This place is so unique! Its free to visit though donations are appreciated to help with upkeep…read more Its not a huge space, we probably spent about 15 minutes there but really enjoyed our time looking at how intricate things were. Dogs are allowed but they ask that they be carried which was no problem for us since our dogs are small

It is completely free. So fun. Lots of history. Really a beautiful little spot. Flowers were…read morebeginning to bloom. My 3 girls loved it. Made a little donation and they sent me a thank you email.

Y'all!!!! I am not a frequent flyer at places like this but my son wanted to go with some friends…read morefor his birthday so we did. Things were pretty quiet until about 1:30 in the morning. Around 2:51 (haha "around" and then I post the exact time) we all RAN out of there and drove home - an HOUR tired, hungry, and freaked out! Blackford County Jail does NOT disappoint and the owners are awesome!!! MUST GO!!!

Here there is something for everyone. It is a nostalgic place for me and many others who are from…read moreTroy, Ohio. But for many, this is a new and booming place, but it's not exactly new. This is not just any park...here is a little history: In the early 1940's, several Troy residents began clearing the river and the banks of rubbish in hopes of using the area for water activates. They even cleared away the remains of an old wooden damn located just north of the Adams St. Bridge. Then, Edward Alvah (E. A.) and William Hobart took an interest in the park and provided the heavy equipment needed to assist in the process of clearing. That's right...E.A and William Hobart of the Hobart Brothers Corporation. The Hobart Corporation used to be based in Troy, Ohio. Yes, that's right...the ones that created and made Kitchenaid for the home and for commercial use...and they are still made today (just not here). Let us not forget the welders, generators and industrial equipment as well to name a few. They weren't always made in a foreign country. Indeed, Hobart was alive and well in Troy, Ohio and the surrounding area once upon a time. The Corporation put quite the thumbprint on Troy, this is one of them. The leaders of the Hobart Brothers Corporation wanted to provide a location for not only boating enthusiasts, but also for their employees to enjoy the Great Miami River and all activities related to water. So, they constructed a marina, a boathouse, and a launch area with a lighthouse all from the profits of the company. At one time there was a baseball diamond located here and playground equipment as well. The place boomed with boating activities, festivals and company picnics for many years. My grandparents and parents used to speak of the fun times here. In the 1960's, E.A. Hobart gave the boathouse and property to the city of Troy as a gift. Troy accepted and decided it had great recreational potential. It has been utilized in many ways over the years. It has even seen days of non-use and dilapidation as well sadly. Some of my fondest memories growing up were playing out on the island after crossing a bridge...and we always fed the ducks. I used to love to ride my bike down that steep hill coming in and lift my legs & feet off the peddles. We used to rent canoes and paddle boats below...sweet memories. But what was once old, is new again. It brings me tears of joy to see this place come alive again and alive it is indeed. This place not only has its own website now, but it has a Facebook page too! There is a fairly new restaurant in the building called "Smith's Boathouse". The Smith family has a history of their own. I went to school with one of the brothers and was able to enjoy the family restaurant in Maui (Yummy). It is a great addition to the Park. And if you get a chance, please check it out. But not only that, there is now an area for concerts in addition to the typical walks, playing, biking, picnicking or just hanging out and enjoying the view. There is quite the venue these days at Treasure Island. It makes me smile that it is alive again. Although people call it "new", please don't forget the history, how it started, why it's here and how it has evolved. When in Troy...stop down...a water activity may interest you, a stroll, a bike ride...or maybe just the view. These are only a few things you can do there...there is something for everyone...to include finding that special spot for peace and quiet. http://www.troyohio.gov/587/Treasure-Island-Park https://www.facebook.com/pages/Treasure-Island-Park/142286295802726

A wonderful historical stop in Versailles to pay tribute to the celebrated sharpshooter Annie…read moreOakley. Easy to navigate to and plenty of room to park, it's really cool to see that people are still stopping by her resting place to pay their respects.

