Y'all!!!! I am not a frequent flyer at places like this but my son wanted to go with some friends…read morefor his birthday so we did. Things were pretty quiet until about 1:30 in the morning. Around 2:51 (haha "around" and then I post the exact time) we all RAN out of there and drove home - an HOUR tired, hungry, and freaked out! Blackford County Jail does NOT disappoint and the owners are awesome!!! MUST GO!!!

If you happen to be at Conner Prairie, you may notice this well preserved covered bridge on the way…read moreto the Civil War Journey area of the park. Inside the bridge, there are banners and sound recordings of things you might hear people say while discussing the Civil War in 1863. Although a Union State, there were a lot of Copperheads who supported the Confederacy. The bridge is fairly short for Hoosier standards at only 110' long. Odd fact is that the bridge wasn't around during the Civil War. It wasn't built until 1884 during the later stages of the covered bridge building boom of the 1870's and 80's. Although bridges usually span rivers, the park has built a pond beneath the bridge to give it the appearance of being functional. You don't hear the murmuring of water flowing underneath like you do at many other bridges. So, it's a good idea of having the sound recordings take your mind away from what's missing. The bridge seems to be in great shape. I've been to nearly 50 covered bridges in Central Indiana and this one is right up there for the best preservation. Review #2720

Cedar Chapel Covered Bridge so far is my favorite covered bridge in the state of Indiana or…read moreanywhere! I am so impressed at how much care goes into the preservation of the covered bridges in this state. Not only do they keep many of them freshly painted and structurally sound, they celebrate them with driving tours, festivals and special parks such as Conner Prairie. Cedar Chapel is a beautiful structure unlike any other I've seen, moved from its original location to the Conner Prairie Pioneer Settlement. Six years prior to its purchase it sat roadside and then remained on Conner Prairies property for 25 years until The Governor's Office presented a check for $240,000 to aid in the cost of it's restoration. Conner Prairie is AMAZING! Truly worth visiting with your family as you walk through time. The facility is divided into villages. There is an 1836 Prairietown, an 1863 Civil War Journey, 1859 Balloon Voyage, animal encounters, a homestead, Indian camp, nature walk and many interactive areas. The bridge is located between the 1836 Prairietown and 1863 Civil War Journey. We had very little time to spend here, but are making plans to return soon! BRIDGE FACTS Year Opened: 1884 Builder: George Woerntz & Son Length: 110 feet (124 feet including the 7-foot approaches at each end) Width/Height: 12 feet wide / 13 feet high Truss type: Howe Truss Current Location: Conner Prairie Interactive History Park in Fisher, IN Original Location: DeKalb County FINAL THOUGHTS It costs to get into Conner Prairie ($15/adults or $10/children at the time of this review), but it is so worth it, especially if you are a fan of historic details. Of all the bridges I've EVER seen, I would recommend this be a top destination for your travel folder. It is one of the most beautiful covered bridges you will ever see in an ideal family setting loaded with things to do. Visit. Enjoy.

I had the good fortune of visiting The Asylum early in its current manifestation as a key…read moredestination spot for those seeking paranormal investigations and opportunities to visit a location said to be Randolph County's most haunted spot. As I arrived at my 666th review here on Yelp, I began contemplating what I could possibly review that would be worthy of such an occasion. Having a dark sense of humor, I began contemplating both my past and present journeys through Indy's more haunted spots and locations with a history of evil and, in most cases, either found them not appropriate for Yelp or inappropriate review. While I briefly contemplated either a review of an Indiana Satanic church (Yes, we have them!) or a visit up to Hell, Michigan, I settled on a revisit to this location that turned the old Randolph County Infirmary/Asylum into one of Winchester, Indiana's few touristy spots. If you know me, then you know that while I do review most businesses for accessibility I'm also a pretty adaptable wheelchair user who regularly does long-distance events and who joined Yelp down in the incredibly not wheelchair friendly Catacombs. In other words, I tend to go where I want whenever possible even if it's not wheelchair friendly. The Asylum is not actually wheelchair friendly, though it's better than you might expect. If you have mobility issues, you might want to contact them in advance or ensure you have a companion with you for assistance. As a building built in 1899, it is exempt from ADA laws. In its early days, the nearly 50,000 square foot building housed six wards, several private rooms, a kitchen, laundry facilities, and separate dining rooms for men and women. It also had several other features on the adjacent property including a cemetery 230 yards northwest of the "home." Over the years, the facility served different populations including the poor, orphans, physically and cognitively disabled, single mothers, and the elderly. In 1994, the facility was bought from the county and turned into the Country Care Center. Around 2008-2009, Country Care Center closed and the facility was used for county storage until current owners came along in 2016 with the stated intention of using the facility as a paranormal attraction. I mean, seriously, do you know a single old asylum that isn't haunted? The treatment in these facilities was typically quite lacking - even in this type of setting, which certainly wasn't a Central State type place but still had its share of tragedy. The current owners have done a nice job of creating a functional setting for paranormal investigations, several videos from which are located on The Asylum website. The website features a wealth of information about the history of the facility along with current information about visits for investigations - this allows for overnight visits. While it's certainly not inexpensive, this is frequently done in groups and that certainly helps defray the costs. The Asylum, to my understanding, is still currently under a contract which means that actual production companies cannot be accommodated. The facility also does not have heat at this time, though they are working on this issue and that may change in the future. I should note that they do occasionally have special events that may include productions - look under the events tab of their website for more info. They even had a Christmas event this past holiday season. I really respect what they're doing here and the fact they've been respectful to the cemetery within the area. There's also said to be unmarked graves. While The Asylum is being utilized for paranormal, the team behind all of this truly is respectful of historical buildings and that makes it all a little more special to me. I've been through Winchester, Indiana a couple times on fundraising events and, indeed, all of Randolph County is pretty sparse in terms of tourist options. However, you have the Randolph Inn where you can stay and enjoy yourself in a small, friendly county and this pretty remarkable setting where you never quite know what you'll encounter!

