8 Undisturbed Towns To Visit In Indiana

There is a certain feeling of achievement when you discover a town that has somehow managed to resist a modern-day reboot. From over 100 blocks of heritage landmarks in Madison to the warmth of Amish culture in Shipshewana and a Gustav A. Dentzel carousel in Logansport to the study of a General turned author in Crawfordsville, a focus on preservation is what sets these Indiana towns apart.

If you are partial to the simple life, here are eight undisturbed towns to visit in Indiana for a day of exploration, a weekend adventure, or a welcome sojourn on a week-long journey.

Vincennes

Vincennes is oozing French-influenced charm in a town that started as a fur trading outpost in 1732. You can expect to find a lot of history at Indiana’s oldest European settlement, tied to the changeover of power from French to British and ultimately American. The Vincennes State Historic Sites are an all-in-one experience where you can get a sampling of the town’s most momentous events and buildings, including the bright red clapboard of what once served as the original Territorial Capitol and is now the Midwest’s oldest major government building. Get a closer look at the finer life of the town’s most prominent sons at Grouseland, where period-appropriate furnishings and memorabilia from Governor William Henry Harrison show the life he led before becoming the ninth president of the United States.

History touches all aspects of town, including the Riverside Walk along the Wabash, where you can take in the scenery and discover an exciting shopping experience at the Historic Farmers Market of Vincennes on Saturdays and Wednesdays. The walk leads right to George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, where a stately memorial and docent-led tours tell the story of George Rogers Clark and his men capturing the former British Fort Sackville in 1779.

Madison

The second you drive into Madison, you will understand why it has earned many best small town, community, and Main Street awards. As America’s largest Contiguous National Historic Landmark District, you can set off on a meandering walking tour of your own making and discover beautifully preserved buildings and national historic landmarks for over 100 blocks.

The town seems to have endless unusual historic bragging rights, like America’s only restored 19th-century saddletree factory, where vintage belt-powered woodworking machines put on a surprisingly interesting show at the Schroeder Saddletree Factory Museum. Award-winning national historic landmarks like Shrewsbury-Windle House are pristine restorations reflecting examples of Greek Revival and other notable architectural styles, with interiors that show off their intricate grandeur. Dr. William Hutchings’ Office & Museum is one of America’s most authentic 19th-century medical history restorations, where medical records and artifacts, like surgical tools, can be a little disturbing!

Despite Madison’s exquisite architecture, it is difficult to ignore the town’s striking backdrop set against Clifty Falls State Park, where the waterfalls change with the seasons from a misty trickle to a magical ice sculpture. Hunt for fossils at nearby collecting locations where ancient marine life is captured in time, or participate in park events, from the thrill of hydroplane boat races to eclectic art festivals.

Shipshewana

A drive through Indiana’s Amish Country should always include a stop in Shipshewana, where the warm sense of community is steeped in Amish culture. While Indiana’s countryside feels untouched by modern times, the pastoral farmland of Shipshewana is deeply rooted in traditions captured in unexpected scenes like a horse and buggy racing along the highway. Expect to find authentic farm experiences in Amish Country, like Stutzman Dairy Farm, where the visitors' viewing room overlooks the milking area, guests bottle-feed calves, and the owners share insights about life on an Amish dairy farm. Pull up a chair at Yoder’s Homestyle Cooking, where hearty Amish food is served family-style at communal tables, and you can walk off your home-cooked meal, enjoying the views of the lake.

Menno-Hof is a museum and learning center that spans five centuries of Amish, Mennonite, and Hutterite history, from the ships that delivered first arrivals to America’s shores to a replicated “modern” Amish home tour and a tornado simulation that shakes the theater to hands-on traditional activities. Further your history lesson by exploring the artifacts of the town’s namesake, Chief Shipshewana, in a restored one-room schoolhouse, now the Shipshewana Historical Society Museum.

Metamora

Metamora’s canal is a whole other level of quaintness, where America’s only operating wooden aqueduct, homes straddling the waterway, and an operating gristmill create a standout townscape like no other. At first glance, the aqueduct’s whimsical red wood cladding and roof look like a covered bridge, until you see the canal flowing through it. The structure was designed to carry the canal 16 feet above Duck Creek and continues to function today. A horse-drawn freighter once silently cruised up and down the canal, transporting goods and passengers with rides continuing until 2022. The canal boat stable that housed the mules and horses still stands alongside the canal.

