Special churches, temples and monasteries
Christ Church Cathedral in Indianapolis
The Christ Church Cathedral in the city of Indianapolis was built in 1857 and is now the oldest continuously used religious building in Indianapolis. The church, built in the Gothic Revival style, is best known for its choirs. The church is located on Monument Circle and stands in the shadow of the Chase Tower.
| address | 125 Monument Circle Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 |
St. Meinrad Archabbey in St. Meinrad
The St. Meinrad Archabbey in the town of St. Meinrad in Spencer County in southern Indiana was founded in 1854. The Archabbey is one of only 2 in the United States and 11 Archabbeys worldwide. It was founded by Benedictine monks from the community of Einsiedeln in Switzerland. Today the abbey, particularly the church, can be visited to get an impression of the life of the 98 monks. It is also possible to study theology.
| address | 200 Hill Drive Saint Meinrad, Indiana47577 |
Blessed Sacrament Chapel in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
The Blessed Sacrament Chapel in the city of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods is a Roman Catholic church completed in 1924 and built in the style of the Italian Renaissance. The interior of the church is particularly worth seeing, which is particularly striking due to the use of marble, gold and silver. Outstanding is the marble canopy which was made from a single piece of marble and has a weight of 3.6 tons. Another highlight are the 9 windows of the church, or rather the stained glass, which was made in Munich.
| address | 1 Sisters of Providence Road Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana 47876 |
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne is a Roman Catholic church, which was completed in 1860. The church is built in the Gothic style and is located in Cathedral Square. A special feature of the church is that the grave of the last Indian chief of the Miamis is located here. The two bell towers at the front of the church are 59 m high, making the church the eighth tallest structure in Fort Wayne.
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| address | 122 S Clinton Street Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802 |
Basilica of the Sacred Heart in South Bend
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart in the city of South Bend was built between 1870 and 1888 in the Gothic Revival style. The church is on the campus of the University of Notre Dame and the church’s bell tower with a height of 66 m is the tallest building on campus. In 1992 Pope John Paul II elevated the church to the rank of basilica. After that, the number of visitors rose sharply and today the church is visited by approximately 50,000 visitors per year. These are likely to arrive mainly because of the 44 huge stained glass paintings created by Luigi Gregori, a stained glass painter from the Vatican, within 17 years.
| address | Corby Drive South Bend, Indiana 46637 |
St. Casimir Parish in South Bend
The Church of St. Casimir Parish in the city of South Bend was completed in 1924. The parish of the church was founded in 1898 by Polish immigrants and was called Warsaw. The church is built in the Romanesque style and the exterior of the church shines in traditional red bricks. The church received 13 out of 13 possible points from the historical preservation commission and can therefore be seen as one of the most important buildings in South Bend.
| address | 1308 Dunham Street South Bend, Indiana 46619 |
Scottish Rite Cathedral in Indianapolis
The Scottish Rite Cathedral in Indianapolis is a Masonic cathedral built between 1927 and 1929. The cathedral is considered the largest Freemason building and one of the best examples of neo-Gothic architecture. The 65 m high bell tower awaits with a carillon with a total of 54 bells. The main nave of the cathedral can accommodate up to 1,200 people. Every year the cathedral attracts over 100,000 visitors who visit the cathedral or take part in the guided tours. A special feature is all dimensions of the church are divisible by 3 and thus symbolize the 3 degrees (apprentice, journeyman and master) of the Freemasons.
Tibetan Cultural Center in Bloomington
This Tibetan cultural center in the city of Bloomington includes the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center and the Kumbum Chamtse Ling Monastery. The complex covers an area of 437,000 m². Guided tours are regularly offered in the area, which on the one hand could be interesting because of their spirituality and on the other hand are simply suitable for switching off. There are also 2 traditional Tibetan stupas and a gallery with Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
| address | 3655 Snoddy Road Bloomington, Indiana 47401 |
Big celebrations and events
Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis
The Indiana State Fair takes place annually in August in the city of Indianapolis. The festival took place for the first time in 1851 and was more of an agricultural exhibition. Today, however, the festival is the largest and oldest folk festival in the state of Indiana. During the American Civil War, the festival site was a prison camp for Confederate soldiers. In the history of the festival, many well-known musicians have performed here, such as the Beatles, The Jackson 5, Dolly Parton, Bruce Springsteen, Kanye West, Backstreet Boys and the Jonas Brothers. But other celebrities also visited the festival, such as Woodrow Wilson, Elvis Presley and Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
Three Rivers Festival in Fort Wayne
The Three Rivers Festival in Fort Wayne city takes place every July and lasts 9 days. Usually the festival starts on the first Saturday after Independence Day. The festival is commemorated to commemorate the heritage and history of the city of Fort Wayne and was first held in 1969. The festival includes a parade, craft stalls, entertainment, shopping, and fireworks. There are also many small events taking place all over the city. In the past, many world record attempts have been seen here. For example in 1981 when trying to break the longest hot dog in the world with a length of approx. 106 m. Two years later an attempt was made to break the world record for the largest pretzel with a diameter of 3 m. Nowadays over 500 visit each year.
