Peaceful spot for hiking, leaf collecting and exploring nature. Growing up, this was the spot…read moreeveryone visited to build their leaf collections for school. They have paved and non-paved hiking paths along with an outdoor chapel and nature center. Overall, a lovely and free experience tucked begins the hustle and bustle of department store chains in Richmond.

This place is wonderful! Multiple trails to walk, a nature center to visit and even a trail to…read moredrive though. So many trees, just so relaxing. They allow dogs and we really enjoyed the quiet. Such a wonderful place. We wished we lived closer so we could visit more often.

Excellent, large park. I came looking for the aircraft, but it is so much more. They are nicely…read moretaken care of and displayed. There are also a few tanks. Plus many memorials, to most US wars across the years. Very fitting place to honor veterans. Also a very nice shelter house, a path along the river, and a "balcony" on the hill overlooking the park. Well done and well cared for. A bit hard to find, even with GPS- mine gave me the wrong street name to turn on. It said Johnson Street, but it's actually Goebels. Down the hill, under the tracks, and around the corner. Plenty of parking. Take your time and wander.

There are an awful lot of things to respect about Wayne County's Veteran's Memorial Park, an…read moreincredibly well developed park that sets the tone for this type of park in the state of Indiana. It begins with the little things - actually getting the domain name for the park so that people can easily find out about it. That's such a basic thing to do, but I'm amazed how many parks don't do it. The Park is located in the Whitewater Gorge and can be accessed via automobile via the Johnson Street entrance or via foot over the pedestrian suspension  bridge on Sim Hodgin Parkway or via the Whitewater Gorge walking/bike  trail. The park includes a variety of memorials worth mentioning including memorials for conflicts not often recognized. For example, there's a monument for conflicts from 1980-1996 including the Iranian Hostage conflict, Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, the Persian Gulf War, Haiti, and Somalia. There's a monument for POW's and those still MIA. There are individual monuments dedicated to area residents who served. There are multiple Vietnam monuments, markers, and benches. There's a monument to the Korean War. World Wars I and II are obviously honored. There's a monument to the U.S. Civil War that notes 320 Wayne County residents died during the conflict. Families can purchase memorial bricks, benches, and other markers for placement in the park. The website also lists the name of every soldier honored with a brick (again, this speaks to fabulous organization of the park). The park has a Memorial for Women Soldiers, a Purple Heart Memorial, two M3A3 Stuart Tanks, a HUEY Helicopter, an M60 tank, two naval guns, and more. It's a surprisingly large park that honors vets with dignity and respect and it's very well cared for. It was developed by veterans for veterans. The entrance to the park is just west of the Sheriff's building (super easy to find in Richmond). For veterans, this is a remarkable park to visit and for families of veterans in this area it's a wonderful way to honor your loved one. Richmond has a surprising number of monuments and is easily worth a day trip for a variety of spots. I spent several years attending seminary here and it's a wonderful little community and they've certainly done right by their veterans here.

My favorite Richmond museum. They always have something interesting on display. Special exhibits…read moreare top notch, and support for the local art scene is amazing. Their permanent collection is bigger than they have room to keep up so they're always rotating their displays. Definitely worth multiple visits.

As someone who has only recently devoted time to appreciating art, I am truly glad that the…read moreRichmond Art Museum (RAM) exists. The more research I put into local artists, the more I find source material from the Richmond area. That includes numerous artists that are from the Golden Era of Indiana Artists as well as the book written by the RAM curator Shawn Dingwerth. This free museum is open on Tuesdays through Saturday from 10 to 5. Parking is free in the lot on the north side of the building and on the street. The museum is attached to the school, so it has made due with size constraints and old building problems, but will be undergoing some large construction/renovation in 2017 to ensure better lighting (the current UV emitted by old lights is damaging) and climate control so that when space becomes available, more paintings will be able to be displayed. On my visit, the staff was very helpful and I had the opportunity to talk with the curator which I found quite interesting since I had read his book about the Richmond Group (local artists from the late 1800's to early 1900's) the week before. There are several galleries that have a theme for each: Ceramics, Contemporary, "Golden Age Artists", Portraits, and an exhibition hall. The lobby holds some of the large sculptures and paintings as well. The museum has an extensive program to reach out to local children to give them the opportunity to see the art first hand and learn. Programs are tailored to the age levels and focus on introducing different styles and cultures with each visit. The works themselves are truly representative of the different styles of art and serve as a time capsule of local artists that may be under appreciated by the current generation. Along with the Swope Art Museum in Terre Haute and the Haan Mansion Museum in Lafayette, the RAM has preserved our State's cultural best. I look forward to returning to see the improvements and the new exhibits. Review #233

