7 Stunning Small Towns In Indiana

Seven small towns in Indiana give a fuller picture of the state than highway maps usually suggest. In the north, Shipshewana and Whiting pair farmland with Lake Michigan beaches within easy reach of Chicago. In the south, Madison sits along the Ohio River inside one of the country's largest National Historic Landmark Districts, Nashville anchors the Brown County hills painters have been drawn to since the early 1900s, and Mitchell, Angola, and Newburgh each build their identity around a single state park or historic site. What follows is a route through all seven.

Shipshewana

Shipshewana sits inside one of the country's largest Amish settlements, the LaGrange County community, and the town's rhythm reflects it: horse-and-buggy traffic on the shoulder, hand-lettered signs for produce and baked goods, quilts on laundry lines.

The Barn Quilt Trail is a good starting point. The trail maps more than 80 hand-painted wooden quilt patterns mounted on barns and buildings across the area; the Shipshewana Visitor's Center hands out the map. The Shipshewana Farm Trail is a separate route that runs past working farms where visitors can pick produce and see animals up close.

Shoppers come for the Shipshewana Flea Market, which bills itself as the Midwest's largest and runs May through September with around 700 vendors on market days. Downtown, the shops on Morton Street and Van Buren Street, anchored by Davis Mercantile, carry goods from many local Amish producers.

Angola

In the northeast corner of the state, Angola is built around Pokagon State Park. The park sits on the shore of Lake James, one of the larger natural lakes in Indiana, with Snow Lake just to the west. Nine hiking trails cross the property, ranging from easy shoreline loops to steeper wooded climbs.

The main attraction, though, is the refrigerated toboggan run, a 1,780-foot track (about a third of a mile) that stays open winters and draws tens of thousands of riders each year. Sleds hit 35 to 40 mph on the faster runs.

Downtown Angola is organized around a traffic circle locals call "the Mound" or "the Circle." At its center stands the Soldiers' Monument, dedicated in 1917 to commemorate Steuben County men who served in the Civil War, with a 70-foot white stone pillar and five bronze statues. The Steuben County Courthouse, a National Register of Historic Places building, is right off the circle. A block away, Bird Song Park is the town's small downtown green space, with student-painted murals, donated birdhouses, and a painted rock exchange.

Whiting

Whiting is the part of Indiana that looks at Chicago across the water. The town sits on the southern shore of Lake Michigan, roughly 16 miles from the Loop, and the Chicago skyline is clearly visible from the lakefront, especially at night.

There are three public points for getting onto the water. Whihala Beach covers about 20 acres of sand for swimming and beach volleyball. The WhoaZone inflatable water park drops slides, towers, and climbing obstacles onto the lake in summer, geared more toward older kids and teenagers. Lakefront Park rounds it out with picnic lawns, walking paths, and tennis and sand-volleyball courts.

Downtown, 119th Street is the main commercial stretch. The Hoosier Theatre, which opened in 1924 and is on the National Register of Historic Places, is often cited as the last surviving vaudeville-era movie palace in northwest Indiana. After decades of closures and reopenings, the theater runs live events and special screenings today. Restaurants and shops along 119th Street pull in beachgoers, Chicago commuters, and local residents.

Madison

Madison is in southern Indiana, on the banks of the Ohio River across from Kentucky. Driving into town along the Ohio River Scenic Byway is the best introduction: the road hugs the river and the bluffs rise behind it. For a closer look, outfits like Rockin' Thunder River Tours run boat trips where bald eagles are a regular sight.

What sets Madison apart is its downtown. The Madison Historic Landmark District covers 133 blocks and is one of the largest contiguous National Historic Landmark Districts in the country. The Lanier Mansion State Historic Site, a Greek Revival home completed in 1844 with a pale yellow stuccoed exterior, sits on the riverfront and is the best-known address in the district. Clifty Falls State Park, just west of town, offers 1,519 acres of ravines, streams, and year-round hiking.

Downtown events like the Madison Farmers Market bring the historic district to life, and independent businesses such as Fountain Alley BodyCare and Scarlet Begonia make up much of the retail mix.

Nashville

Brown County's Nashville is a small town backed by a big park. Brown County State Park, at 15,776 acres, is Indiana's largest state park. Its nickname, the "Little Smokies," nods to the Great Smoky Mountains farther south, and in October the hills turn red, yellow, and orange deep enough to draw leaf-peepers from across the Midwest.

Just outside Nashville, Hard Truth Distilling Co. spreads across a 325-acre property with cabins, live music, distillery tours, and a 250-seat restaurant. A few miles south of town, the TC Steele State Historic Site preserves the 211-acre home and studio of American impressionist painter Theodore Clement Steele, who worked here from 1907 until his death in 1926. Selma Steele donated the property to the state in 1945, and the gardens she laid out still shape the grounds.

In downtown Nashville, Van Buren Street and the cross streets around it are lined with galleries, gift shops, the Brown County Visitors Center, and enough covered-bridge shortcuts to make the drive in part of the attraction.

Mitchell

Mitchell, in southern Indiana, is where Spring Mill State Park is. The park is the reason most people come. A restored Pioneer Village and operating gristmill, about 20 historic buildings in all, anchor the site, and costumed interpreters work the mill and shops on weekends.

Twin Caves is the park's other pull. Visitors board small boats that head into the cave for a short guided tour; the temperature drop at the entrance is a shock even in July. The park's nature center covers local wildlife, live animals, and hands-on exhibits for kids.

Mitchell's Downtown Historic District was added to the National Register in 1997, with a mix of Italianate, Romanesque Revival, and Queen Anne buildings along the main streets. The Mitchell Opera House, active since the early 1900s and restored in 2015, is the red-brick anchor of the downtown and books live music year-round.

Newburgh

Newburgh is in the southwest corner of the state, on the Ohio River just east of Evansville. Boat ramps in town make it a regular stop for anglers and birdwatchers. Overlook Park sits on the riverfront with clear views of the Newburgh Locks and Dam, and restaurants line the bank nearby, including Cafe Arazu, a Mediterranean spot with a patio that fills up at sunset.

Near town, Angel Mounds State Historic Site preserves one of the best-kept Mississippian mound complexes in North America. The site was occupied from roughly 1050 to 1450, and archaeologists have documented solar and other alignments in the layout. Programs at the site include basket weaving, archery, seasonal observances, and concerts.

A Full Picture of Indiana

These seven towns make the case that Indiana's appeal is broader than it gets credit for. Shipshewana's Amish farmland, Whiting's lakefront, Madison's 133-block historic district, Nashville's painter's-country hills, and the state parks around Angola, Mitchell, and Newburgh each give a different answer to the same question. Pick any one as a weekend and the state fills in more than you expected.