Germania men’s choir Volksfest
The Germania men’s choir Volksfest in the city of Evansville is an annual folk festival in memory of the German roots of many residents. The folk festival has been held annually since August 1934. However, it did not take place between 1941 and 1962. The folk festival lasts 3 days and visitors are offered German food, drinks, dance and German music. Many of the visitors can be seen in traditional costumes.
Feast of the Hunters ‘Moon
The Feast of the Hunters’ Moon festival is an annual autumn festival near the city of West Lafayette. The festival lasts one weekend and recreates the events in Fort Ouiatenon in the mid-18th century. In this military outpost and fur transshipment point, French from Quebec and the surrounding area and Indians from the region met every autumn to exchange fur for other goods. All approximately 8,000 contributors are dressed in authentic 18th-century uniforms. Battles around Fort Ouiatenon are also recreated. The festival has been held since 1967 and attracts over 60,000 visitors annually.
James Dean Festival in Fairmount
The annual James Dean Festival in the small town of Fairmount, which takes place at the end of September, is the largest of its kind with around 50,000 visitors and serves to commemorate the icon of the youthful rebels. The festival lasts 3 days and has been taking place since 1975. In addition to music from the 50s, visitors to the festival experience a James Dean Look-A-Like competition and an auto parade. Dean grew up in the small town of Fairmount, with its approximately 3,000 residents. If the festival is not enough, you can consider visiting the Historical Museum. Here visitors will find the bongo drums and other possessions of James Dean.
| opening hours | Monday to Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sunday: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. |
| Entrance fees | donation |
| Contact | 203 East Washington Street Fairmount, Indiana 46928 Tel: 001 – (0) 765 – 948 45 55 Web: www.jamesdeanartifacts.com |
Zoos, parks and amusement parks
Indianapolis Zoo
Founded in 1964, the Indianapolis Zoo now covers an area of 260,000 m², home to a total of 3,800 animals from over 320 species. The zoo consists of 3 parts, the actual zoo, the aquarium and a botanical garden. In the Indianapolis Zoo, the animals are housed in different ecological regions, so-called biomes. There are a total of 6 eco-regions:
- Interaction enclosure
Here visitors to the zoo can come into closer contact with the animals and touch and stroke lizards, snakes, spiders, rabbits, horses, donkeys and llamas. - Marine mammals
Here visitors to the zoo will find sea lions, walruses, polar bears, seals and dolphins. - Ocean
Here visitors can pet dog sharks in a pool and continue to watch penguins, moray eels, jellyfish, seahorses and many other sea creatures. - Prairie
The prairie eco-region contains elephants, vultures, cranes, storks, baboons, cheetahs, lions, wild dogs, rhinos, giraffes, ostriches and zebras. - Forest
Temperate and tropical forests can be found here. Siberian tigers, otters, red pandas, bald eagles and brown bears can be observed here. - Deserts
Animals like numerous species of venomous snakes, turtles, meerkats and various types of lizards live here.
The zoo is much more than a pure zoo in which visitors admire the animals, but also an internationally renowned breeding, care and research institution. The first artificial insemination of an African elephant took place at the Indianapolis Zoo. The Indianapolis Zoo attracts over 1.4 million visitors annually.
| Entrance fees | Adults $ 8.50; Children (2-12) $ 6.50 |
| Contact | 1200 West Washington Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46222 Tel: 001 – (0) 317 – 630 20 01 Web: www.indianapoliszoo.com |
Holiday World & Splashin ‘Safari in Santa Claus
The Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari theme, amusement and water park near the town of Santa Claus in southern India was opened in 1946 and now covers an area of approximately 500,000 m². The park was opened 9 years before the Disneyland parks. The name of the park stems from the fact that the park has 4 themed areas: Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Fourth of July. All of these holidays give the park its name. Special attractions of the park are the huge wooden roller coasters, The Legend, The Raven and The Voyage, which have won several awards, as well as the world’s tallest water slide called Zoombabwe and the longest water slide in the world called Wildebeest.
