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    Columbus Area Visitors Center

    4.8 (85 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Columbus Area Visitors Center Photos

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    Martin H.

    My spouse and I drove over to Columbus Indiana to tour the architecture of Columbus. Purchasing tickets was simple enough. I called ahead to ensure handicapped accessibility. The staff was extremely helpful. The visitor center shares a parking lot with the library. They have plenty of handicapped accessible parking spots and a handicapped bus. The building itself has a great entrance ramp and an elevator. The bathroom is also accessible. Everyone is extremely helpful and knowledgeable. The architecture is wonderful to see. Make the trip to Columbus.

    Layne D.

    We had a great experience at the Columbus Visitors Center! The folks working were so nice and helpful, sharing tidbits about local offerings and they even played a short video about the Miller House for us since it was closed for tours during our visit. The center itself is clean and there are restrooms downstairs if you need them. They have a gift shop too with some cute items and art - plus a few Chihuly pieces on display. Our visit started when we arrived to take the architectural highlights tour. Our tour guide was great and greeted us when we arrived. The tour started and ended on foot, but most of the duration was on a bus as we drove through town hearing about the different architecture in the city. So interesting and amazing to see. During the walking portions we were able to go inside the church and library which was very cool. Overall if you're visiting the area I recommend you stop here at the very least to get a map and information, but the tour is worth it too if you want high level details on some of the buildings!

    Steven B.

    One day visit to Columbus, IN. to do the architecture tour and the Miller House tour. The visitor center is well located near the center of downtown with free parking. Both tours were excellent; the staff was great, the videos were informative. The van architecture tour is very well done, getting to see a nice overview of the different sites, and with getting in to see the insides of two different churches. About 2 hours split between the van and on your feet. Great introduction to Columbus, its history and how it became a center of architectural excellence. The Miller House tour was exceptional, what a great property. If you are into Midmodern Architecture this is a must see. The tour was informative, fun and more thorough then I expected. Get to see all of the inside and a good amount of the outside. Photos are allowed outside and in one main location inside. House is larger then I expected and incredibly impressive. I also used the Columbus, IN app to do some additional touring of the architecture and the Exhibit Columbus 2021 art installations. I highly recommend this if you want to explore on your own. The visitor center itself is nice, check in for the tours was easy, the meeting area for the videos was spacious and well appointed. Check out the art exhibits and don't miss the Chihuly Glass Pieces. About the only minor nitpick would be to have a bit more discussion of what Midmodern Architecture is about and its qualities. Overall an outstanding day. Great architecture, great public art and the downtown and Mill Run Park are well worth the time and energy to visit.

    Kathy V.

    Friendly staff, clean bathrooms, and Chihuly. Oh my! Ok, to expound slightly. We made a short visit to Columbus on the way to Indy. We intended to spend more time in town, but the tour we wanted to do was either cancelled or full or...something...so we were a little disappointed. But we decided to walk around the downtown area to check some stuff out and try and find a place to grab a bite to eat. Turns out, downtown doesn't have a lot of food-type places. But it does have a lot of interesting, cool, and historical buildings. And the visitors center is sort of in the middle of it all. We stopped in at the visitors center for several reasons. Yeah...the most immediate reason was to use a restroom. And hey! They have those! The second reason to stop in is to see their Chihuly installation. I love Chihuly. Do you love Chihuly? Of course you do. (Sh...don't argue. Chihuly is cool and pretty.) They also have maps of downtown with notable things to see and tourist information. And of course, because Capitalism, it also functions as a gift shop for the cute little town! There are some really cool architectural and historical things in town that I wanted to see and was unable to because of the weather. So I can guarantee that I will be back to Columbus for another visit...and I know I will start my visit at the Visitors Center next time! If nothing else, to pay the glass art another visit!

    Susie R.

    This building has several amazing Chihuli art pieces and a wonderful gift shop. It has items by local artists and lots of architectural books. There are several tours of Columbus architecture from here, most notably the Miller House (lots of photos included in this review, outside only as interior photos are forbidden. ) Take a brief walk outside to see an amazing church then walk inside the library next door. And that's just for starters.

    Architecture Bus Tour: First Christian Church | Eliel Saarinen (1942)
    Alexis B.

