New Harmony, Indiana is a small town of about 700 people in Posey County. It continues to be one of…read moremy favorite towns to visit. Working Men's Institute was established in 1838 as part of Robert Owen's utopian experiment that had its roots in New Harmony. It's a history library and music founded by geologist/philanthropist William Maclure and is the oldest continuously operating public library in Indiana. It continues to function in many of the ways it was established - the basic philosophy behind it was that men and women are essentially rational individuals who can bring about lasting social harmony if properly taught and encouraged. It would end up being a popular concept. At one point, every county in Indiana had a Working Men's Institute (along with 16 in Illinois). This one was the first, and it's the only one remaining. Being a historic building, accessibility is surprisingly strong and there is an elevator. The museum is quite cool, and the library is also surprisingly impressive. There's one display on the staircase, thus it's not accessible (also quite small). It's worth noting that the library is considered a public library for Posey County - it has books, periodicals, electronic resources, rare volumes, genealogical records and more. The second floor is ultimately the coolest for me as someone who is fascinated by the Harmonist and Owenite periods in New Harmony. There are also Native American artifacts and natural history items. Ultimately, this certainly isn't a destination spot or even a day trip (probably takes about 2-1/2 to 3 hours to get here from Indy. It is usually three for me, but that includes stops. However, if you're in this area it's part of New Harmony worth checking out. I'd probably go a four-star, however, I'm impressed enough with the efforts to improve accessibility that I'm forking over the fifth star.

My three boys (ages 7, 10 & 13) and I went today on recommendation by The Old Rooming House owner…read moreJim Stinson. We absolutely loved it! There was so much to see that we were there nearly an hour! Highly recommend!

We spent about $90 to visit Children's Museum of Evansville and it honestly felt like a complete…read morewaste of time and money. So many exhibits were broken or not working that my 7-year-old was constantly running up to something, pressing buttons, and... nothing. The place could be really cool if everything actually functioned, but it just doesn't. On top of that, there were employees cleaning in the "Rainbow Bistro" area for almost an hour, so she couldn't even play in there the entire time we were on that floor. For a children's museum that charges this much, I expected working exhibits and more consideration for the kids who are there to play. I really hope they put more effort into maintaining and fixing the exhibits instead of letting everything fall into disrepair. We won't be back unless things improve.

So I wanted to be optimistic, because I fully support educational places of play. But this place…read morewas straight up disappointing. We paid $60 for a family of 5. There are three levels in the museum with 10+ exhibits. Hardly any of them were fully functional. There was a graffiti wall in "fantastic plastic" exhibit that had 3 dry erase markers. 2 were dried up. So one marker was being shared by 4 kids. There was a Mark Twain bust that was supposed to record a small story, based on several words that you could choose, and then play it back to you. The record function did not work. My kids were excited about the quack factory exhibit, with rubber duckies/balls you would launch down tubes to a wet deck below. Nothing in the 2nd floor floor extension of this exhibit was working. They couldn't use it. We went to the ground level of the exhibit, the wet deck - but down there, the hot air balloon exhibit, which used heat to make a model hot air balloon rise, was non-functional. The portion that makes water vapor was non-functional. On the second floor, there is an "art maker" room with 3-D printers, like 6 of them. Only 2 were functional. The employee there was very apologetic and kind, but it was just one more thing. The 5th street theater portion on the second floor wasn't functioning properly. There is also a balance challenge on the second floor that is broken. There are some "piano stairs" coming down from second level to first that are out. The vending machine in the lobby was broken. The place was pretty clean, and not very crowded, which was nice- but I was honestly very sadly surprised. The cost of this experience just isn't justified. We won't be back.

This was my first visit and my g/f's second time here. The town is very charming and the people…read morethere are very friendly. The labyrinths are fantastic and worth a visit. The history of this small town is fascinating and the Owens did a magnificent job of creating and maintaining many original historic buildings. We had some fun by taking a walking tour of the haunted side of New Harmony with the folks at Haunted New Harmony ghost walk. https://jonimayhan.com/ This town is the perfect respite from the everyday hassles of the outside world. It's only an hour+ ride from Garden of the Gods in IL. I was surprised it wasn't more of an arts community hangout. This town has a Woodstock, NY vibe just under the surface.

New Harmony was founded by the Harmonists, a communal religious group, in 1814. In 1824, the…read moreHarmonists left and sold the town to Robert Owen, a utopian socialist who established a commune there, complete with communal living, public education, and the abolition of private property and money. From its lofty beginnings, things turned out pretty much as you'd expect a social experiment like New Harmony to turn out: residents quarreled, public goods were neglected, and the town was dissolved within a few short years. Well, sort of like the New Harmony of the early 19th century, the New Harmony of today promises a lot more than it actually delivers. Useful information on the town, and the much-vaunted "Atheneum" visitors' center, is hard to come by; and the Disneyesque city streets, though clean and pleasant, comes off as sterile and uninteresting. Though I went there on a pleasant day in early May, the streets were empty and many of the shops were closed -- even those with signs indicating that they 'should' be open. We eventually tried to satisfy our museum craving at the Working Men's Institute Library and Museum, finding it open despite a sign indicating that it 'should' be closed! Much like the rest of New Harmony, the Working Men's Institute sounded a lot better than it actually was. Full disclosure, we got to the Atheneum at 3pm, and thus missed the last tour which left at 2. But the fact that no tours were listed on the website meant that we didn't even know why we were going there or what the Atheneum was supposed to offer. The nice lady who greeted us told us that "the upstairs was closed", but it's only now that I learn that the upstairs offers a museum and a film -- two things that, like Socialism itself, sound nice in theory but are remarkably hard to enjoy in real life. The upshot is that New Harmony is better in theory than it is in practice. In that sense, they seem to get the historical accuracy just right.

