6 Small Towns in Indiana With Big Charm

Most travelers know cities like Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, but Indiana's small towns give a completely fresh perspective on this deeply historic state in the US Midwest. It was admitted to the Union in 1816 and is known by its famous expression as the "Hoosier State," which may have come from the old-time pioneer greeting, "Who's yere?" As these modest-sized, often beautiful towns show, Indiana's smaller places may not stretch for miles, but that may just be the key to why visitors find them so charming, and return year after year. 

Wabash

You could say that north-central Wabash, with 10,300 inhabitants and which lies along the Wabash River, has made an industrial reputation for itself. The town became the world's first electrically lighted place — not just in Indiana, but the world — when the lights first turned on in 1880. Incorporated in 1834, the town's proximity to the river has drawn settlers and innovators for two hundred years. These days, Wabash is home to the Honeywell Center, an arts and entertainment space, since opening the site opened doors in 1952. 

The town offers several types of historic architecture and design, in particular Wabash County Courthouse, the Eagles Theatre, and the Wabash County Historical Museum, which honors the town's industrial legacy. Those who prefer green spaces can check out the Wabash River Trail, a place for birdwatching, river walks, and photogenic natural scenery. 

Monticello

The northeast town of Monticello, population 5,500, sits between Indianapolis and Chicago, along the Tippecanoe River. For movie fans and a night out, visitors can harken back to simpler times at the Lake Shore Drive-In Theater, a vintage outdoor movie facility. Visitors can take in the town's outdoor spaces, including Altherr Nature Park and Lake Shafer. 

The town, though small, has three buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. The James Culbertson Reynolds House has an Italianate design and has stood in Monticello since 1873. The South Grade School Building was built in 1892, while the town's Carnegie Library, one of many funded by the industrial baron Andrew Carnegie to advance American education, has stood here since 1907. 

Greenfield

Greenfield, with 24,800 residents, is a much larger destination and lies east of Indianapolis. The town was designated the seat of surrounding Hancock County in 1828. A boomtown from developments in rail and a local natural gas industry in the mid-and late-1800s, Greenfield today offers a pair of historic districts in Courthouse Square and in a separate residential area. For architecture fans, the town boasts historic buildings in styles ranging from Romanesque Revival and Second Empire, and residences in the Queen Anne, Neoclassical, and Bungalow schools. Some of these list on the National Register of Historic Places, as does the Lilly Biological Laboratories, a center for pharmaceutical research. 

In culture, Greenfield's denizens have made major contributions to the arts, in particular poetry, as the hometown of the "Hoosier Poet," James Whitcomb Riley. A statue honoring Riley stands in Greenfield today. Green spaces include Brandywine Park, the Thornwood Nature Preserve, and for golf fans, the Hawk's Tail of Greenfield golf course. 

Paoli

Paoli, population 3,600, sits in south-central Indiana. The town's name suggests the inspiration drawn from Pasquale Paoli Ashe, the son of North Carolina governor Samuel Ashe, who named his son after the pro-independence leader of Corsica from the late 18th century. Paoli, like Bristol for Indiana's Amish, was a historical hub of the state's Quaker communities. The town's extensive historic district includes more than 140 protected buildings and sits on the National Register of Historic Places.

For nature lovers, Paoli offers Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest, among the last expanses of  virgin oak forests in Indiana's southern zone. The Hoosier National Forest makes for another outdoor option just south of town. Pioneer Mothers is another protected zone, this time under the National Natural Landmark program, run by the US National Park Service. 

Madison

The southeast town of Madison, with 12,200 inhabitants, is located on the Ohio River, just across from Kentucky. Like Paoli, the place has a sprawling historic district, with over 130 square blocks of protected places. It is, by area, the single-largest contiguous National Historic Landmark District in the United States. Culture-focused visitors should head to the Lanier Mansion Historic Site, dating from 1844.

For those looking for natural escapes, Clifty Falls State Park provides access to four waterfalls. Other outdoor zones include the downtown John Paul Park, lakeside Johnson Park, and Sunrise Golf Course northeast of town. 

Goshen

Goshen, population 34,400, sits in north-central Indiana. It is the seat of Elkhart County, and a 15-minute drive south of Bristol. The town is also referred to by its nickname, "Maple City," for its large local growth of maple trees. A college town, Goshen is home to Goshen College, not to mention a clutch of historic and portected areas. These include the Elkhart County Courthouse, a stately brick structure built between 1868 and 1870, just after the US Civil War. The town also maintains the Elkhart County Fairgrounds, which holds the annual Elkhart Country 4-H Fair to showcase the surrounding area's agricultural strengths.

For some time outside, or to spy a few of Goshen's famous maples, head to Shoup-Parsons Woods Park, which lies along Goshen Dam Pond. Fidler Pond Park, and Fidler Pond itself, sit next to the 4-H fairgrounds. 

Indiana's Best Charms Live in its Small Towns

Indiana clearly has a great deal to offer. The state blends historic heft and points of interest, with nationally registered cultural and natural zones. Bristol's Amish heritage offers a glimpse at a key US religious and cultural minority. Massive protected districts in Paoli and Madison should be a strong attraction for the amateur historian. And outdoor spaces, from the Wabash and St. Joseph rivers to the old-growth Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest, promise strong points of interest, naturally. All tastes and curiosities are bound to find something to enjoy in Indiana, especially when its small towns have so much to share.