A pretty white gazebo on the north side of the canal is a shady spot to rest or take a selfie with the gristmill and waterfalls in the background. The water-powered mill is open for tours, and you can buy a bag of stone-ground flour or cornmeal as a souvenir. Take in the picture-perfect scenery of the White River Valley along the canal’s trail by bike or on foot, or board the Metamora Local for a two-mile scenic train excursion that is especially impressive when the fall foliage is alive with color.

Connersville

From birding to hiking and art to history, Connersville’s idyllic spot in the White River Valley is a wonderful destination to slow down and appreciate nature. The 700 acres at Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary are a popular stop on the Indiana Birding Trail, where high-powered binoculars are a must to catch bird sightings when you hear the call of birdsong. If the flutter of wings is not so appealing, the Nickel Plate Trail is a short, tree-lined path ideal for strolling or biking, or you can encounter outdoor art while strolling in downtown Connersville, like the Whitewater Valley Arts Association building mural and the impressive John Conner memorial statue.

The history of the county is well-preserved at the Fayette County Historical Museum, where snippets in time tell the stories of Native Americans, early settlers, and the rise of local industries that helped build the area. However, the grand Greek Revival façade of the Canal House might be the town’s showstopper with its charming garden, period furnishings, and original company vaults.

Vevay

USA Today readers consistently name Vevay one of the Best Small Towns in the Midwest, including a #1 ranking in 2023. This beauty of a town on the Ohio River has hints of European aesthetics, like Swiss-French-inspired wrought-iron balconies. As a town with one of Indiana’s oldest county historical societies, you will find ample opportunity to feed your curiosity. Carefully captured in a typical home of early inhabitants, the living history museum at Musée de Venoge shares a day in the life of Jacob and Charlotte Weaver, while the River History Museum showcases rare artifacts tracking river life from the days of flatboats and keelboats to the steamboat era. The 1860 Greek Revival Presbyterian Church, housing the County Historical Museum, is just as intriguing as its well-rounded displays, including everything from Native American and Early Swiss Heritage collections to Civil and Second World War militaria and quirky items like Indiana’s first piano that arrived from England in the early 1800s. Town landmarks along the main street, like The Hoosier Theater, speak to the community’s resilience, going through several transformations from an 1837 warehouse to a 1926 movie theater and the modern performance center it is today.

Logansport

As a town that is just coming into its own as a worthy tourist destination, Logansport is ideal for crowd-avoiders. Open spaces and expansive scenery at lovely spots like France Park are not overburdened with heavy traffic along trails leading to cascading waterfalls, tranquil forests, and spectacular quarry cliffs. The clear, cool Elzbeck Lake and sandy shoreline are made for summer relaxation as well as swimming, fishing, and a rare opportunity for scuba diving in Indiana.

Ride one of the country’s two remaining Gustav A. Dentzel carousels at Riverside Park and admire the century-plus restored, colorfully painted, hand-carved work by the famed artisan and craftsman. As the town embraces its own past, it continues to expand its historic attractions, but its shining star is the 1853 Long Home Museum with its Italianate design, George Winter and Wils Berry paintings, and extensive collections. A two-story 1863 log cabin shows a very different side of life in Cass County, and the latest edition at the Cass County Museum is a transformational space with plans for upcoming exhibits exploring everything from railroads to fossils.

Crawfordsville

Paddling down Sugar Creek is just one example of the simple pleasures found in Crawfordsville. It is a town where scenes like the Darlington Covered Bridge take your breath away, and one-of-a-kind sites like the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum tell some of America's lesser-known stories. Lew Wallace's epic novel became famous when it was turned into the Oscar-winning movie, Ben Hur. The museum examines the life and talents of this fascinating man at the beautiful study he designed and built in 1895.

Bookworms can further their discovery of local authors Janet Lambert, Caroline Virginia Krout, Lew Wallace, Susan Wallace, and Meredith Nicholson at The Carnegie Museum. The museum’s exhibits also examine other aspects of Montgomery County life, including the intriguing Mural of Montgomery County’s 83 images depicting notable places and landmarks. Scenic trails at Brickyard Nature Park are short and accessible, with peaceful wooded areas and prairie land carefully restored using controlled burning methods.

Although very few towns in Indiana remain untouched by progress, those that recognize the value of their heritage and commit to maintaining their authenticity are the rare finds that often make the best destinations. Better yet, most of these eight undisturbed towns to visit in Indiana can be reached in under two hours from cities like Indianapolis, and rural places like Shipshewana make great spots for overnight stays. Make it a point to keep these small towns in mind when you need to spend some time away from the city.