Take a wonderful tour of Indianapolis with a learned Indiana native Carrie Zimmerman !!!…read more We were so fortunate to get the information and entertaining facts about the industries, sports and famous people of Indianapolis. We certainly felt grateful to hear of this city's amazing history. We went to the Speedway, heard about the famous authors, Brad Tarkington, Silverstein, Kurt Vonnegut and saw some beautiful architecture which included Monument Circle, museums, the theatres along Mass Ave, and the canal.

I did a "quickie" visit recently to Indy and really just had 1 full day to check it out. Since it…read morewas very late Fall, most other local tour companies had packed it in for the season. Not Ms. Carrie! She is out there hitting the road, enlightening visitors and showing the sights of Indianapolis to a appreciative audience. Circle City Tours is very flexible and will work with your schedule and timeline. I was picked up downtown for the tour but for a slight fee, Carrie dropped me off at an Airport hotel. I was grateful for her immense knowledge of the city, particularly historical facts. LOVED the trek through lovely Crown Hill cemetery, which is not morbid at all. Carrie pointed out the many grave sites of noted politicians, authors, artists, ex-Presidents and the locally prominent who lie in repose there. The Civil War burial section was also very touching. Ms. Carrie pointed out magnificent churches, memorials, art and children's museum, local eateries (Shapiro's Deli=yummy!) and the White River State Park area. We even got to check out all the Christmas decorations up at the Indy Speedway. She packs a lot into the 3-hour tours but when it's over, you feel a sense of accomplishment that you learned so much about Indianapolis-- a city made all the more beautiful than it already is, by the beautiful ministrations of Carrie and Circle City Tours. 5 YELP STARS.

We went on a paranormal tour during the Halloween season and had a blast. Tickets were 20$ I have…read morealways wanted to go down to the catacombs and it didn't disappoint.

Wow this was really cool and informative!…read more Who knew there are underground catacombs at the Indianapolis City Market? We enjoyed our 30 minute guided tour. It's around $12, and highly recommend

came across this awesome property while on a random drive about last summer and just now going…read morethrough the photos on my memory card. I have a lot more that I shared on FB of the inside of the schoolhouse/library I'll add later when I find them again. Just a wonderful step back in history!

I love it when you discover something new when you're just out driving around in the country. Last…read moreweekend, we were taking a drive and came across an area known as Meltzer Woods. It is a beautiful wooded area located about 8 miles outside of Shelbyville, IN. The area has been turned over to the state and is now a 48 acre protected nature reserve. There is quite a bit of history surrounding these woods. If you do some online research on the Meltzer Woods topic, you will quickly find some interesting facts. While driving away from the nature preserve, on the same side of the rode sits a beautiful historical farm owned by the Meltzer family. The sign on the cabin near the road says it is a Hoosier Homestead Farm and has been owned by the same family for over 150 years! For me, the serene property instantly made me wonder what it would have been like to have lived on a farm like this some time ago. I got out of the car and wandered down the lane a little bit to get some pictures and ran into a couple friendly donkeys. On the other side of the lane were some free range chickens wandering about. There is a large brick farmhouse that sits away from the road and a brick sidewalk leading up to the house. There is also a huge, old barn with the Meltzer family name painted on the roof. The property has been well maintained. This historical area would be an excellent place to take the kids and teach them about nature and to show them a beautiful farm setting. I don't believe the farm is open to the public, but the woods next to it has some nice walking trails that anyone is welcome to enjoy! Review #39 - 10/01/16

One of the first things I noticed when I began traveling to Putnam County regularly during my…read morefather's illness and after his death was that Rockville, Indiana is not actually far from Putnam County. While Rockville is mostly known for the Covered Bridge Festival, it's also home to Billie Creek Village. Billie Creek is smack dab in Parke County. It takes its name from the nearby Williams Creek. It's a 70-acre history museum and park with around 38 historical buildings/structures and an abundance of antiques and such. Buildings are mostly mid-19th century to early 20th century. The 1913 Schoolhouse is considered a highlight. You'll likely think of a place like Conner Prairie when you visit, though truthfully I thought more of a place like Chesterfield (minus the alternative spirituality focus). There are three covered bridges (all on the National Register of Historic Places) Billie Creek has an interesting history. It has closed at least a couple times due to financial issues. It was purchased in 2022 and is currently free to visit the buildings (though there are events that do have a price and there's a general store and a cafe in the Gaebler building now). I will note that you can visit from 8am-4pm daily, however, the cafe is 6am-2pm. Buildings include an 1830s cabin, the general store, a village bank (was a 19th century post-office), a blacksmith shop, Burr Mill, Chataqua Pavilion, a doctor's office, Governor Wright Home, a maple syrup camp, refreshment stand (built in 1911), St. Joseph's Catholic Church (built in 1886), Union Baptist Church, and quite a bit more. There are events throughout the year - the website has been redeveloped (I submitted the new link) and is quite nicely done with the schedule. Is accessibility perfect? Definitely not. These are historic buildings and accessibility simply isn't always workable. However, it's better than expected. This is also a more casual experience. Don't go expecting all the scenes and scenarios and cosplay that you'll find at Conner Prairie - this is a historic village that for me is more relaxing, more immersive, and pretty amazing to experience in Rockville (which is, in itself, a beautiful area). If you're visiting the area, Billie Creek is a great stop along with the area's covered bridges and Raccoon Lake not too far away. For kids on summer vacation, this is definitely worth a stop!

