When you think about it, it's a train ride. With that in mind, we recently went with the grandkids…read moreon the Easter ride. The train itself is a bit of a step back in time. In this day of fast flights and cramped travel, it was interesting to step back to a time where travel was slower and more spacious. People travelled up stairs in comfortable seats, their luggage was downstairs. Each seat had an ashtray ... if you even know what that is. The car showed its age. They even commented that the cars don't run in the summer for fear the A/C will go out. As for the staff, they try hard to deliver but more could be done with the story line. In the end, if you temper your expectations, the experience is worth the money. Ciao

We've participated in the holiday Santa train ride the past two years. It's a 75 minute ride (out…read moreand back) featuring Santa, hot cocoa, cookies, letter writing and festive elves. The online ticket purchasing can be a little confusing but we always seem to figure it out eventually. Nickel Plate offers a variety of family-friendly and adults only (cocktail themed, etc.) train rides. It makes for a really nostalgic and cozy experience - the train heads north to the Morse Reservoir area with deer sightings along the way. Tip - go to the bathroom at the train station before you head out. The bathroom on the train is quite old and small (aka tough with kiddos). Parking at the train station is a breeze and the park features a train themed playscape to pass the time until your ride is ready to board. Overall, a fun experience.

"Where it All Began…read more. In 1893 Wing and Mahurin began construction on Robert and Clara's Romanesque styled mansion. Same architect as the University of Saint Francis' Bass Mansion and The History Center both in Fort Wayne. Robert served as a 2 time state senator, assistant U.S. Commissioner for Indiana, huge investor in natural gas, (the reason Fort Wayne & even Chicago got natural gas when they did) and was a prominent lawyer. Clara helped form the first classes at the Fort Wayne Art School and was the co-founder of the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. The couple was originally from the Muncie area but moved up here for business purposes. They were a very prominent couple during their years here in Fort Wayne. Not only did Clara leave her forever footsteps at the Art Museum, Robert's law firm is still going strong known as the Barrett-McNagny law firm serving the local area still today. They only had one child Bessie but unfortunately due to illness died at 11 months old. After Robert's death in 1901 the home was sold to William K. Noble who ran a lumber company that operated in 3 states. His family of 3 lived there for 22 years and sold the building for $50,000 to The Klaehn Funeral home. In 1935 the west side addition was added due to high demand. At this time funerals were no longer held in the residents home as they were done in the 1800s. Today there are over 14,000 square feet in this absolutely breathtaking mansion. No detail has gone unnoticed. It remained a funeral home for over 93 years. Until they left the building in 2018 and the Sturm's bought the building in 2020 to preserve its beauty. We want to preserve our precious history first and foremost. History is the reason why we are all here today! We are SOOO PASSIONATE about preserving and sharing this place with the world!" My friend Jesse from JMH Fotografy https://www.facebook.com/jmhfotografy?mibextid=2JQ9oc https://instagram.com/jmhfotografy?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== was one of the invitees to do a Spooky Photo Shoot. Every room ( and there are lots of them ) have original wood work, beautiful pocket doors. Chandeliers, staircase is beautiful, stained glass, big open spaces. Since this was a funeral home for nearly 100 years there are bits and pieces of that history still here too. The building had a great vibe inside and out. They are raising money for more renovations so book an event. And call Jesse for photos. I was his assistant for the day. We had such a great time.

Amazing place and very beautiful atmosphere. Very welcoming and you will fall in love with the…read morearchitecture of the 130 year old building

My husband and I went to the Haan Mansion Museum of Indiana Art on a day when the mansion was…read moreclosed. It was the only time that we could fit it into our schedule. Why bother visiting if the mansion is closed, you ask. There is a cute sculpture garden behind the mansion that is open even when the mansion is closed. There are close to 30 sculptures. It is really fun to take a walk through the garden and see the statues. It will give you something to talk about and plenty of photo opportunities. If the outside is this fun, I can't wait to see the inside!

Neat place! In the 60's grew up in Lafayette, running past…read morethis house on the way to the Brodsky house. So to me, this house will always be Potter's Mansion, the owners prior to the Haans. With that said, for $10 you can take a self-guided tour into a different world. There are plenty of staff available to answer questions and they seem very knowledgeable about the home's construction, previous owners, art and artifacts. I really enjoyed looking at the furniture, but I anticipated more explanations about the origin of each piece. I did not expect to see the volume of "new" artist items they had on display. They also offer an outdoor garden walk, but the day I was there it was too cold to enjoy an outing. Maybe next time...