| opening hours | May to August: Daily: 9:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. |
| Entrance fees | $ 42.95 |
| Contact | 452 E Christmas Blvd Santa Claus, Indiana 47579 Tel: 001 – (0) 812 – 937 44 01 Email: [email protected] Web: www.holidayworld.com |
Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo
Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo in the city of Fort Wayne is a zoo that opened in 1965 and is one of the best zoos in the United States. The zoo houses around 1,500 animals on an area of 150,000 m². At Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, the animals are housed in different eco-regions, so-called biomes. There are 4 ecoregions in total:
- African Journey
Here you can find buzzards, badgers, dikdiks, giraffes, wildebeests, hyenas, bat-dogs, lions, mongoose, pelicans and zebras. There is also an interactive cultural village that provides information about Africa. - Australian Adventure
Here you can observe echidnas, dingoes, owls, bats and kangaroos. There is also an approx. 75,000 liter aquarium in which sharks, jellyfish and rays are shown to visitors. - Central Zoo
Here visitors will find animals from the American continent as well as animals from Indiana. For example, you can see sea lions, penguins, turtles, alligators and much more. There is also a petting zoo with goats, rabbits, chickens and others where you can also ride horses. By the way, peacocks roam the entire area of the zoo. - Indonesian Rainforest
Animals such as orangutans, tigers, Komodo dragons and other bird and monkey species can be seen in this rainforest area.
| Entrance fees | Adults $ 13; Children (2-14) $ 8.50 |
| Contact | 3411 Sherman Blvd. Fort Wayne, Indiana 46808 Tel: 001 – (0) 260 – 427 68 00 Email: [email protected] Web: www.kidszoo.org |
Mesker Park Zoo in Evansville
The Mesker Park Zoo is located in the city of Evansville in southwest India. The park was founded in 1928 and today covers an area of approx. 200,000 m² on which over 700 animals from approx. 200 species live. The zoo is not only a zoo but also a botanical garden and is one of the largest and best zoos in Indiana. In the zoo, the botanical garden and animal enclosure merge in the following areas to give the animals the most natural habitat possible:
- African Panorama
In this huge enclosure you can find animals from the African savannah such as cheetahs, ground ravens, Klippspringer, Kudu and ostriches. - Amazonia
In this rainforest area, visitors will find howler and squirrel monkeys, bats, jaguars, iguanas, parrots, turtles, tapirs, toucans and capybaras. - African Rift
Here you can see giraffes, hippos, storks, sumo antelopes and zebras. - Asia & Australia
In this habitat you can find Asian and Australian animals such as emus, Indian hippos, Mongolian wild horses, trampled animals, wallabies and red deer. - Discovery Center
The Discovery Center is an indoor enclosure of the zoo where frogs, langurs, monkeys, martens and clouded leopards can be observed. - North America
This enclosure houses wolves, prairie dogs, bald eagles and lynxes.
- Tropic America
This area is oriented towards South American swamps and Lake Titicaca. The enclosure is inhabited by llamas, nandus and black swans, for example.
| opening hours | Daily: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. |
| Entrance fees | Adults $ 8.50; Children $ 5.50 |
| Contact | 1545 Mesker Park Drive Evansville, Indiana 4772 Tel: 001 – (0) 812 – 435 61 43 Fax: 001 – (0) 812 – 435 61 40 Email: [email protected] Web: www.meskerparkzoo.com |
Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend
The Potawatomi Zoo in the city of South Bend is a rather small zoo founded in 1902. Today, over 400 animals live in the park on an area of approx. 93,000 m². The zoo’s main attractions are certainly the red pandas, lions, tigers, leopards and zebras. Furthermore, the zoo offers its visitors the opportunity to take a train through part of the zoo. As the zoo is in Potawatomi Park, visitors can also use the baseball field, tennis courts, swimming pool and picking areas.
| opening hours | Daily: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Entrance fees | Adults $ 8; Children (3-14) $ 6 |
| Contact | 500 S. Greenlawn Ave. South Bend, Indiana 46615 Tel: 001 – (0) 574 – 235 98 00 Fax: 001 – (0) 574 – 235 90 80 Email: [email protected] Web: www.potawatomizoo.org |
Washington Park Zoo in Michigan City
The Washington Park Zoo in the city of Michigan City in northeastern India was founded in 1925 and today covers an area of approximately 61,000 m². Around 220 animals from 90 species live in the zoo, the main attractions of which are lions, Bengal tigers and zebras. Snakes, frogs and others can also be observed. In the zoo there is also a petting zoo with horses, donkeys, pigs and goats that can also be fed.