    Columbus - a surprising mecca for architecture in southern Indiana. Luckily enough, the Columbus Area Visitor Center offers amazing tours so that you can experience Columbus's stunning and important architecture! From the Columbus Area Visitors Center, you can book the Architecture Bus Tour and the Miller House and Garden Tour, as well as some seasonal tours! (You also have the option of a self-guided smartphone tour!) I've done the Architecture Bus Tour twice (it changes depending on the weather, the day, and the guide), and it's a wonderful, very comprehensive tour. Depending on the day you take the tour, you might see a library designed by I.M. Pei, the large arch by Henry Moore, First Christian Church designed by Eliel Saarinen, North Christian Church designed by Eero Saarinen, and more! Columbus is a fun, surprising town. And you if you visit, you must take a tour to experience as much of the architecture as you can with knowledgeable guides to answer any questions you might have! These tours are great. (If you're interested in architecture or Columbus architecture, you should check out the movie "Columbus," too!) (Full disclosure: My grandma is one of the tour guide volunteers at the Columbus Area Visitors Center. But I've been on her tour once and another guide's tour once as well. All the tours are great!)

    Part of Dale Chihuly's Yellow Chandelier and Persians
    Stacy P.

    If you happen to find yourself in Columbus, IN, this is the place to stop to get filled on all of the touristy happenings of the town and surrounding areas. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. This place is stocked with brochures that provide a variety of suggested activities. The Visitor's Center is part information hub, part gift shop (reminiscent to the IMA in Indianapolis), and part tour hub central. This is the starting point for the tours of Columbus, which includes as an Architecture Tour, Miller House and Garden Tour that has varying options, and a Downtown Walking Tour. They can also provide a map of a self guide architecture tour that you can take at your own leisure. They do show different films prior to each tour. The videos focus are geared towards the tour that is about to depart. They did happen to show my friend a video even though there wasn't a tour occurring at that time. If you wish to take any guided tour, I seriously recommend booking the tour in advance. In some cases, 4+ weeks as most of the tours have extremely limited capacity, especially the Miller House Tour. The prices on the tours vary, but are extremely reasonable. It cost $20 a piece , $22 after taxes and fees, for the Architecture Tour and Miller House and Garden Tour. There is free parking in their lot and on the weekend, there was street parking if the lot was full, and there was no time limits. Also, if you are a Dale Chihuly fan, you can check out his Yellow Chandelier and Persians piece near the stair case of the visitors center.

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    2 years ago

    Excellent Tour! Very Informative and a lot of fun. Beautiful City with World Class Architecture.

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    3 years ago

    Beautiful little city. The Miller House Tour was lovely. Our tour guide was informative and entertaining.

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    Bus tour is excellent, tour guide very knowledgeable. Don't forget to visit the gift shop. It has beautiful offerings.

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    amazing tour with charismatic guide. everybody was nice and professional from the front desk to the bus driver.

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    Review Highlights - Columbus Area Visitors Center

    It cost $20 a piece , $22 after taxes and fees, for the Architecture Tour and Miller House and Garden Tour.

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    Festival Country Indiana Visitor Center

    Festival Country Indiana Visitor Center

    4.7
    (3 reviews)
    20.4 mi

    The visitors center right off the square in Franklin is one of the best! It has a Photo Booth, a…read moremini replica water slide, mini theater, and a mini dj booth that you can practice DJ'ing. Now for the nations 250th birthday they have a really cool light up flag and you can sign the huge Declaration of Independence as well as have your picture taken in the statue of liberty. They have a mini gift shop with neat shirts, bags, posters things like that. They have a great selection of brochures for all around. Franklin has a GREAT farmers market that will be starting up soon as well as a great splash pad area amphitheater as well as home to the 104 year old Artcraft Theater!!!! Great town just south of Indy!

