1. Black Pine Animal Sanctuary (Albion)
This animal sanctuary provides a home for around 100 animals (60 different species) that have been mistreated or displaced. One thing I need to mention right away is that this place is NOT a zoo. Animals aren’t forced to be out and visible, and the sanctuary puts their needs over anything else. The goal is to care for these animals for the rest of their lives and to educate the public about animal care. They offer multiple ways to come and see the animals, from open visitation (least interactive and not recommended) to staff guided tours ($12, recommended) to behind-the-scenes tours ($50, highly recommended). The last one on that list isn’t cheap, but it is a very fun, personal tour of the place that happens when it’s actually closed to the rest of the public.
2. Rose Island (Charlestown)
Rose Island is an abandoned amusement park located inside the property of Charlestown State Park. The old amusement park once held a wooden roller coaster, a Ferris wheel, a swimming pool, and a hotel. The island was flooded in 1937 and had to close, but remnants of the park still remain. There are plenty of stone ruins and metal archways still there, and the swimming pool is still relatively intact. There are also plenty of informative signs about what used to be on the island. Access to Rose Island is done by taking Trail 3 of the state park.
3. Blue Flash Roller Coaster (Bruceville)
Have you ever thought of how cool it would be to build a roller coaster in your own backyard? You probably stopped because you didn’t have the knowledge, finances, and tenacity of John Ivers. He built the coaster with pieces of farm equipment and car parts, and it holds one person at a time (200-pound weight limit). The ride starts by going over a shed, and the rest of it lasts about 10-20 seconds. There is another coaster called Blue Flash Too on the property as well. Those interested need to call ahead or write a letter, and be mindful that it will not be open on weekdays or late fall-early spring.
4. Shoe Tree (Milltown)
I’ll be honest, the name is pretty much all the description you need. It’s a tree with tons of pairs of shoes tossed onto it. Shoe trees are an interesting phenomenon that pop up all over the U.S., and the one here in Indiana seems to have acquired quite a few pairs of shoes over the years.
5. Hoosier Hill (Wayne County)
This place is quite easily the least interesting spot on the list, but it is still unique in its own right. It is the highest point of elevation in the state, resting at 1,257 feet above sea level. The funny thing is, it actually isn’t on top of a hill or cliff; it’s right off of someone’s farm in a rather flat area of Indiana. The space has been created and taken care of by an Eagle Scout. There isn’t much there…just a picnic table, cairn, log book, and mailbox, but it’s a cool thing to say that you’ve been to the highest point in Indiana.
6. Grissom Air Museum (Peru)
If you’re really into aviation, the Grissom Air Museum is something pretty special. Located on the Grissom Air Reserve Base, the museum is home to 32 total aircraft, 24 of which are on display. The planes’ age ranges from World War II to today. You get to go into some of the aircraft and can also view them from the top of the nearby guard tower. While there, you will also get a history of the base the museum is on. Admission is $6.
7. Holliday Park (Indianapolis)
It’s not often that city parks offer 3.5 miles of trails that go through wooded ravines and down by a river. It’s also not often that a city park contains ruins from a NYC skyscraper that have a small water play area at the back of them. Holliday Park offers both of those things, which makes it quite unique. Speaking from experience, the trails are a lot of fun, the ruins are cool, and I love that it’s a city park (free). If you have kids, I highly recommend the playground, and I can also recommend skipping the nature center. The map on their website it pretty helpful for figuring out the different hiking trails.
8. Kokomo Glass Factory (Kokomo)
Kokomo Opalescent Glass is a factory that offers tours of its facility so curious folks can come and see the process of making art sheet glass. During the tour you will see employees at work making different blown glass pieces, and you’ll get a souvenir at the end. Tours cost $6 per person and only happen at 10am on weekdays. People who have gone discuss how cool it was to learn about the history of the 130-year-old factory and how fascinating it was to watch the workers do their thing.
9. Wild Winds (Fremont)
Wild Winds is a buffalo preserve that contains over 250 bison on about 400 acres of land. Visitors can come here and take a tour on horseback or open-air vehicle, and you can stay the night on the premises at a bed and breakfast or in safari tents. There is also a gift shop where you can buy bison meat. The tours happen on the hour when they’re open and cost $10 per adult.
10. Jug Rock (Shoals)
Indiana is home to the largest free-standing table rock formation east of the Mississippi River. Jug Rock is quite a sight…it stands in the woods with no signs of anything around it that may have caused its creation. It is a limestone formation that is easily accessed by a short trail right off the road. It’s so popular that the local school named their mascot after it (Jug Rox).