This is an absolute hidden gem for history and architecture lovers in Evansville!!…read more Currently, they are open 11-4 Tuesday-Saturday. Check the website or call to get the most up-to-date hours. Tours start at the top of the hour, so make sure you plan to show up at the right time. Tours start from the carriage house next to the home - press the door bell or knock in order to be let in. Admission costs $10 for adults. Our tour guide Renee was fantastic! She shared tons of details on the history of the family as well as the architecture and decor of the house! She was a wealth of information and could answer all questions! This is probably the most detailed historical home tour that I have been on! You typically visit all 3 floors of the home, but we missed out on the basement due to time constraints. Well worth the cost of admission! Highly recommend visiting between Thanksgiving and New Years to see the home decorated magnificently for Christmas!

This is a no miss in Evansville. If you like history there is lots here. The home was built in 1871…read moreand there is so much to know. The docents are very knowledgeable and tell such a great story. See the pictures as they do better than my words in describing the home. Make sure to visit here.

Great people good vibes laughter education just everything was good from my experience I would like…read moreto take other people with me

Loved the history!!! Such a great visit with my husband and his uncle! It really made his day! The…read moretrain was very cool as well as all the war history from this area. It was my first trip to Evansville and neat to learn about its past!

For a quick visit and to stretch your legs during a long drive, this place is great. Kids' activity…read moreroom has several hands-on ways to do art. Lego mosaics, a huge Lite-Brite type board (for those of you who remember those), and a life size horse sculpture you can reassemble. Oh, and it's free. Outdoor sculpture garden covers about an acre and has many large sculptures kids can run among. My two boys, 7 and 10, would have liked to stay longer. Permanent exhibit is small but has some notable artists, like Mary Casatt. Not sure if I was supposed to pay for going in that room? Oops. Temp exhibit for next couple months is photos of rock stars, plus autographed guitars from the collection of a local radio guy. Costs $5 and my wife opted for me not to see it. Some of the guitars are hanging in the main lobby, like Clapton's and BB King's. Not that you would drive to Mt. Vernon *just* to see it, but if you are passing thru on I-64, give it a look for an hour or so.

Well worth a visit. Frequently changing displays and great special events. Not too near the hotels,…read morebut only about a mile away. A pleasant little walk.

Odd name for a cool space that is about 50% library 50% history museum. Besides a great selection…read moreof books, DVDs, books on CD, and more, there is a treasure trove of history about the area. We wandered through the different floors and found the Workingmen's Institute to be a fine place in a quiet town. We would be happy to return and explore the library and learn more about the early settlers in the museum.

From the owner: Books, Artifacts, New Harmonyread more

I recommend checking this out if you are ever here it is the home of William Henry Harrison it is…read morepretty and if you are a history buff check this place out

I am a self proclaimed presidential history "nerd". I've read a biography on each president in…read moreorder (currently reading F.D.R.), and my bucket list includes visiting all their birth and burial places. I also make it a point to visit presidential libraries, national historic sites, etc. I've seen DOZENS of locations now, and I can honestly say Grouseland is - by far - one of the most impressive locations I've visited. The amount of authentic items dating back to William Henry Harrison is jaw dropping! Additionally, the collection of items not necessarily related to Harrison are breathtaking. For example, they own an impressive collection of real signatures as far back as Adams, Madison, and John Quincy Adams (to name just a few). The staff was fantastic. The day I visited, their computer system was down and they were unable to run my card for the entry fee. No matter, they let me get back with them later. Their volunteers are knowledgeable about their collections and items within the home. Can't say enough about this "diamond in the rough" presidential history site. I was truly blown away...

This is a really cool WW2 ship. It was used on Omaha Beach. Every time I tour it I learn something…read morenew. The volunteers are amazing. After touring this ship and see how American soldiers had to live during war, it really humbles you

Saw the LST in Pittsburgh over the Labor Day Weekend. This was my second time visiting it in…read morePittsburgh (last time was several years ago). We enjoyed it all over again, and learned lots of new things. Most of the crew was very enthusiastic. Highly recommended ... Cheers!!!

This place is just awesome. The volunteers are absolutely experts on making it clear what the…read morepeople of Evansville did to help the war efforts. They made it clear that Evansville people did more than any other city in the United States to advance the war efforts in making bullets, repairing tanks, supplying ammunition, taking care of soldiers and doing everything within their power, they explain how Evansville was centrally located as a transportation center for the troops with the Ohio river, the interstate highways,the railroads, the great Evansville airport. I can't help but believe after the volunteers shown that Evansville truly helped us win World War II.

This museum is a gem! What great info and memorabilia to preserve Evansville's role to protect the…read moreworld from the evil forces during World War II. A testament to how our country came together to keep evil from the world and the United States. And, it's all built around the over 6,000 P-47's built just down the road! What a great aircraft! Thanks Wartime Museum for helping to preserve our history. Thanks Leslie for an informative and interesting tour!!!