I was just driving along a country road from Indiana to Lima, Ohio when suddenly a small sign…read morepopped up saying "Annie Oakley Grave" with an arrow pointing to a side road. I thought, "What??". I grew up on cowboys and Indians and one of my favorite TV shows was "Annie Oakley". I had missed the turn but took the next right to reconnect with the road. After driving aways, there was another sign and Brock Cemetery. I turned in slowly, parked, and walked reverently up to the headstones for Annie, her parents, and husband Frank Butler. It was pretty awesome to be standing at her final resting place. I read the information on the plaques, took some pictures, and somberly continued on my trip. You just never know what you will come across when you take the small roads to your destination instead of freeways.

Driving around Celina, sooner or later you drive by Grand Lake. It is a large and beautiful lake,…read moreand next to it are two large landmarks easy to see by anyone driving: 1) The Celina Lighthouse 2) The Welcome to Grand Lake Sign The sign was created and donated by Celina Insurance in 2013 to the city. I think its always a wonderful thing when a business gives back to its community. It is supposed to last forever, and the company guarantees its warranty at least per the newspaper article i read about it. https://dailystandard.com/archive/2013-09-17/stories/22040/celina-insurance-group-celebrating-its-100th-anniversary-with-donation-to-city

I had the good fortune of visiting The Asylum early in its current manifestation as a key…read moredestination spot for those seeking paranormal investigations and opportunities to visit a location said to be Randolph County's most haunted spot. As I arrived at my 666th review here on Yelp, I began contemplating what I could possibly review that would be worthy of such an occasion. Having a dark sense of humor, I began contemplating both my past and present journeys through Indy's more haunted spots and locations with a history of evil and, in most cases, either found them not appropriate for Yelp or inappropriate review. While I briefly contemplated either a review of an Indiana Satanic church (Yes, we have them!) or a visit up to Hell, Michigan, I settled on a revisit to this location that turned the old Randolph County Infirmary/Asylum into one of Winchester, Indiana's few touristy spots. If you know me, then you know that while I do review most businesses for accessibility I'm also a pretty adaptable wheelchair user who regularly does long-distance events and who joined Yelp down in the incredibly not wheelchair friendly Catacombs. In other words, I tend to go where I want whenever possible even if it's not wheelchair friendly. The Asylum is not actually wheelchair friendly, though it's better than you might expect. If you have mobility issues, you might want to contact them in advance or ensure you have a companion with you for assistance. As a building built in 1899, it is exempt from ADA laws. In its early days, the nearly 50,000 square foot building housed six wards, several private rooms, a kitchen, laundry facilities, and separate dining rooms for men and women. It also had several other features on the adjacent property including a cemetery 230 yards northwest of the "home." Over the years, the facility served different populations including the poor, orphans, physically and cognitively disabled, single mothers, and the elderly. In 1994, the facility was bought from the county and turned into the Country Care Center. Around 2008-2009, Country Care Center closed and the facility was used for county storage until current owners came along in 2016 with the stated intention of using the facility as a paranormal attraction. I mean, seriously, do you know a single old asylum that isn't haunted? The treatment in these facilities was typically quite lacking - even in this type of setting, which certainly wasn't a Central State type place but still had its share of tragedy. The current owners have done a nice job of creating a functional setting for paranormal investigations, several videos from which are located on The Asylum website. The website features a wealth of information about the history of the facility along with current information about visits for investigations - this allows for overnight visits. While it's certainly not inexpensive, this is frequently done in groups and that certainly helps defray the costs. The Asylum, to my understanding, is still currently under a contract which means that actual production companies cannot be accommodated. The facility also does not have heat at this time, though they are working on this issue and that may change in the future. I should note that they do occasionally have special events that may include productions - look under the events tab of their website for more info. They even had a Christmas event this past holiday season. I really respect what they're doing here and the fact they've been respectful to the cemetery within the area. There's also said to be unmarked graves. While The Asylum is being utilized for paranormal, the team behind all of this truly is respectful of historical buildings and that makes it all a little more special to me. I've been through Winchester, Indiana a couple times on fundraising events and, indeed, all of Randolph County is pretty sparse in terms of tourist options. However, you have the Randolph Inn where you can stay and enjoy yourself in a small, friendly county and this pretty remarkable setting where you never quite know what you'll encounter!

