Love finding hidden gems, and we truly enjoyed this one. We came early, and it was so peaceful and…read morequiet.

There may be no finer labyrinth in the state of Indiana than the New Harmony Labyrinth, also known…read moreas the Harmonist Labyrinth. For those unaware of New Harmony, it's a small historic town located on the Wabash River that is considered part of the Evansville metro area but is actually located in Posey County. New Harmony has always had strong religious roots, usually of a more alternative nature, and was originally known as Harmony due to being founded by George Rapp and the Harmony Society in 1814. The Harmonists largely existed in three areas - this location along with Economy, Pennsylvania and Harmony, Pennsylvania. In each location, they built churches, homes, businesses, and a labyrinth. It should be noted that the existing labyrinth in New Harmony is not the original from 1815, but instead a 1939 recreation. It is constructed out of natural materials based upon an architectural drawing that was available in the Harmony Society archives. There's an amazing grotto in the center of the labyrinth that is a recreation of an existing grotto that still exists in Economy, PA. The Harmony Society believed strongly in the symbolism of a labyrinth and felt it to be a central part of their philosophy, beliefs, and practices as a commune. Indeed, the Harmony Society believed very much in communal living. The New Harmony Labyrinth is open from sunrise to sunset every single day and is free to visit. The grotto, while at the center, can be accessed through a series of gates for those not wishing to actually do the labyrinth - I will confess I have a hard time imagining not doing the labyrinth prior to visiting the rather amazing grotto. For labyrinth lovers, it may be worth noting that this is one of two rather magnificent labyrinths in New Harmony. As you can tell from the included photos, the New Harmony Labyrinth is a hedge labyrinth that has been somewhat updated over the years while keeping the core of its design. While not quite as wheelchair friendly as I'd like (the path is somewhat narrow), I still consider it to be Indiana's finest labyrinth and the surrounding community in which it's located maintains its deeply spiritual roots. I don't get down to New Harmony nearly often as I'd like. It's a terrific day trip - probably about 2 1/2 hours from Indy, but there's easily enough to do in New Harmony to justify a day's trip. If you need creature comforts for shelter, you can always slip over to Evansville. However, there's options here in New Harmony and when I visit I'm always glad I did. While most of us will leave COVID-19 and want to spend time around people, for those who appreciate quiet, meditation, prayer, and solitude, the New Harmony Labyrinth is one of Indiana's best kept secrets.

When we went it was May and it was super super overgrown and we had a hard time getting to the…read morecenter! We could not walk any of the outer paths. The branches were across the path. It's a beautiful place if the landscapers have been there. Not really any way to know for sure if they have but to just show up. Good luck !

This was my first visit and my g/f's second time here. The town is very charming and the people…read morethere are very friendly. The labyrinths are fantastic and worth a visit. The history of this small town is fascinating and the Owens did a magnificent job of creating and maintaining many original historic buildings. We had some fun by taking a walking tour of the haunted side of New Harmony with the folks at Haunted New Harmony ghost walk. https://jonimayhan.com/ This town is the perfect respite from the everyday hassles of the outside world. It's only an hour+ ride from Garden of the Gods in IL. I was surprised it wasn't more of an arts community hangout. This town has a Woodstock, NY vibe just under the surface.

New Harmony was founded by the Harmonists, a communal religious group, in 1814. In 1824, the…read moreHarmonists left and sold the town to Robert Owen, a utopian socialist who established a commune there, complete with communal living, public education, and the abolition of private property and money. From its lofty beginnings, things turned out pretty much as you'd expect a social experiment like New Harmony to turn out: residents quarreled, public goods were neglected, and the town was dissolved within a few short years. Well, sort of like the New Harmony of the early 19th century, the New Harmony of today promises a lot more than it actually delivers. Useful information on the town, and the much-vaunted "Atheneum" visitors' center, is hard to come by; and the Disneyesque city streets, though clean and pleasant, comes off as sterile and uninteresting. Though I went there on a pleasant day in early May, the streets were empty and many of the shops were closed -- even those with signs indicating that they 'should' be open. We eventually tried to satisfy our museum craving at the Working Men's Institute Library and Museum, finding it open despite a sign indicating that it 'should' be closed! Much like the rest of New Harmony, the Working Men's Institute sounded a lot better than it actually was. Full disclosure, we got to the Atheneum at 3pm, and thus missed the last tour which left at 2. But the fact that no tours were listed on the website meant that we didn't even know why we were going there or what the Atheneum was supposed to offer. The nice lady who greeted us told us that "the upstairs was closed", but it's only now that I learn that the upstairs offers a museum and a film -- two things that, like Socialism itself, sound nice in theory but are remarkably hard to enjoy in real life. The upshot is that New Harmony is better in theory than it is in practice. In that sense, they seem to get the historical accuracy just right.

This is a neat place to come visit. They have great info and exhibits in the museum and plenty of…read moreoutdoor space to explore. I'd like to go back sometime to explore more of the trails/outdoor section because I went in July 2025 when it was really hot outside.

How very sad. We drove down from Michigan and spent the night in a local hotel so we could tour…read moreAngel Mounds this AM and then head home. The phone message of the site says the hours are 9-5, but we checked the online site which said 10-5. We were at the locked gates at 9:58. Nobody ever showed up. We called all the phone numbers and left messages, emailed their contact, AND messaged the "Friends of Angel Mounds". We saw a black truck in the lot, worried that the site rep had a medical issue, so pushed the gate open since it wasn't locked. Didn't see anyone in distress, so we didn't have to call 911. We have a 10 hour drive so got back on the road now, after waiting 45 minutes to see if someone would show up for work today. We hope everyone is all right. We'll try again next year.

Great selection of CD's with music from the 60's-80's. At my age this was a pleasure.read more

Absolutely a must visit if you are a music lover. If you love vintage music and equipment this is…read moreyour place. Everyone is super chill and happy to answer questions. Really nice to talk to someone who loves what they do. Picked up some new records and looked at a new turn table. Give this place a try. Easily the chilliest cat I have ever met.