In the middle of the ISU campus is a collection of "bench people" on the east side of Reeve Hall…read more Artist Madeline Weiner created this collection in 2015 out of Dolomitic limestone. There are five pieces to the collection: two are stacks of books, two are people lounging back, and the final piece is someone reading a book. All five pieces may be used for seating for anyone wishing to take a break and relax. Review #1483

This mural is only 12 x 12 but features a local celebrity known for his loyalty and dedication…read more Stiffy Green was a British Bulldog who followed his owner everywhere. When the owner passed away Stiffy found his owner's mausoleum and stood guard . Eventually the loyal pet passed away on his own and to protect the loyal pet from damage/vandalism, he was stuffed and now resides in the Vigo County museum. I am sure there is a lot more to the story, but you can research that on your own. If you are driving north on 7th, you can easily spot his mural on the side of the building. I find it delightful that there was such a bond between a man and his pet. Whenever you are in the area, be aware of the multiple images of Stiffy hat can be found around town including having his own beer! Review #3972

If you haven't been to Terre Haute in awhile, then you have missed a transformation that continues…read more Anyone who has been on the campuses of ISU and Rose Hulman has seen the numerous sculptures that brighten the grounds. Well, downtown can now match that with the Terre Haute Arts Corridor. 7th Street between the streets of Wabash and Poplar, has become an anchor for public art in the city. 7th Street makes sense since the amazing Swopes Art Museum is located there. I really enjoy seeing the collection and the new exhibits. And the museum is free! So, it was a good decision to expand from the museum to the nearby streets. On the north end of the corridor (Wabash), a bronze of a man sitting on a park bench is found on the northwest corner of the intersection. "Max Ehrmann at the Crossroads" was sculpted by local artist Bill Wolfe in 2010. Ehrmann was a world famous poet (Desiderata) from Terre Haute who often sat at this corner to be inspired. Outside the art museum is a steel and aluminum piece called "Spirit of Space" by Bob Emser (2007) who was inspired by aviation to create the piece. At 727 Ohio St, a building has carved roundels of "Lions" by John Eberson from 1915. They are located high above street level. Back on 7th, the block has a sculpture on each side of the street. "Free Fly" by Bob Evans (1976) is an aluminum piece abut 6' in height. Across the street is "Urban Flowers" by C J Rench (2015) which adds a bit of color and whimsy to the collection. Down at the southern end of the corridor at Poplar, "Gatekeeper" by Sally Rogers (2008) is a large stainless steel sculpture that is nearly 25' across. It was designed to be the gateway arch to the corridor. Throughout the city, there is public art to be found. But along the corridor, you can easily walk from piece to piece. Review #1247

When I booked a hotel in lil ol Paris, Illinois I was not hopeful their would be a brewery. Lo and…read morebehold I am happy that there is! Lot 50 is brewery #306 for me. Lot 50 has tables out front as well as a big space inside with a large concrete bar. I don't know what it is I like about concrete bars, but I like 'em. It wasn't very busy at 4:15 on Friday with just two couples sitting out front. I was the only one at the bar. As I was sitting at the bar I noticed there was a YUGE outdoor area off to the side. Lights and all it would be a great spot for a concert when the weather is good. Batch 59 DIPA was really nice! I may be getting inured hops but this one was really smooth. Great flavor all the way through. I think even SWPFTD would enjoy this one. Clurichaun red ale was next. I immediately wondered about the name but right there on the paper menu it said, "Named after the leprechauns drunken, mischievous cousin". I thought leprechauns were mischievous to begin with and being Irish I just assumed they were drunken! Don't get your panties in a wad and all offended, my wife is Irish and I'm Scottish. Besides, the Irish can take a joke! Anyway, this was a very good malty red ale. Stagecoach coffee blonde just didn't work for me. It's probably partially due to my favorite coffee blonde was at a brewery in my former hometown that we frequented weekly for years. You can taste nostalgia sometimes. Shoutout to Sons of Liberty Aleworks! We miss you! Anyway, this was not a bad beer at all, just not quite what I wanted. YMMV of course. The Honeybee brown ale looked more like an amber ale by color. Even by flavor I could have mistaken this for a festbier. That said I truly did enjoy it. I would order another for sure. Last beer for me...notice I said last "beer". Last beer for me was the Frosted Court St stout. A collaboration with "Frosted by Maddie". I don't know for sure what that means but I'm guessing a bakery since it mentions a stout crossed with red velvet cake. This was pretty darn good. I can't say I got the red velvet cake flavor out of it but it was a good beer. As I was hanging out at the bar, you know, doing that drinking and Yelping thing I do, I noticed they had two meads that were brewed in house as well. Sold! The Twisty Foo Orange Creamsicle mead was very tasty. I wouldn't have pegged it as "orange dreamsicle" without a hint but that might be me. Last was the Cosmic Fudge Plum Brownie mead. What do you classify that as? A melomel I guess since it has plum in it. I don't know what you call mead that is brownie flavored. If I had ever smelled and tasted a plum fudge brownie, this is EXACTLY WHAT IT WOULD TASTE LIKE. That is...if it were a mead. The flavors were legit but I didn't love the mead. I like the Twisted Foo better myself. If you are in the area, stop in a Lot 50. I enjoyed it! If anyone is a glutton for punishment, please, follow my brewery, and distillery, reviews from across the U.S. and beyond! https://www.yelp.com/collection/-8iscFkpiiCI563-FDfwGg and if anyone is wondering who SWPFTD is you will have to check out my review of Black Market Brewing Co in Temecula, CA to understand. Yes, you will need to read into it a little to get the joke but I have confidence in you! I hope my confidence is not misplaced.