    I was in downtown Franklin for a friend's birthday party. I'd arrived early in order to grab lunch…read moreand visit the nearby Artcraft, but I also had some extra time and decided I would check out some other Franklin establishments. Of course, a stop at the "Festival Country Indiana Visitor Center" was a must as it was about a block of the town square and serves as the area's visitor's center. I will admit that I hadn't heard of the "Festival Country" campaign, a campaign that encompasses Johnson County communities including Franklin, Greenwood, Edinburgh, Bargersville, Whiteland, New Whiteland, Trafalgar, and Princes Lakes. The Visitor's Center is located in a brightly decorated building on Water Street. It's level to the ground and wheelchair accessible, though it is in an older building and the front door is a touch heavy. It's a relatively small location. You enter - to the left immediately is an area for retail purchase of t-shirts, posters, etc. I will admit I was really tempted by an Artcraft poster. You, of course, also have a large rack of flyers and brochures related to things to do in Johnson County. There is a staffed counter on one side, a couple of photo op exhibits toward the back, and a video that plays in an area set up to look like a mini-Artcraft auditorium. The theme here is obviously emphasizing the area's many festivals. It has to be a little difficult right now, however, considering so much is impacted by the pandemic. You were expected to wear a mask when entering and to respect social distancing. The volunteer (I'm assuming) working the counter actually wasn't wearing a mask when I entered, but quickly realized it and put theirs on. This spot also offers free wifi. The photo opportunity was fun, though not particularly wheelchair friendly. However, it's a cute idea that plays off the fact that there's a place you can do paragliding and skydiving in Franklin. The website has a ton of information about area attractions, restaurants, lodgings, etc. There are also some special deals. To be honest, I spent only a few minutes in this actual location. I watched their film. I checked out their sales items. I read through some information about local breweries. I also picked up some brochures. If you're in downtown Franklin and wondering what to do - this is a great place to stop, get information, and ask questions. While there's not much "to do" here, it's a central location to get all the needed info and directions before moving on to enjoy your Johnson County day. It always feels like Franklin, in particular, is farther away but it truly is just one county south and it's a fun little college town. It's an easy day trip with some great spots to visit.

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    Festival Country Indiana Visitor Center
    Festival Country Indiana Visitor Center
    Festival Country Indiana Visitor Center
    So cool! Great photo op!

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    So cool! Great photo op!
    Brown County Convention & Visitors Bureau

    Brown County Convention & Visitors Bureau

    4.1
    (8 reviews)
    17.5 mi

    The Visitors Center in Nashville has a ton of information about Brown County, Nashville and other…read moretowns in Brown County. I stopped by yesterday to pick up a map and get directions to a gallery. The maps were laid out on the counter when I walked through the door! The clerks are friendly and helpful and walked me through the symbols on the map. I asked about a restaurant for lunch and was told to try her favorite (and I did). I gathered information about recreational things to do that I didn't know about. There are places that offer horseback riding and zip-lining that were new to me. The Center has a small gift shop with logo apparel, water bottles and stickers. There is also a slideshow running that highlights some of the things to do in the area. A small play area with nature related toys is available for the little ones while parents browse. There is street parking close to the building or a public lot behind the building. The Center is worth a visit and will help you make the most of your day.

    I was really impressed by the Brown County Convention and Visitors Association during a recent…read morequick visit to Nashville. I was on the hunt for a public bathroom and this spot is ideally located in the heart of downtown Nashville walking distance from all the action. And, might I add, conveniently located a few doors down from the new-ish Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Roll shop. (side note: holy jamoly, this was the best cinnamon roll I've ever had) I digress, the visitor's center is very clean, well laid out and I was impressed by the great branding and fun visual maps you'll find inside. The whole space seemed very new and especially trendy for the small town area. They had a few style "Brown County" inspired clothing and trinkets for sale on the back wall. Worth noting, the bathrooms were clean. If you're popping into Nashville, I recommend giving the visitors center a quick peek.

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    Brown County Convention & Visitors Bureau
    Slide show about Brown County.
    Slide show about Brown County.
    Brown County Convention & Visitors Bureau

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    Southern Indiana Visitor Center

    Southern Indiana Visitor Center

    3.7
    (3 reviews)
    65.2 mi

    When I visit a new area, I try to stop at the visitor center. These types of places are always so…read moreinformative, and the people who work at visitor centers are always eager to help. You can tell they really love the town/city that they're representing. I love people who genuinely love things. The Southern Indiana Visitor Center definitely has people behind the counter who love Southern Indiana. They made me feel even more psyched than I already was to explore the area. They offered tips on what to see, what to eat, the best places to park, and advice about whether or not I should bundle up before heading out on my walk. (Apparently, I might have looked like I needed more layers.) There are also dozens of brochures and booklets about area attractions, which you can take for free. Basically, if you're thinking of visiting the area, this is the place to visit. The Southern Indiana Visitor Center also has a little gift shop full of Indiana paraphernalia, including magnets, candles, bags, artwork, books, cutting boards and lots more. You can also find merch for the local soccer team, Southern Indiana FC. This visitor center is located in downtown Jeffersonville, within walking distance of the pedestrian bridge that will take you to Louisville.