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.

Billie Creek Village was a surprising hidden gem and a step back in history for us. I wanted to…read morevisit a couple covered bridges in Parke County and stumbled across this charming recreated 19th century village. There are three covered bridges in Billie Creek. One of the three bridges only accommodates foot traffic, while the other two are passable by car. Two of the bridges were relocated to the village from other parts of Parke County. The village itself is made up of about 20 historic buildings that have been relocated to the site. We were amazed that we could walk through the buildings and find period furnishings. I particularly like the information describing the history and inhabitants of the buildings. We saw two churches, a schoolhouse, log cabin and doctor's office. The school house contains its original furnishings and many books. The original modest home of Indiana's 10th governor, Joseph A. Wright, is on the site, complete with law books and a spinning wheel. We bought cookies at the Gaebler's Cafe, which also serves coffee and sandwiches. You can buy sodas and candy at the General Store. Behind the barn are Billy goats. There is a Civil War era house on the grounds, also. Restrooms are available and clean. Parking is free. Not all the buildings are wheelchair accessible, but several are. Billie Creek is a great place to bring kids to learn about early settlements in Indiana. Admission is free, but they do ask for donations to help with maintenance. Wear good walking shoes. I think they have vendors and other activities at the village during the Covered Bridge Festival.

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!

I've tried to call them for 3 months!!!!! NO ANSWER! Went on…read morethis venture before Covid. Now... nothing, yet they keep their Facebook page up.

Well I will start with the tour guide Tim, he was awesome, very funny and gave a lot of great…read morerecommendations and history thru out the tour. The only down side is that it was 92 degrees and very hot even thou there was air conditioning. Thanks Tim, I have been on many tours and never got so much information.

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

I had been in seminary in Richmond for quite some time before I learned that an almost nine-tenths…read moremile of East Main Street is known as Millionaire's Row. This includes the 175-acre Glen Miller Park. Richmond grew east and north of what is Old Richmond. The homes along East Main Street, largely multi-storied mansions, joined with the Starr Historic District during an era when Richmond was home to 47 millionaires during the 19th century. There are walking tours here, however, I'm struck by how "normal" this residential area is these days. formerly, folks like Henry Gennett, lawn mower manufacturer Elwood W. McGuire, and architect John Hasecoster called the area home. To this day, it feels both historic and affluent. If you're not familiar with Richmond, Main Street is really part of US 40 (which is Washington Street here in Indy). This entire district includes 84 contributing buildings, 11 structures, and five objects. Architecture includes Queen Anne, Italianate, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Classical Revival, and for the more ordinary homes bungalow/American Craftsman. The Madonna of the Trail statute is here as are several other homes. While Glen Miller Park isn't necessarily fancy, it's a quite beautiful park and for sure worth a visit. As is probably obvious with such old homes, accessibility isn't the greatest around here. I've done a couple wheeling events in Richmond, and I always make a point of visiting this area. However, I've only had A handful of minor opportunities to actually go in the homes. I've often thought about how much I even just love some of these porches. Absolutely amazing.

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.

Laura was an excellent tour guide! She is incredibly knowledgeable and eager to answer questions,…read moreshe is also very funny. I highly recommend the Ultimate Queen City Underground Tour, I learned so much about Over The Rhine!!

What a great time! We did the Queen Tour with Harrison-he was so engaging and very nice to…read moreentertain the kiddos! It was perfect weather-hot outside and a perfect cool down refrigerator temp in the "caves". Wear tennis shoes and it does last the full 90 minutes-time does fly though! Again-Harrison was just great! Great work!

A once charming, convenient hometown inn is dirty and smelly. Whether the film on the walls, the…read morestains/burns on the carpet or the smoke/chemical smell permeating the air, we checked out as soon as we walked in the door. Too bad for the friends and family of Tipton residents who just might need a clean place to stay while in town. The owner needs to bring it up to acceptable standards of the mainstream public.

In our very short stay in Indiana we stumbled upon the East Street Inn. The room was clean, smelled…read moreclean as well. The showers were hot, heat & air worked great. The beds were not as comfy as I'd hoped but that's not unusual for us and a hotel. The area was quite even though it's in the middle of town. TV worked great as well. I do not look for us to be in the area again but if we were I'd definitely consider staying there again.