2025's Most Underrated Towns In Indiana

Already a hidden gem state, Indiana's hidden gems are truly hidden, as they are impossible to see while flying to coastal destinations. Next time, do not fly over. Instead, make Indiana your vacation destination for 2025. Better yet, choose small, underseen locales so you can experience the Hoosier State the way even most Hoosiers have not. Biblical gardens, German delicacies, and fairytale-like forests await IN these eight underrated towns.

Darlington

The best adjective for Darlington is in its name. This town has only 711 residents per the 2020 Census and is skirted by Honey Creek, and Sugar Creek. To get even more darling, Sugar Creek is crossed by the Darlington Covered Bridge, a scenic staple for more than 150 years. Walk the bridge over that sweet creek before eating sweet treats at the nearby Honey Creek Cafe.

But do not overfill on strawberry shortcake pancakes, especially if you visit Darlington on the first weekend of September. Save some room for fish sandwiches at the annual Darlington Fish Fry Festival. Also stay for beer, ice cream, cornhole, fireworks, a foam party, and even an antique tractor show.

Alexandria

The way, way less visited Alexandria, IN, may not have a legendary library or a Washington monument, but it does have the World’s Largest Ball of Paint. Weighing roughly 11,000 pounds and containing around 30,000 layers of paint, the ball was started by Mike Carmichael, who still maintains it almost 50 years later. If given notice, Carmichael lets others add their own layers, as he has done for visitors from a reported 63 countries. Each gets a certificate as proof of their record-sustaining effort.

After painting the ball, have a ball at other Alexandria attractions like Beulah Park, which hosts the Madison County 4H Fair each July, and the Alex Movie Theatre, whose upcoming shows include A Minecraft Movie and Snow White.

Warsaw

Nestled in northern Indiana, Warsaw is an oasis literally and figuratively. Weary travelers can find not one, not two, but three lakes in Warsaw, plus more than 100 water bodies throughout the county. Most notable is Winona Lake, which is so big it spawned a self-titled separate community. Spend a morning at Winona Lake, choosing between swimming, fishing, kayaking, pontooning, and stand-up paddleboarding, before strolling the banks of Center Lake at the Warsaw Biblical Gardens or going off the beaten path toward Hidden Lake. In the evening, catch a show at the Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts, which provides its "rural community with exceptional artistic performances in theatre, orchestra, and music."

Oldenburg

True to its name, Oldenburg has Old Country charm. It was settled by Germans almost two centuries ago and named after the city of Oldenburg, Germany. Now called the Village of Spires, this tiny settlement attracts with Catholic icons like the Immaculate Conception Convent and German-style eateries like the Brau Haus, but otherwise stays under the radar—except for one last element: fried chicken.

In 2023, Wagner’s Village Inn won a James Beard Award for Indiana's best hole-in-the-wall fried chicken restaurant. You can combine religious imagery, German cuisine, and award-winning fried chicken at Freudenfest, an annual summer extravaganza featuring a spires toss and traditional Oldenburg dinner of chicken, sausage, and sauerkraut.

Greencastle

Indiana is full of famous nature preserves, especially Turkey Run State Park near Marshall, Indiana Dunes State and National Park near Chesterton. There are two underseen but highly rated sanctuaries near Greencastle, a super-small city in west-central Indiana. The first, DePauw Nature Park, is a former quarry centering a 520-acre refuge managed by DePauw University. The second, Fern Cliff Nature Preserve, is a 157-acre fern forest centered by the titular National Natural Landmark. If nature is not your bag, Greencastle boasts many indoor wonders like The Putnam Inn and the Bridges Craft Pizza & Wine Bar.

Fairmount

A fair number of people know Fairmount for its link to James Dean. The late, great actor grew up in this Grant County town, which is now a depository of Dean-ifacts. Find them at the James Dean Museum, James Dean Gallery, James Dean's Grave, and the annual James Dean Festival, whose events include a James Dean car show and a James Dean look-alike contest.

Fewer people know about Fairmount's second most famous denizen: Jim Davis. The Garfield creator also grew up around town and attended the same high school as Dean. Fairmount honors its lasagna-loving cat with a statue outside the James Dean Museum. It joins over a dozen other statues scattered across Grant County as stops on The Garfield Trail. Yes, that actually exists.

Hartsville

Hartsville is a town of about 300 people whose only noteworthy businesses are a liquor store, a Marathon gas station/food mart, and a petite bakery called Heartsville Sweets. So why is it on this list?

Anderson Falls. Located just a few miles south of town, Anderson Falls headlines a 44-acre preserve that sticks out from flat Indiana. Beyond the continuous flow of water over raised limestone, the preserve has steep valleys, whimsical woodlands, migratory songbirds, and, in spring, colorful wildflowers. Regardless of when you visit, make sure to pick up your trash. Litter has befallen Anderson Falls.

Cicero

Yet another small Indiana settlement with a stately, archaic name, Cicero has stately, archaic attractions. Chief among them are the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Building (c. 1910) and Knights of Pythias Building (c. 1900). Many such structures house such modern businesses as the 10 West Restaurant & Bar, Erika's Place, and Betsey's Boutique Shop.

In addition to historic and commercial wonders, Cicero claims quasi-natural marvels, notably the Morse Reservoir, on whose bountiful banks the town resides. Celebrate Cicero and American freedom at the Lights Over Morse Lake, a multiday festival that culminates in fireworks over the reservoir. 2025's edition is set to run from Thursday, July 3, to Sunday, July 6.

You can visit underrated Indiana at any time in 2025, but each town has its seasonal sweet spot. Start out in spring to catch a show at Alexandria's movie theater, spend summer at Oldenburg's Freudenfest and Cicero's Lights Over Morse Lake, and prepare for fall at the Darlington Fish Fry Festival. Winter is a free-for-all at the remaining unsung settlements. Enjoy the year as an honorary Hoosier in places even Hoosiers have not trod.