Unusual Things to Do in Indiana

If you find yourself in Indiana and want to do something unusual, here are ten recommendations for out-of-the-box tourist attractions.

Explore the Market Street Catacombs

While going through an underground maze of passageways may be something only some will enjoy, it is a unique experience and an exciting one for those who are fans of eerie settings. Located beneath Indianapolis’s bustling City Market, this hidden network of tunnels was built in the 1880s for produce and meat transportation for the main market area. The entire catacombs system spans over twenty-thousand square feet and is remarkably well-preserved. Tours are available on select days, with tickets usually costing $12 for individuals twelve and up.

Stroll Rose Island

Like the Market Street Catacombs, those who wish to examine a remnant of a past time would be wise to visit the Rose Island abandoned amusement park. That is a former recreational section, a tourist attraction of Charlestown, which opened in 1923 and closed in 1937. It sits on a peninsula called the Devil’s Backbone by the flow of Fourteen Mile Creek, initially used as a church camp. Yet, in 1923, a businessman named David Rose bought the property and reshaped it into a park, adding a wooden rollercoaster, a swimming pool, a Ferris Wheel, and other attractions.

Check Out the Indianapolis Moon Tree

At first sight, the sycamore found at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis may seem like a regular tree. Yet, it carries a fascinating history, as its seed went to the moon and back before sprouting in the cited location. It is one of five hundred seeds taken by Stuart A. Roosa to orbit the moon, and it has a commemorative plaque noting that it was planted on the mentioned site on April 9, 1976. This experiment aimed to study if this lunar orbiting would affect these seeds’ development on Earth.

Enter the Hall of Heroes

What is the Hall of Heroes? It is a Superhero Museum found in Elkhart, on the north side of this town, at 1915 Cassopolis Street. It is the world’s only museum that comments on the evolution of animation, toys, comic books, and film heroes possessing supernatural abilities. The facility has been founded and maintained by local Allen Stweart, an Elkhart County resident who has managed to scrape up a collection of sixty thousand comics and ten thousand toys here.

See Jug Rock

Here, we have a geological table rock formation in Shoals, in the valley of the East Fork. It is the US’ most impressive free-standing structure of its kind. Per E. T. Cox, a 19th-century State Geologist, the natural construction, sometimes called the Pinnacle, bears a fascinating resemblance to a jug.

Hence, that is likely the reason locals gave it its popular name. Jug Rock is a part of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources natural preserve catalog.

Take a Photo at Roseanne’s House

In the late 1990s, Roseanne Barr’s sitcom, simply titled Roseanne, was the most-watched show on American TV, reaching the number one spot in the Nielsen ratings in its second season. The series premise revolves around a working-class family from Kane County, living on Delaware Street in the fictional exurb of Lanford. The home utilized for the show’s establishing shot, as the abode of the Conner family still stands tall in Evansville, at 619 South Runnymeade Avenue, and anyone can walk up to its sidewalk and take a photo of themselves in front of the famous exterior.

Worship in an Open-Air Cathedral

The Town of Harmony, now called New Harmony, was a settlement founded by German progressive religious groups. It is the second oldest town in Indiana, and down its North Street, one can find a Roofless Church in the shape of a curved parabola dome. That is simply a cover for a Jacques Lipchit sculpture that lives within a plaza-like church area that overlooks a flooding field.

Gamble for Charity

Indiana laws allow riverboat casinos and horse racing but permit skill contests and charitable games. Close to four thousand organizations can run these, as charitable gambling is big in Indiana, with many bars and churches organizing these events. The Good Shepherd Catholic Church & School in Evansville is one such locale providing weekly Sunday bingo at its Good Shepherd Parish Hall at 2301 North Stockwell Road.

Packet pricing starts at $15, with proceeds going to Good Shepherd School Tuition Assistance, then various Parish organizations, and 10% sent to outside need groups.

Eat at the Myers Dinner Theater

What makes this spot in Hillsboro special? It offers homemade meals that were staples for the region for over a quarter of a century while boasting carefully selected Broadway plays and musicals for visitors. The 108 N Water Street venue is ideal for the elderly and those who love a high-quality theatrical experience with homey food and a warm atmosphere.

Dive Among Drowned Mining Equipment

Yes, that is possible in Logansport, at the former Indiana quarry, now a famed scuba site. What once was a limestone quarry has now been transformed into a diver’s attraction that operates a zip-line, sending adventurous visitors across the quarry lake at high speeds.