I stumbled across the Elwood Haynes Museum while traveling on my recent Tenderness Tour in the…read moreKokomo area. While I'd heard about the museum before, I knew very little about it and I can honestly say that visiting it wasn't on my itinerary for my Kokomo visit until we happened to drive by it while searching for our evening dining location. The Elwood Haynes Museum is located in the mansion owned by Elwood Haynes, a Kokomo-based inventor credited with multiple firsts including being the first to produce cars commercially back in 1894. He lived in Kokomo until his death in 1925. Haynes also invented stainless steel. Seriously. Being that the Elwood Haynes Museum was actually a residence, you might guess that wheelchair access is kind of an issue. It definitely is kind of an issue, though kudos must be given for efforts to make the mansion as accessible as possible. You go up a rather narrow, somewhat steep driveway and park in the back of the house. If you have a high vehicle or an RV type vehicle, the odds you're going to achieve this are slim to none. There's only a few parking spots, a likely indicator that visits to the museum tend to be in smaller groups. The guide who was present for our visit acknowledged that the vast majority of visitors are out of towners rather than locals, though they do host local student groups. They've concocted a rather large, wooden ramp designed to provide wheelchair access. It likely meets ADA requirements in terms of grade, though be aware the wood itself feels a little flimsy. For those with limited range of motion or upper body strength, it may be advised to have a companion or assistant with you. You then enter via a side door that leads to your standard residential hallway. As this was a turn of the 19th century house, you can easily guess that hallways are rather narrow. I had zero issues moving into each room on the first floor - a bathroom on the first floor is largely wheelchair friendly with appropriate rails. The second floor would not be accessible to a wheelchair user, while the third floor, a small area, is not open to the public. They also have a basement area that is not open to the public. There's also an attached carriage house that had three of Haynes's vehicles within it along with a safe that had been created from the materials he invented. The Elwood Haynes Museum really is rather fascinating, though it's a rather quick view with a maximum of 1-2 hours needed to enjoy the entire museum. Admission is free, though donations are welcomed and somewhat encouraged in a low pressure sort of way. The exhibit, in addition to the vehicles, includes a wealth of photos, documents, inventions and other items related to Haynes, a figure who contributed greatly to modern motoring yet remains relatively unknown when compared to many others. The volunteer who was present was friendly and knowledgeable about Haynes's history and worked at a comfortable pace in explaining the museum. This was definitely an unexpected gem during my time in Kokomo.

For history buffs, or car buffs, or fans of invention, this is a "must stop" place to visit while…read morein Kokomo. The home of Elwood Haynes is partly a time capsule showing the Haynes residence and all those wonderful antiques you might expect. The other part of the building is the museum tribute to Mr Haynes and some of the other famous inventors/inventions of Kokomo. I hadn't done any research before going, so I was surprised to learn how many incredible inventions were created/discovered by Haynes. What is most commonly related to is that Haynes designed, funded the building of, and drove the first commercially built auto in the country! Local inventors (The Apperson Brothers) owned a shop and were paid by Haynes to build the frame and moving parts of the first auto after Haynes had bought a one horsepower engine that ran on gasoline. At that time, gasoline was considered a waste product from natural gas production and it was another of Haynes' inventions that made gasoline more usable as a fuel. On July 4, 1994, Haynes successfully drove his vehicle for an hour, covering about six miles. But that was just some of what this man accomplished. He discovered a means for making brass at the age of 15. He also invented the small thermostat that is used to regulate home temperature. He also created numerous alloys, including stainless steel and Stellite (used in blading small turbines and numerous other tools/equipment that should not rust.) The museum shows photos throughout the building from Haynes' life. Upstairs, the rooms are not maintained as living spaces, but rather, as tributes to the other inventors and "firsts" that Kokomo is known for. You will see exhibits about the Appersons, the first pneumatic rubber tire, first carburetor, lots of Delco radio inventions, and even some canning innovations. And of course, there are lots of exhibits about alloys and their uses. The staff is friendly and goes the extra mile to make sure you have all the information you desire. Note: Although the garage is off limits, you can still see three of the first cars produced in Kokomo through the windows. Review #2486