Had the pleasure of meeting both Dann and Ted during our visit. They were both some of the nicest…read morepeople I've ever met and had a fantastic time talking with them both. Both are very genuine and knowledgeable with a good sense of humor (especially Ted). The building is very active and becomes very alive at night, lots of moments that make you stop in your tracks. Thank you Ted and Dann for letting us spend the night and everyone please go support saving the old properties (Stop).

I was in the Franklin area for a work obligation and finally made it over to see the famed "Grave…read morein The Middle of The Road." One of the more unique graves around, this grave nearly always shows up on any list of Indiana's most unique roadside attractions. Of course, this isn't "roadside." It's in the middle of the road and serves as a sort of divider in the road. The grave is for Nancy Kerlin Barnett, married to William Barnett. Fun fact: William was the great great great grandson of Pocahontas and John Rolfe. Nancy passed away on 12/1/31. She was buried here - a place that used to be a hill overlooking Sugar Creek. Over the years, the area became a small cemetery. Eventually, a small footpath was made. Finally, they wanted to put a small county road here. While it's not certain, it's believed that most graves in the area were moved. However, Nancy's grave stuck around as one of the son's protested moving it. Eventually, they wanted to widen the road - this time around, per report, grandson Daniel showed up with a shotgun essentially saying "Over my dead body." So, she stayed again. They built the road around her and a concrete slab was placed over the grave. On August 8, 1912, a historical marker was also placed. To this day, the grave remains and is definitely considered an "attraction." Anyone who visits roadside attractions in Indiana will eventually make it here. It took me way too long. Surprisingly, it's also fairly accessible and the road is really fairly lightly traveled. It's not hard to stop and see it, though given it's a hill you do have to be a bit cautious even with slow traffic. Is this the best roadside attraction you'll ever see? Of course not. It is, however, a cool sort of cultural icon in Indiana and worth a stop for those in the area. It's definitely not what I'd call a destination attraction. Franklin is a great community to visit, however, I'd certainly not drive down just for this unless you're truly a gravesite person.

This was on a list of unusual things to do/see in Indiana so I had to check it out. The story goes…read morelike this. They were developing the road and it was going right through where the grave is. So they decided to dig the grave up, to which the grandson of the deceased said, ohh heck nawww. It ain't going down like that, and he grabbed his shotgun and threatened the powers. to be so bad that they came up with the compromise of incorporating his gam gam's grave into the new road. So, here we are. Down the center line of the road you will find a tombstone covered with pennies and an occasional flower or two. There is also a historical road marker on the side of the road as well, detailing the significance of the spot. This stop is just or brief stop or drive by. There is really no good place to pull over. I had to be creative and pray. To my favor was that the street was not very busy. An occasional car would pass by. Well now, I can check off "seeing a grave in the middle of the road" off of my bucket list. On to the next adventure.

Completed in 1972, the Salem Crossing Covered Bridge crosses Fishback Creek, just to the west of…read moreSalem Road. It was built by E.J. Murphy who earned an engineering degree at Purdue University and subsequently moved to Zionsville. Interestingly, the dedication of the bridge was attended by U.S. Vice President Hubert Humphrey. U.S. Senator Vance Hartke, U.S. Senator Birch Bayh, and "Bonanza" actor Lorne Greene. After Murphy passed away in 1981, the Kennerk family purchased the property and bridge in 1982 from Murphy's estate. The Kennerks renamed the bridge Salem's Crossing in 1996. The bridge is not open to traffic and I believe that it might be located on private property. So keep that in mind if you're planning to visit. [Review 20587 overall - 121 in Indiana - 1568 of 2023.]