A pleasant step back in time such a Great way to relax and just wander around taking in each unique…read morebuilding. Each one is so well preserved in time. The staff that was there was very informative about the past

Harrison our tour guide was the best. So happy we made the decision to take the underground tour…read more Who would have known the underground tunnels were used as a large refrigerator for fermenting beer. So much history and the building are absolutely beautiful.

Miranda was AMAZING!!! Very charismatic and kept our tour group entertained the whole time. She was…read morealso very informative and very considerate, especially when we moved to areas that are a bit difficult to move in. She did a great job explaining the best way to move. Overall very fun!!

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.

Embarked on the home tour for the first time this year, and it did not disappoint. I live in an old…read morehouse myself, so it was interesting to see other houses from the older time period of this area that have been kept in their old fashion. The tour was very nice. The houses were interesting and well-kept, and it was really neat to see the differences between the homes. I would recommend taking this tour. I don't actually know how much it costs..we had free tickets.

You know those amazing and unique mid-century modern houses you see when you drive down Main Street…read morein Carmel, near Guildford? Those were designed by Avriel Shull, an architect from Indiana. There's a whole neighborhood called Thornhurst in Carmel that's full of these awesome houses, and the neighborhood is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. This tour lets you walk inside these houses and look around! This is literally my dream come true, because I've been eyeing these houses ever since I saw them in Carmel, and this tour actually lets me take a peek inside. The Holiday Home Tour is in its 21st year as of this writing. This year, there were four houses on the tour, each one on Thornhurst Drive, just off Main Street. You get to walk into each house, and there are volunteers inside who tell you about different features of the house. Be sure to take your shoes off before you enter! The tour this year cost $25 per ticket if you paid in advance, and $30 the day of. It's a little steep, but the money benefits the Carmel Clay Historical Society, so it's for a good cause going to good people. You also get a little trolley ride from the parking lot at Carmel Middle School to the houses that you toured. Whee! I'd definitely recommend this tour for anyone who loves mid-century modern architecture and design.

From the owner: Join us for our 24th annual Holiday Home Tour and let the Carmel Clay Historical Society unlock the…read moremystery and beauty that lies behind the doors of several historic or historically significant homes in Carmel ... with a bonus tour of a spectacular southern Indiana home near the Ohio River, owned and decorated by Carmel residents. Presented in a virtual way, this year's Holiday Home Tour allows for viewing at a time that is convenient for you. From the warmth of your own home, enjoy the guided tours of one of Carmel's "Mid-Century Modern" homes, along with other locally significant homes filled with both history and holiday themes. Purchase your ticket and choose your time and then sit back and enjoy one of the most wonderful holiday traditions in Carmel, the Holiday Home Tour. All proceeds of this event go to support the mission of the Historical Society. Our tour has been professionally created by award winning video producer, Philip Paluso.

ok-i have to come out and say right off the bat that i am not an artist, nor do i work with…read moreglass--although i did work at a company that did a lot of glass walls--think 1/2 inch glass--but this is a lot different. my girlfriend is the artist and works with glass and she and i had a discussion about coming here. i am totally enamored with the tour, the production and the information presented. what really blew my mind away is the trememdous customer service attitude that i witnesses today. she needs something specific, and the great care that was shown her in finding particular colors of glass really impressed me. too often it seems that in a lot of places the care of the customer is overlooked. not here--by a long shot. and you gotta take the tour even if you are not looking to buy or work with glass. it is fantastic to watch and i suppose in the oven room on a very cold winter day would be a great place to be but even so today was delightful even with the heat outside. thanks again for the time and care that everyone showed us today in trying to find something special. and yes, the drive was worth it.

Kokomo Opalescent Glass is America's oldest glass manufacturing company. They began manufacturing…read morecolorful sheet glass in 1888 and, today, produce 75% of the world's stained glass. I took a tour of their factory today. Tours are available weekdays by calling their office. The 45 minute tour costs $6 for adults and $3 for students. The tour starts and ends in their small gift shop. We visited and saw demonstrations of molten glass moving from furnaces to make sheet glass. We learned about how they mix colors and recycle waste glass. We visited their warehouse and learned about the different qualities of glass and how the glass is shipped. Finally, we saw artisans making decor pieces from the glass. Our tour guide was friendly and interesting. I had trouble hearing her in the furnace room, but still was able to follow. Closed shoes must be worn (no sandals). They provide safety glasses. We found ample parking in their lot. Restrooms are available on site. The buildings are ancient and interesting. The furnace building holds a beehive furnace that was interesting, but is no longer operational. Worth a visit to this Indiana treasure.