10 Great Winter Activities for Indiana Residents

Winter in Indiana is truly unpredictable. You can have subzero temperatures one week, temperatures in the 50’s the next week, and then snow and ice the week after that. When winter is truly winter, however, people tend to shut themselves indoors to keep from going out in the cold, snowy weather. Unfortunately, that keeps people from going out and enjoying the many possibilities that are available to them during this time of year. This entry gives a list of 10 different places/activities that help make winter more bearable.

1.       Botanical Gardens (Fort Wayne and Indianapolis)

In the warmer months, people tend to gravitate outside to enjoy nature. However, the harsh chill of winter kills off a lot of plant life and takes the color away from the outdoors. Going to a botanical garden or conservatory gives you a chance to still surround yourself with warmth and lush growth. Fort Wayne’s Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory is a real treat. It has three indoor gardens that have different displays throughout the year, with a Christmas display being a huge hit around the holiday season. According to their website, they have over 1,200 plants and 72 different types of cacti in the 25,000 square foot building. It’s a cheap way to spend an hour or two, with the entry fee being only $5 per person. The Garfield Park Conservatory in Indianapolis boasts a $2 entry fee, which may be lower because the conservatory is smaller than the one in Fort Wayne (this one is 10,000 square feet). What is cool about Garfield Park is that it also has an outdoor sunken garden that is supposed to be beautiful in warmer months.

2.       Toboggan Run at Pokagon State Park (Angola)

This is one that I have been eager to try out since I discovered its existence a couple years ago, but I have yet to actually go and do it. Pokagon State Park is a fun park to go to and hike, but during the winter months they open up their two-lane toboggan run. You start at the top of a 30 foot tower, then slide down through dips and valleys for another quarter mile before coming to a stop. Each run takes anywhere from 20-30 seconds, with the record speed being 42 miles per hour. The hours are: Friday: 5:30-9 p.m., Saturday: 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m., and Sunday: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. As far as cost goes, it is $7 per vehicle to enter the park, and then each toboggan (which fits up to 4 people) costs $13 per hour to rent. You can go as many times as you can in that time, but this requires walking back to the tower from the end of the ride and waiting in line. It closes for the winter on February 25.

3.       Hyde Brothers Bookstore (Fort Wayne)

If you aren’t a fan of reading books, go ahead and skip to #4. If you enjoy reading, you’re in for a treat here. This used bookstores boasts over 150,000 titles and is literally floor to ceiling with books. If you’re like me, you enjoy organization, especially when shopping. Many used bookstores have issues with not being well organized, but Hyde Bros is extremely well marked as you go through the store. Books fill up the entire basement of the building as well. It’s easy to spend an hour here (if not more) wandering around and looking at titles. What’s even better is that there are a couple cats wandering around the store as well, so if you need a break from perusing the shelves you could always stop and give them some attention. This bookstore gets glowing reviews from people, and once you go and visit, it’s pretty clear to see why.

4.       Paoli Peaks (Paoli)

If you’re wondering where to go to get a great snowboarding/skiing experience in Indiana, look no further than Paoli Peaks. Many people online rave about Paoli Peaks, and I can tell just by looking into it that it is an incredible place. The main lodge houses rentals, a pro shop, an area for lessons, a restaurant and bar, and a first aid station, while the land itself has 15 trails (with 8 chair lifts) of various difficulties. Depending on which day of the week you go and if you go all day or part of the day (they are even open til 3am on Saturdays!), the cost can range from $30-$42, not including rentals. If skiing and snowboarding isn’t really your thing, no worries! Paoli Peaks also has a tubing area! The Artic Blast tubing area has 10 tubing lanes that each go 700 feet, with a carpet lift bringing you back to the top of the hill. Like with the skiing, the cost is going to depend on if you go on a weekday or weekend and how much time you plan on spending there. The cost ranges anywhere from $25-50 for tubing.