This small town festival packs a ton of fun during the annual three day event. We went early Sunday…read moremorning to avoid crowds. Many of the vendors weren't opened yet, but we found plenty to see and do. The information staff is friendly with great maps and programs of the festival guides. They explained that Saturday night was busy at the fair with several live concerts and carnival rides running late into the evening. The carnival rides and game booths looked sparkling new, colorful and clean. I wished I had brought my granddaughters. On Sunday, you could by a "band" and get to ride everything for one price. There was one booth with locally made glass paperweights. Elwood is famous for glass making for well over 130 years. The festival offered free tours of two local glass shops. The tours were short, only 10 minutes at each stop, but you could drive back over to the shops after the tour. I was hoping to see more glass at the actual festival with information on the Elwood history. There were many booths filled with carnival-type trinkets, local crafts and food. But the best part was a long line of food trucks. There was every type of food, coffee and summer beverages imaginable. The smell of bacon frying filled the air. Since it was early, I grabbed some biscuits and gravy from the Quincy Masonic Lodge truck. The guys in the truck were jovial and fun. I ate my breakfast at nearby picnic tables. They were delicious and stuck to my ribs. Food prices were unbelievably reasonable. There was an outdoor pavilion where concerts and other events happened. Nearby restrooms were available. Admission and parking were free. There was close parking on Sunday morning, but I'm sure parking was a challenge on Saturday. It was easy to get around the park. People are friendly. The festival is worth the visit.

The Elwood Glass Festival is an underrated festival based in Elwood, Indiana, a relatively small…read morecommunity located in both Madison and Tipton Counties and organized by the Elwood Chamber of Commerce. Despite having existed for 50 years (51 in 2022), the Elwood Glass Festival seems rather modestly known outside the Madison and Tipton County areas. I only heard of it because of a friend who lives in the Elwood area. It gave me the opportunity to more fully explore a part of the state that I've never really visited. The festival is a tribute to the unique, beautifully crafted hand-blown art-glass produced throughout the Elwood community since the earliest days of the Indiana Gas Boom, more than 100 years ago. It's held during the third weekend of August from Friday-Sunday and includes a parade, carnival rides, bus tours, food, collectibles, demonstrations, and contests. The festival is crowded but manageable and most Indianapolis festival-goers will likely consider it fairly modest compared to some Indy fests. The crowd was friendly when I attended and accessibility is fairly solid with the obvious exception of some of the carnival rides. The glass festival is considered family friendly and admission is free. The festival takes place in Callaway Park, an Elwood city park that is rather nice sized. The Elwood Glass Festival also includes The Vintage Rollers Car Show that brings more than 300 classic and antique cars each year along with live bands and other entertainment at the Jim Knoop Amphitheater inside Callaway Park. Free bus tours are available daily and include stops at Carol's Legacy Glass and the Historic Elwood Opera House. Both of these are worth the short trip up from Indy. The Elwood Glass Festival is only about an hour North of Indy if that. It's an easy drive and a great day trip with Anderson about 30 minutes from Elwood. This is definitely a festival worth putting on the family calendar.

My friends and I love the nostalgia of Diana Theater, and we've been going there for many years…read more Occasionally we will get a group together and take a short road trip to Tipton for a movie night. Their price for years was $5 per person, and they recently raised the price to $6. Still a great bargain for first run movies. Their concessions are very reasonably priced as well. They have replaced all the seats which is a big improvement. A nice upgrade! There is a parking lot and plenty of street parking too. Always a nice, low-stress experience at Diana Theater.

We have always loved the Diana, but this experience wasn't the best. The movie was great, the…read morepeople were great, the parking was easy but we did have a few concerns. The new seats are not the most comfortable, but they suffice. The movie however kept having splotches of color where color shouldn't have been. I was fearful the projection may not have worked the entire movie, but it did. I hope this is a very easy fix for them!!

Ok, so for $15 dollars i really didn't expect much. but i nearly peed myself every 5 seconds. it is…read morethe perfect amount of scary and weird. from the outside it doesn't look like much but it's definitely a lot. and you might get called a hussy by a hillbilly cult ‍. i would definitely go to this haunted house again and highly recommend it :)

amazing theatre is done here. you won't regret purchasing a ticket- and that luke mclaughlin as…read morekerchak in their 2018 production of Tarzan? PHENOMENAL. go support the arts!!!

In it's 49th season, this darling, rustic theatre is the perfect spot for a date, group outing, or…read morepersonal entertainment. The acting is really phenomenal. You won't be disappointed. The parking attendants are so friendly. The staff is super welcoming and helpful. (They are able to accept credit cards now!) Even though it was a hot and humid day, we were completely comfortable while we watched the show. At intermission, you can grab a cold drink and candy bar. Go support the arts and enjoy a really great summer show

The Pork Festival is one of the greatest things I go to every year! The food is amazing, there are…read moremany carnival rides to go on, and you get to hang out with friends! Overall, the Pork Festival deserves 5 stars.

This is no longer a pork festival and hasn't been for years. The town booted out the Pork…read moreProducers that actually started this festival years ago and it's been downhill ever since. We went yesterday and it's just like any other fair. The city took the most unique aspect out of this festival to use it for their own financial gain.

Taylor Tomlinson comedy worth the money…read more Dustin Nickerson would be just as good as headliner.

A great little theater company with very progressive board who allows trendy and cutting edge work.read more

A great group and good time. I have lived in Kokomo for years and have not heard of KCT until I…read morecaught the King and I. I urge people to catch their shows as It was a wonderful time.