| opening hours | April to October: Daily: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. |
| Entrance fees | Adults $ 5.50; Children (3-11) $ 4.50 |
| Contact | 115 Lakeshore Drive Michigan City, IN 46360 Tel: 001 – (0) 219 – 873 15 90 Fax: 001 – (0) 219 – 873 15 39 Web: www.washingtonparkzoo.com |
Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory in Fort Wayne
The Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory is a plant preservation greenhouse opened in 1983 in the city of Fort Wayne. The conservatory now covers an area of approximately 2,300 m² on which over 1,200 plants from 502 species grow. Of these 502 species, 72 are cactus species. In the conservatory there are exhibitions on the areas of a tropical oasis, which even impresses with a waterfall, as well as the area of the Sonoran Desert. There is also an outdoor garden with an area of approximately 9,300 m²
| opening hours | Tuesday to Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sunday: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. |
| Entrance fees | Adults $ 5; Children (3-17) $ 3 |
| Contact | 1100 South Calhoun Street Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802 Tel: 001 – (0) 260 – 427 64 40 Web: www.botanicalconservatory.org |
Amish
There are many people in the state of Indiana who can be attributed to the Amish community. In total, this is approximately 47,000 in Indiana. Members of this denomination emigrated to the United States during the 18th century due to persecution. The emigrants mostly came from the southern German and Swiss German regions. Even today, the Amish speak among themselves a dialect that is called Pennsylvania German. This is understandable for native German speakers and is similar to the Palatinate dialect. The Amish live a life that is strongly oriented to the agricultural sector and rejects technical innovations. Such innovations are rarely adopted and after careful consideration. For example, the Amish ride in horse-drawn carriages instead of in cars. Other examples from the Amish culture are the use of gas lamps instead of lamps with electric current and the simple clothing. However, bans vary from Amish group to Amish group. Anyone interested in Amish culture should do so in Indiana. Visit Amish Acres Arts & Crafts Festival. This festival, held annually on the first weekend in August in the city of Nappanee in northern India, offers a very good impression of the craftsmanship and lifestyle of the Amish.
Road trips
Historic National Road
The Historic National Road is a very special holiday or panoramic road, as its status as a National Road suggests. The Historic National Road is historically the first federal-funded highway in the United States. Construction of the highway known back then, but still today, as Cumberland Road began in 1811. Cumberland Road was to connect the Potomac to the Ohio River. Cumberland Road thus became an important route during the western expansion of the United States. From 1830, construction sections were macadamized, making Cumberland Road the first street in the United States to be built using the macadam method. The Cumberland Road thus ran from Cumberland (Maryland) to Vandalia (Illinois) over a length of approx. 1,000 km. Today, the Historic National Road is 1,326 km long and runs through the 6 states of Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. Along the way there are numerous historical interesting sights such as the historic bridges, customs houses or milestones as well as numerous buildings that are on the list of historic places. Along the Historic National Road are the statues of the Madonna of the Trail.
| Contact | www.byways.org/explore/byways/2278 |
Ohio River Scenic Route
The Ohio River Scenic Route runs for approximately 1,518 km through the US states of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois along the banks of the Ohio River. The Ohio River Scenic Route overlooks the river almost the entire route, but that’s not all. The Ohio River Scenic Route in Ohio, for example, passes the Wayne National Forest, prehistoric, Indian cult sites and several state parks. In Indiana, the Ohio River Scenic Route runs through the Hoosier National Forest, past the historic Angel Mounds site, and in Illinois through the Shawnee National Forest. Of course, the Ohio River Scenic Route offers many more attractions than could be shown here. The pure travel time of the route is up to two and a half days, but of course you need about 8 days to really experience something. The Ohio River Scenic Route has been a National Scenic Byway since 1998.
| Contact | www.byways.org/explore/byways/2286 |
Other natural beauties
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is a coastal region of Lake Michigan near the city of Gary in northwest India. The park was raised to the rank of national lake in 1966 and the protected area now covers an area of approximately 61 km². The area is famous for its scenic beauty and diversity. In addition to beaches that are 24 km long, you can also discover extensive dunes, bogs, swamps, prairies and forest areas with hiking trails. Due to these many landscape forms, flora and fauna are particularly pronounced in this area. So you can find over 1,400 different plant species, including about 90 endangered species. The number of bird species, there are about 350 is enormous. Visitors can also see badgers, bats, coyotes, long-tailed weasels, mink, Find red foxes, skunks, chipmunks, cottontail and white-tailed deer. There are a total of 12 hiking trails in the park with different levels of difficulty and lengths. There are also several parking spaces in the park, as well as campsites and picnic areas. The best starting point for all visitors is the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, which provides a lot of information about the area.