I almost couldn't believe Paris has a brewery. Their beer selection is a wide variety. Their…read moreSchwarzbier and New England IPA are their best beers. Really cool bartender, dug the vibe. This place has the space and entertainment for a nice busy weekend time.

Romanesque-Revival style, the Edgar County Courthouse looks like a fancy wedding cake. It was…read moredesigned by architect Henry Eliot of Chicago and was constructed from 1891 to 1893. At the top is a galvanized steel and zinc sheet metal-clad, tiered bell and clock tower topped with a copper dome. The tower and dome are topped by a "Lady Justice" statue. The courthouse's exterior has four main sides and four entrances situated between each adjacent pair of sides. Each side includes two towers at each end and a central section with a tall gable. It's a stunning structure located at the center of Paris. Don't miss out on this and if you're able to do a tour, please do! [Review 1288 of 2024 - 215 in Illinois - 22311 overall]

Swope Art Museum, officially known as the Sheldon Swope Art Museum, may not have all the…read morerazzle-dazzle of Indy's Newfields, however, this is an impressive regional museum and a source of pride in Terre Haute. The Swope Art Museum has a collection of nearly 2,500 works of American art including paintings, sculptures, and works on paper from the 19th century to the present. Changing exhibitions from the permanent collection include selections from American Scene Painting of the 1930s and 1940s, 19th century American art, early 20th century modernism, Indiana art, and Post-World War II figurative and abstract art. The museum is particularly known for its American Scene Painting collection with artists including Thomas Hart Benton, Charles Burchfield, Reginald Marshall, Grant Wood, and Edward Hopper. 19th century American art movements include William Merritt Chase, George Inness, Frederick MacMonnies, Mary Fairchild MacMonnies, and Tompkins Harrison Matteson. 20th century art includes works by George Bellows, Arthur B. Davies, Manierre Dawson, Jack Levine, George Luks, and Fairfield Porter among others. Indiana artists are also represented here quite extensively - J. Ottis Adams, William Forsyth, Theodore C. Steele, C. Curry Bohm, Otto Stark, Carl C. Graf, Genevieve Goth Grath, and Terre Haute natives like John Rogers Cox, James Farrington Gookins, Janet Scudder (who is directly related to the physician who delivered me!), Caroline Peddle Ball, and Gilbert Wilson. Finally, more contemporary artists like Robert Indiana, Andy Warhol, Paul Jenkins, and Robert Motherwell also have art works here. You can schedule a guided tour here that lasts about an hour. In terms of accessibility, the Swope is on two floors. There is a small elevator that can accommodate most wheelchairs/mobility equipment. They also have a wheelchair that can be utilized in case yours doesn't work (assuming you can transfer). There is 2-hour street parking around the museum (it is watched, so watch the time to avoid fines). For special events, visitors can use the Old National parking lot. This is a 1901 building - so efforts at accessibility are appreciated. Admission is free, however, I'd check the website as there are somewhat limited hours. While Swope is certainly not a national museum, it's a much nicer than expected regional museum with a lot of impressive art and genuinely warm staff and volunteers. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Terre Haute has quite a bit to visit and a stop at the Swope should be a part of any weekend getaway.

It's a small museum, but if you can accept that, there is an interesting mix of Indiana artists,…read moreand others from different areas of the US. Heavy in landscape and 1800+ portraiture, it has several interesting galleries. Go now before June 2025, when it will close for six months, re-opening again in early 2026 after serious renovation. There is only a suggested donation as admission currently; that will likely have to change. It's a volunteer-driven organization, and they're quite helpful. The only downside is bad lighting; perhaps the renovation will pay attention to that. Worth a visit; free parking for 2hrs downtown nearby. Largely ADA accessible; if at standing-observation height.

The academics are exactly as described, very good and a lot of work. The amazing food I was…read morepromised has yet to show itself. The cost to attend school here is very steep but worth the price. I wish the required freshman class would cover proper showering but sadly it doesn't. Overall the school is a lot of fun.

This is a college visit review. We took son #2 here for one of their special visit days and they…read moredid it up right! Your basic college visit on one of these special days is lots of talk saying how the school is so great, a few tours and then some unstructured time where you can ask questions. The main presentation was short and sweet. It covered the important points without overdoing it. We all had a good laugh when the PowerPoint presentation stopped and there were technical difficulties with the equipment. We had a vivacious and very talkative tour guide who covered lots of the basic questions and gave my son some good insights. All in all it was a good experience. One star for the dumb ass who asked how much tuition cost. Um you look that up BEFORE you visit the college!