Stumbled on this when in town to visit the county historical museum. Google or Apple or someone…read moreknows I am a history buff, and this popped up. Fit it in when I could. Pull up to the building on the hill. Nice parking area. But it turns out that is the smaller, annex building, really. Head down to the row of shops across the street, and you will enter a world full of Model Ts. Beautifully restored and displayed, with good explanations of their backgrounds, and often a copy of the group's magazine in front with an article about that particular car. Superb staff, friendly and knowledgeable. Tons to see. When you finish here, there are more cars (and a plane) across the street. They have events, and it's really worth a visit if you are anywhere nearby, are at all a car buff or history buff. Or just curious. A few cars for kids to sit in, etc., and they'll have fun too.

A fun and interesting diversion, but I think unless you're really a car buff, the $7 admission is a…read morebit stiff. Fascinating to see actual 100-plus year old vehicles arranged in such a way that you learn about their development. Interesting how they were really toys for the very wealthy until about the early 20s when the assembly line started to bring the prices down. It's housed in two buildings, the second one really had much more to see than the first. The docent/tour guide was full of knowledge and enthusiasm and would probably talk for hours if you were willing to listen. A couple visitors who were there were major car buffs, looking closely under hoods and discussing valves and pistons at great length. The guide did a good job balancing between them and those of us who were really more interested in the historic aspect and a somewhat shorter tour. Along with the cars, tractors, trucks, you can see antique office equipment, tools, car accessories, vintage advertising and mannequins dressed in period costumes. Most of the vehicles have been restored with fresh Ford paint jobs, but a few are on display in all their ancient, rusty glory. Be prepared to spend the entire visit on your feet. As with most antiques, the general rule is 'look but don't touch' but they are not obsessed with this and didn't seem to mind some careful, respectful touching of the restored vehicles. Perfect activity for a Sunday afternoon.

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.

During my seminary years, I spent quite a bit of time at Richmond, Indiana's Glen Miller Park. It's…read morea 194 acre park on Richmond's eastside directly off Main Street. Glen Miller Park also houses the administrative offices for Richmond Parks. Glen Miller Park opened on June 6, 1885. It's named for Colonel John Ford Miller, a railroad executive who'd bought the land specifically to establish a park and ended up selling it to Richmond five years after acquiring it. One of the things that attracted Miller to the Park was its freshwater springs. He had them tested and they were noted as being high in iron (which was believed at the time to be good for your health - people still fill water jugs here). In 1890, Glen Miller Park established a zoo within its grounds and it grew in 1908. By 1964, it had 250 different birds and animals. Unfortunately, it started to decline and by 1984 was named by Parade Magazine as one of the nation's 10 worst zoos. It closed in 1986 and all the animals were relocated. The entrance to the park is marked by the Madonna of the Trial Monument - it's one of 12 monuments built by the Daughters of the American Revolution along U.S. 40 dedicated to the spirit of pioneer women. The Richmond Rose Garden is also housed here. At one point, Richmond was known as The Rose City as it served as home to three of the nation's premier growers and marketers of cut roses. Park amenities include a band shell, concessions, fishing, the Rose Garden, golf course, nature area, picnic areas, an ADA accessible playground, restrooms, both open and closed shelters, an 11,000 square foot skate park, splash pad, and tennis courts. You can, of course, rent the shelters for your events. As the most popular park in Richmond, Glen Miller Park hosts a lot of the city's special events. It's had occasional issues with crime, but I've been here many times during my weekends in Richmond and have never had any issues. Because it's on the main drag through Richmond, police presence is not uncommon here.

I have comical memories of busting my butt on one of the old metal slides at Glen Miller Park in…read morethe early 90s. Despite only being in preschool, I will never forget slamming off the end of that slide. Ha, now days the slides are plastic, lower to the ground and padded more at the bottom for soft landing. Fast forward 27 years and I found myself at Glen Miller Park to swap Christmas gifts with my mother in the parking lot. Funny enough, we weren't the only ones swapping gifts outside for the holidays. 2021 Glen Miller Park features a music garden with hands on instruments, ponds filled with ducks, extensive playscapes and walking trails. The bathrooms were closed during our December visit. Overall, a pretty straightforward but spacious park a stone's throw from Richmond's shops and restaurants.