5.       Dave and Busters (Indianapolis)

This is another indoor venue that may not cater to everyone, but Dave and Busters locations always tend to be busy when I go by them. Essentially, it’s a giant arcade AKA a grown up version of Chuck E. Cheese. There is a full service restaurant/bar there as well, but I tend not to go to places like this for the food. This chain uses the “credit-card” system for playing the games, where you have a certain monetary amount loaded onto the card, then slide it for each game you want to play. Like a typical arcade, D&B has games that will give you tickets for prizes, though not all of them do.  I know this isn’t necessarily a place that is exclusive to winter, but I’d rather spend a couple hours indoors playing arcade games in the winter compared to when it’s nice out during the other seasons.

6.       Christmas Light Shows (various locations)

While the holiday season has come and gone for the year, you can’t help but give credit to the many different places that go all out with Christmas lights. Yeah, you have cities like Fort Wayne and Indianapolis that have multiple locations (downtown and zoos) that have incredible light displays, but you have to give smaller cities credit as well. There is something so magical about strolling through the snow, surrounded by thousands of colorful lights, sipping a cup of hot chocolate or apple cider. Kokomo puts on a great show in Highland Park, and the northern Indy suburbs of Noblesville and Fishers put on great displays too. Specifically, check out Reynolds Farm Equipment Christmas Lights Show, right off of Ind. 37. Marion, the town I live in, puts on the Walkway of Lights for about a month each year. What is fun about this light show is that you can walk through it or drive through it. It costs $5 for a car to go through, but then afterward you can take that car back through as many times as you want to throughout the rest of the season.  It’s free for those walking through.

7.       Veal’s Ice Tree (Indianapolis)

This marvel is truly a sight to behold. Just before winter begins each year, a frame is built, then lumber and brush are added to it. The “tree” is then sprayed with hoses and food coloring and usually gets around 35-40 feet in height (though it got to 80 feet in 2014). This tradition started all the way back in 1961 and has been going strong ever since. If you’re in the Indy area, definitely go check this out! It’s one of the most unique sights you’ll ever see!

 

8.       Christkindlmarkts (Ferdinand and Carmel)

Here is one item that is unfortunately no long available this winter season, but should be a staple once December arrives. Many towns throughout Indiana have markets selling Christmas wares and decorations, with impressive light displays and good food to go along with that. I find that Christkindlmarkts especially seem to have the bright, cheery feeling that comes with the holiday season. I have not been to the one in Ferdinand, but I do know that it usually contains over 200 booths that sell anything from ornaments to fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. The Christkindlmarkt in Carmel was a new event this past holiday season, and while it had its usual “new event issues”, overall reviews were positive. Throwing an event like this for the first time lets you learn on the fly what works and what doesn’t, so I feel that next year will improve greatly on what already was a pretty fun time. This market is outdoors and features small houses selling food and crafts. There is also a sort  of band shell where different performers play throughout the several weeks the market is open. You are even able to ice skate here, as there is a rink in the middle of the area.

9.       Hiking (various locations)

I’m a strong hiking advocate, even in colder months. Too often people cross hiking off their list of things to do in the winter because they don’t like the idea of being outside for long periods of time. While I can understand not wanting to freeze your buns off, there are also solutions to this issue. For one, there are some nature preserves in Indiana that would be quite scenic in winter, and many preserves contain 2 miles or less of trails total! Also, many state parks have short trails that are very accessible in winter, like Fort Harrison State Park or Ouabache State Park. (a list of great hiking spots is coming once temperatures warm up a bit) I’m telling you, if you’ve never seen a frozen waterfall in person, you’re missing out.

10.   Ice Skating (various locations)

What’s winter without ice skating? It’s a recreational activity that is almost exclusive to winter, so how can I not list it? There are both indoor and outdoor places to ice skate, so the first step is deciding which of those you’d be more up to doing. If it isn’t bitterly cold, I’d suggest outdoor ice skating to get the true experience. In Fort Wayne, Headwaters Park is the place to go for outdoor skating, while SportOne Icehouse allows for indoor skating at certain times. If you’re closer to Indy, there are rinks in Noblesville, Carmel, Fishers, Westfield, Avon, and in Indy itself. There are too many to list, but it’s an easy enough Google search.