    Stopped by on Wed. June 3 at 2:10 p.m. closed no sign stating reason. Very disappointing.read more

    Photos
    View from Market St.
    View from Market St.
    Interior of the SoIN Visitor Center
    Interior of the SoIN Visitor Center
    Southern Indiana Visitor Center

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    Jackson County Visitor Center

    Jackson County Visitor Center

    4.0
    (4 reviews)
    17.0 mi

    This is a nice place to find out what's happening in Seymour. And there's of course another tribute…read moreto John Mellencamp. During a festival I attended, it even served as a nice venue for small acoustic music shows. All in all, a nice room.

    This is the place to find out what's what in Seymour and Jackson County. It's located inside the…read moreformer Southern Indiana Railroad Freight House so as you might guess, there is a certain amount of railroad theme to the location. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places and inside you'll find exhibits that tell interesting stories from the history of Jackson County, some gifty souvenirs and books about Jackson County. (If you have time, venture into town to the corner of 2nd and Indianapolis Streets to see the mural of John Mellencamp.) One of the interesting stories from county history is the Reno Gang. It's a long story, but the thumbnail sketch is that the Reno Brothers were life-time criminals. After the Civil War, the Reno brothers returned home to Rockford, Indiana with counterfeiters, thieves, bounty jumpers, questionable characters and general ne'er do wells. The gang was soon pulling off numerous crimes but they reached their pinnacle October 6, 1866 when John and Simeon Reno, with gang members, boarded a train and stole somewhere between $12-18,000 from the safe. It was the first moving train robbery in the United States and it wasn't the last train robbery committed by the Reno Gang, either. Witnesses would mysteriously assume room temperature and no one was every convicted of the train robberies. In July 1868, when citizens were fed up, vigilantes stopped a train just west of town. The train was taking three gang members to the county lock-up. The vigilantes overpowered the guards and pulled the three Reno gangsters from the train. The gang members were hanged from one branch of a nearby beech tree. Five nights later, the vigilantes did the same thing to three more gang members, at the same location, from the same branch of the same beech tree. A third and final vigilante lynching happened at New Albany, Indiana after members of the Reno gang were removed from their cells and hanged in the jailhouse. One of those cells is on display outside the Visitor Center. The site of the first two lynchings became known as Hangman Crossing. The beech tree blew down in a windstorm and there is no marker at the spot, but the story of the Reno Gang lives on in Seymour. There may not be a historical marker at Hangman Crossing but when you go to the Visitor Center, you'll meet the center's watch cat. His name is Reno. Stop in and scratch him behind the ears, if he'll let you.

    Photos
    Katie Stam - Miss America 2009
    Katie Stam - Miss America 2009
    John Mellencamp exhibit
    John Mellencamp exhibit
    The jail cell that was the last home of a member of the Reno Gang.

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    The jail cell that was the last home of a member of the Reno Gang.
    Visit Bloomington

    Visit Bloomington

    5.0
    (2 reviews)
    32.9 mi

    If you want to find something (practically anything) about Bloomington, then I highly recommend…read morestopping by the Visitors Center on North Walnut. It is easy to find if you are approaching from the north and use the business bypass to reach Walnut. Otherwise, you can head north on Walnut passed the SR45/SR46 intersection. The building has its own parking and is much larger inside than it appears from the street. Inside the first set of doors are rows of brochures (free) that you can help yourself to. I grabbed a Visitors guide and a Nature Preserve Guide for my use, but saw maps and festival pamphlets too. Inside the second set of doors, there is a central desk with someone to help you. Surrounding that area are numerous display shelves and racks for picking up merchandise that is for sale. 2018 was the Bicentennial year of the city, so there were celebratory items for reaching that goal like t-shirts. There are also posters, local artisan products like Dillman Farms jellies and salsa, and local popcorn. I found the information available to be quite useful and the person at the information desk very pleasant to talk with. She was quite knowledgeable of the area and was able to direct me to some points of interest that I had not visited before. If you like to explore, or simply to learn more about the area, make a point to stop by here. Review #1977

    This is the place for visitors to the Bloomington area to begin a wonderful visit. Friendly faces,…read morelots of great information on area attractions, things to do and restaurants, a fun little gift shop and more! Information specialists are on hand Monday through Saturday to provide you with expert local advice, customized recommendations and driving directions, should you need them. Information vestibule is open 24 hours a day, stocked with area visitors guides, maps and other helpful information.

    Photos
    The B Line (Summer)
    The B Line (Summer)
    Birds Eye View of Downtown Bloomington
    Birds Eye View of Downtown Bloomington
    The Buskirk-Chumley Theater

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    The Buskirk-Chumley Theater

    Columbus Area Visitors Center - visitorcenters - Updated June 2026

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