I was in the area for a friend's wedding and had some time to kill, so I opened up Yelp and saw…read morethis rose garden and decided to swing by. Definitely a small attraction, but beautiful nonetheless. Would be a great spot for a picnic or some family photos. Be forewarned: the grounds don't seem to be monitored well. There were some empty alcohol bottles and unfortunately there is a substance abuse issue in the area. Someone under the influence was there walking around and seemed agitated, so we didn't stay long. I wouldn't advise visiting here alone, but if you have time and company, it's worth a stop!

We visited Richmond in early July and were kind of underwhelmed with our time there. I was feeling…read morekind of disappointed on our way out of town when all of a sudden I notice us passing this beautiful rose garden. I immediately made my husband turn around so we could visit. I spent a great deal of time admiring the many different colors and varieties, so much time that my husband started to get annoyed. I so much wanted to take a picture of every flower I saw, the garden was just too beautiful not to fully appreciate. I tip my hat to the people who care and maintain this wonderful little gem in the city of Richmond, Indiana.

Swicker Park is located on the south side of Richmond. The block sized park has a gazebo type…read moreshelter in the middle and numerous mature trees throughout the park. Parking is limited to street parking along 7th Street. Without playground equipment, the park doesn't seem to attract many young visitors, but does offer a well managed green area for neighbors to enjoy. Review #1027

I was deeply moved by my visit to the Coffin House in Fountain City. Levi and Catharine Coffin were…read morepart of the Underground Railroad. They housed nearly 1000 freedom seekers (run away slaves) before the Civil War. They developed a network of people to help clothe, feed, provide medical attention. and transport the runaways through town to safety. Today, their immaculately preserved home and adjacent Interpretive Center tell their story to thousands of visitors. The home and Interpretive Center are part of the Indiana State Museum system. We arrived on a Friday, not realizing that tours of the home began at certain times. The morning tour had left. We were lucky that Joanna, one of the guides, took us through the house despite our late arrival. Joanna was knowledgeable and passionate about the Coffin story. We learned a great deal. Joanna went above and beyond to provide us with this tour. The interpretive center has interactive story boards, artifacts and a theater. In the theater, a short film paints a picture of the challenges of the Underground Railroad. There is also a gift shop with some great books. Restrooms are also available. Parking is free. There is an admission charge, but we had museum membership, so there was no additional charge. The Interpretive Center is fully accessible, but the house has limitations. This is a must visit for school age kids and anyone interested in history. Be sure to visit the web site and arrive in time for tours. You will want to reserve space in advance. Plan two hours.

I will confess that for the longest time I confused the Levi and Catharine Coffin State Historic…read moreSite with the Huddleston House. I'm a nice guy, but I'm not always the brightest. The Levi and Catharine Coffin House in Fountain City is one of those rare historic sites that lives up to the "must see" label. Quite honestly, it's one of Indiana's quiet icons. This 1839 home looks like your usual Federal-style brick home at first glance. It's certainly been beautifully restored. However, looking at the house doesn't begin to give you the true history of the place. Once recognized as "The Grand Central Station of the Underground Railroad," this eight-room home served as a safe haven for over 1,000 freedom seekers on their journey toward Canada. Levi and Catharine Coffin were Quakers and spent their approximately 20 years in Newport, now called Fountain City, providing food, shelter, clothing, and transportation for the over 1,000 freedom seekers who would learn that their arrival at the Coffin House was to be met with true hospitality and fierce determination. The Coffins would eventually move to Cincinnati and over the course of their lives they helped approximately 3,300 freedom seekers. The Coffin House has been ranked by The History Channel as one of the nation's "Top 25 Historical Sites." In 2016, the Smithsonian named the Coffin Interpretive Center as "One of 12 new museums around the world to visit." The Indiana Office of Tourism Development has, unsurprisingly, also called it one of Indiana's top museums. There are so many amazing experiences to be had here - simple yet profound. The Interpretive Center is sublime. While the house is, of course, not completely accessible there's much here that is and that can truly be experienced. The home is now a National Registered Historic Landmark. Fun facts: Every person who traveled through the Coffin House is known to have reached freedom. While the Coffins were by far the most active in this community, the entire community was known to be supportive and would often serve as lookouts to give the Coffins warning if bounty hunters were about to arrive. While Levi Coffin's reputation as a leader of the abolitionist movement was well known, the house was never searched. Admission is affordable - members get in free, children under three are free, children ages 3-17 are $5, adults are $10, seniors are $8, and they offer a variety of event, tour, and field trip options. The pandemic is currently influencing tours and they are scheduled and timed. This site is truly one of Indiana's gems and worth a day trip out to Fountain City. The area also has a nearby Amish population making this an ideal day trip for those who enjoy historical sites and cultural awareness.