April 2026 Fishers Parks-owned historic house; however, it…read moreseems not possible to arrange a visit for a small group to learn about the home's history. It appears to be used for commercial use under a contract between Fishers and Ritz Charles. You can still visit the park and walk the grounds, but you can't get a tour of the house from what I can tell. All tour requests for the Ambassador House can be sent to: info@simplyservedcatering.com or (317) 575-2244 - but I don't want catering!

The historic Ambassador House, built in the mid 1820s and Heritage Gardens are located in the back…read moreamongst trees in Fishers Heritage Park. The house and the gardens, which is owned and operated by the City of Fishers Parks & Rec Department, make it an ideal destination to host weddings and special events. The house, rich in history, is a Greek Revival style home. There are private grounds and beautiful gardens to host events of up to 250 guests from April to October in a large event tent or during the colder months, they can host up to 60 guests.

A wonderful historical stop in Versailles to pay tribute to the celebrated sharpshooter Annie…read moreOakley. Easy to navigate to and plenty of room to park, it's really cool to see that people are still stopping by her resting place to pay their respects.

I was just driving along a country road from Indiana to Lima, Ohio when suddenly a small sign…read morepopped up saying "Annie Oakley Grave" with an arrow pointing to a side road. I thought, "What??". I grew up on cowboys and Indians and one of my favorite TV shows was "Annie Oakley". I had missed the turn but took the next right to reconnect with the road. After driving aways, there was another sign and Brock Cemetery. I turned in slowly, parked, and walked reverently up to the headstones for Annie, her parents, and husband Frank Butler. It was pretty awesome to be standing at her final resting place. I read the information on the plaques, took some pictures, and somberly continued on my trip. You just never know what you will come across when you take the small roads to your destination instead of freeways.

While this historic building is currently vacant, it is owned by the city and maintained by the…read morehistorical preservation commission. I was fortunate enough to receive a tour a few months back though it has been used for public events in the recent past, which explains a lot of the random supplies and furniture left behind. This was the original location of the Mayor's Office in the city, prior to the construction of the City-County Building a couple blocks away. It's a little creepy being in there now because of a lack of light. No A/C either means it gets pretty toasty in the summer! A few years ago, there were plans to turn the building into a boutique hotel but they fell through. Hopefully the space gets utilized again in the near future, but for now it's a beautiful building to admire.

I have a very deep connection with this building. By that I mean, I think I've seen just about…read moreevery nook and cranny thanks to planning a huge party that required some serious love on my part for the space - ex. hanging lighting, sweeping up crumbling molding, hiding the abundance of old city furniture, installing wifi, and so on and so forth. We reallllly got to know one another during the month of December 2013. In the time that has passed since Yelp's Totally Bazaar, The Hall has received some serious love thanks to People For Urban Progress and the bright and the creative minds that now call this space their "place of work". Here are a few reasons I recommend you revisit the building that once served as the Indiana State Museum, public library and Yelp party pad: -new benches and flowers added to the exterior of the building - great lunch or work spot -exhibit showcasing the future of transit in Indianapolis -event space in the foyer - perfect for weddings, meetings, screenings -side rooms that also serve as great spaces for working throughout the day or hosting meetings in a unique space Hall, you gave me one helluva ride in December but I'm so happy I chose you to showcase the best of Indy's local biz scene. It was truly your shining moment. **special shout out to Tiffany Benedict Berkson with Historic Indy for connecting me with the building back in the summer of 2013.

I was in Anderson recently for a work obligation and it gave me the opportunity to check out…read moreAnderson University's Centennial Prayer Labyrinth. If you've followed me for any length of time, you already know that I am a lover of labyrinths and enjoy discovering the ones located in Indiana or in other cities that I visit. The Anderson University Labyrinth was developed in 2018 as part of the university's 100th anniversary celebration. It's an 11-circuit Chartres design that is 42-feet in diameter. It's located directly north of the soccer field in a tree-lined field. It's also behind the Fine Arts Building. It's a beautiful setting and five years after its construction I have to say it's also being beautifully maintained. As is true of most labyrinths, the labyrinth here is very much considered a place for prayer and meditation. It was initially opened during Homecoming and Family Weekend in 2018 and is a public, outdoor, and permanent labyrinth. It's made of acid-stained concrete and my understanding is that it was one of the last outdoor labyrinths made by Paxworks. The Centennial Prayer Labyrinth continues to be appreciated by the university. During my visit, I saw a couple of other people stop by and spend some time on it. Anderson is only 43 miles from Indianapolis and lovers of labyrinths would do well to check this one out. As a side note, this is not the only labyrinth in Anderson as First United Methodist Church also has one located inside Davis Park. The circuits themselves are not wide enough for a wheelchair, however, the labyrinth itself is easily accessible and I had little difficulty honoring the intent of a labyrinth while using it. While I'm not quite sure I consider this to be a "destination" labyrinth, for those within Madison County it's a welcome addition to the spiritual traditions at Anderson University and a labyrinth to which I look forward to returning in the near future.