be desired.

Indiana Caverns has a large gift shop, with tons of seating as you wait for your tour to begin. It…read morehas excellent educational signage and posters, and a large fluffy orange cat named Mr Tooth. Our guide was great, very funny. I forget her name but she had dark hair in two long braids. The cavern is spectacular, the first time seeing actual live critters, in situ ice age bones, and of course the unique boat ride. 10/10

We were greeted outside and was told a tour was about to begin if we wanted to join it. The group…read morewas about 15 people and two guides. Out main guide Lane did a great job talking about certain points in the cave. Even though we were warned I cracked my head while going down some stairs. Very interesting how the entrance to the cave was below the building. The boat trip was short but nice. The tour over all was short but worth the money.