Had the pleasure of meeting both Dann and Ted during our visit. They were both some of the nicest…read morepeople I've ever met and had a fantastic time talking with them both. Both are very genuine and knowledgeable with a good sense of humor (especially Ted). The building is very active and becomes very alive at night, lots of moments that make you stop in your tracks. Thank you Ted and Dann for letting us spend the night and everyone please go support saving the old properties (Stop).

I tend to love the more obscure roadside attractions in my home state of Indiana. One such…read moreattraction is Berne, Indiana's Muensterberg Plaza and Clock Tower. I am especially fond of the clock tower, a 160-foot tall multi-million dollar replica of the clock tower in Bern, Switzerland that was dedicated in 2010. I used to drive through Berne semi-regularly due to my church obligations that would frequently have me in this part of the state. Located on, you guessed it, North Church Avenue in Berne, this clock tower is beautiful to look at and consistent with the Swiss theme that dominates Berne, Indiana. Admission is free to this roadside attraction. Berne, Indiana is located in Adams County about 35 miles south of Fort Wayne. Population is about 4,000 and they have a substantial Amish population that speaks a Swiss German dialect known as Bernese German. The town comes by its Swiss connection naturally - it was settled in 1852 by Mennonites that came here directly from Switzerland. That relationship with Switzerland has been maintained. The entire city of Berne takes a little bit over 2 square miles! The plaza also includes "The Settler's Statue," a statue commemorating the area's first settlers, along with the only stateside Canton Tree and a flower bed designed in quilting patterns. The clock is actually quite popular even for local residents who are quite proud of it. You pretty much can't visit Berne without seeing the clock - partly because it's such a main feature and partly because it's big enough that it stands out in the city. Do you remember the Dilley sextuplets? They were the world's first surviving sextuplets. They were from Berne, IN. This is honestly a great day trip - in addition to checking out this tourist attraction you have multiple close by places to visit including Oubache State Park, Gene Stratton Porter Museum, Pine Lake Waterpark, and Swiss Heritage Village & Museum among others. If you get a chance, I definitely recommend stopping in Berne, IN and checking out their beautiful clock tower.

What a beautiful monument! When passing through Berne, you can't miss this tower as it looms…read moretoward the sky. The tower has a glockenspiel that operates at set times during warmer weather. The plaza is a nice park, with plenty of space to enjoy the out of doors. I posted pictures taken during my visit in January and to see the monument surrounded by white snow was awesome. I'll have to make a return visit during warmer months when the grass is visible. On the corner of Main Street and US-27.

Well, it's definitely a short street. I drove 3 hours from Indiana to be able to say I drove on…read morethe shortest street in America. Was worth the drive. I just wish they had a gift shop.

I heard about this, and I don't live that far away, but it didn't seem worth a trip on its own…read more Today I was in town, visiting historic sites and getting some food, and realized I was so close I might as well stop by. It is indeed very very short. So short, there's no parking on it. On one side, there's a factory, on the other side there's railroad tracks. And it's at a triangle where two other streets come together. It's about 30 feet long. There's a street sign, and no other marker. Pretty interesting. Five minutes off the highway if you're passing by, maybe not worth a detour unless you like quirky places.

Across the Martin Luther King Bridge is a park where historic old Fort Wayne is located. Although…read morethe original fort is no longer in existence, the replica that is, there is a good representation of what the fort would've looked like had survived all the wars, their statues gracing the park with all the history.

Looks cool from the road and the folks volunteering should be commended for their efforts.... When…read moreyou read that the fort is a re-creation and the cement between the lumber is rubber foam it's kinda like learning the truth about Santa and your parents... still cool but not the same.