Explore charming towns, scenic state parks, crystal clear lakes, and the many unique attractions in Indiana.
From the culture of Indianapolis, the state capital, to the Indiana Dunes region, to Indiana Beach, to the Amish Country, the Hoosier State is an alluring destination in the heart of America.
Indiana Beach - Located on Lake Shafer, Indiana Beach is the most exciting amusement resort and vacation playground in Indiana. Indiana Beach Amusement Resort features exciting rides, including five lakeside roller coasters, a water park, family attractions, a sand beach, boardwalk shopping, games, boating, fishing, and restaurants. Visit
www.indianabeach.com.
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Indiana Dunes State Park - Located in the Indiana Dunes region, Indiana Dunes State Park consists of 2,182 acres of amazing, primitive, beautiful, and historical landscapes, including three miles of Lake Michigan's south shoreline, a beautiful beach and pavilion, magnificent sand dunes, drifting sand hills, and picnic areas. Enjoy swimming, hiking, biking along the Calumet Bicycle Trail, and nature programs. The park’s 1,800 wooded acres is habitat for the most diversified flora and fauna of the Midwest, including prickly pear cactus and 20 varieties of orchids. Visit
www.duneland.com/parks/idsp.htm.
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Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo - Get wild at the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo
- one of the nation’s Ten Best Zoos for Kids by
Child Magazine. Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo features more than 1,500 animals. Explore the Australian Adventure, African Journey, or the Indonesian Rainforest to experience the creatures and cultures of these exotic destinations. In the Central Zoo, you’ll discover
penguins, multicolored
macaws,
capuchin monkeys on Monkey Island, and giant tortoises. Watch the playful sea lions swim and show off in the natural setting of At Sea Lion Beach. Hug a goat, pet a cow, and see baby chicks at the Indiana Family Farm. Kids love the pony rides and 1860's miniature train. Visit
www.kidszoo.org.
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Salamonie Lake & Forest - Salamonie Lake and Forest is a beautiful destination for fishing, boating, waterskiing, swimming, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, and all sorts of outdoor recreation. The state park and reservoir features a staffed nature center, hiking trails, a marina with boat launches, a fishing pier, equestrian trails, cross country skiing and snowmobile trails, basketball and volleyball courts, an amphitheatre, playgrounds, horsehoe pits, the Bloodroot Trail for mountain biking, and scenic picnic areas. Visit
http://www.stateparks.com/salamonie_river.html.
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Chain O’ Lakes State Park - Explore eight connecting lakes for boating, canoeing, swimming, fishing and outdoor adventure at Chain O' Lakes State Park. A boater’s paradise in the heart of Indiana Lake Country, this picturesque park features boat launch ramps, a swimming beach, hiking trails, picnic areas, seasonal naturalists, camping, cross-country skiing trails, canoe/rowboat rental, and cultural programs. Paddle along the lakes, hike the trails, or visit the nature center. Visit
www.indianatraveler.com/state_parks/chain_o_lakes.htm.
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Amish Country - Enjoy a weekend escape or a relaxing Midwest vacation in Indiana’s Amish Country. In Elkhart and LaGrange counties, you’ll discover history and heritage, intriguing attractions, diverse shopping and dining, idyllic countryside, intriguing museums, live theater, and the friendly communities of Nappanee, Middlebury and Shipshewana. Highlights include the Midwest Museum of American Art, a showcase of 19th and 20th century American art and a collection of Norman Rockwell lithographs,
Amish Acres Historic Farm and Heritage Resort, American Countryside Farmers Market, Menno-Hof Center, Round Barn Theatre at Amish Acres, and the century-old Bristol Opera House. Visit
www.Amishcountry.org.
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Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) - IMA connects art and nature among three components: Indianapolis Museum of Art, Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park and Oldfields-Lilly House and Gardens. The Indianapolis Museum of Art
collection features 50,000 works of art from diverse cultures and periods in art history, as well as national and international
exhibitions. An urban oasis with 100 acres of woodlands, wetlands, lake and meadows, Virginia B. Fairbanks
Art & Nature Park will present outdoor art works, interactive art exhibitions, and nature walks. Discover the past at
Oldfields-Lilly House & Gardens, which offers a glimpse into the lives of one of Indianapolis’s prominent families and life on a country estate in the early 20th century. Visit
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Merillat Centre for the Arts - Located at Huntington University, Merillat Centre for the Arts presents live performances and concerts of classical music, jazz, theatre, and comedy. Longaker Recital Hall features a vocal and instrumental solo music and chamber music performances. The Wilson Gallery presents changing multi-media exhibits in a variety of themes, and a permanent collection that includes Salvador Dali prints and paintings by contemporary American and European artists. For a performance schedule, visit
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Hoosier National Forest - Located in Perry County, the 196,000-acre Hoosier National Forest offers a variety of outdoor activities, including fishing, boating, swimming, hiking, biking, hunting, camping, and horse back riding. The pristine forest offers miles of beautiful hiking, biking and equestrian trails, two lakes - Tipsaw Lake Recreation Area and Indian-Celina Lakes Recreation Area - picnic areas, historic sites like Rickenbaugh House and nature study areas - Clover Lick Barrens and Hemlock Cliffs. Visit
www.perrycountyindiana.org/hoosiernationalforest.
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The Lincoln Museum - The Lincoln Museum houses the world’s largest collection of artifacts from the life of Abraham Lincoln, including signed copies of the Emancipation Proclamation and 13th amendment, 19th century prints, engravings, newspapers, photographs, magazine clippings, sheet music and period artifacts, Lincoln family belongings and manuscripts. The Museum features the
permanent exhibit Abraham Lincoln and the American Experiment, which includes 11 galleries with artifacts from Lincoln’s era and a
research library with 300 original Lincoln documents. Visit
www.thelincolnmuseum.org.
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