9 Offbeat Towns To Visit In Indiana

These nine towns in Indiana offer visitors a chance to see and experience offbeat attractions across the state, including the ‘circus capital of the world,’ the country’s first concrete Santa, statues from famous movies, a replica of a vintage Shell station, unusual murals, 5,000 pencils, and prosthetic eyes. Tours of famous gravesites and a psychiatric facility, pictures with Rose the Riveter, flipping switches in the cockpit of vintage aircraft, and diving in an old quarry await.

Clarksville

Visitors to this town can tell the time from two miles away once the massive Colgate Clock comes into view. Measuring 40 feet in diameter (nearly 3.5 times larger than Big Ben), this timepiece has been marking the hours and minutes atop the old Colgate-Palmolive Factory since 1924. Pose with a framed, full-size Rosie the Riveter statue in Ashland Park. The story is that this iconic woman was based on a Clarksville resident who riveted B-24 bombers during WWII. On display at Couch’s Body & Frame Shop is an upended vintage Cadillac, often seen with a lady mannequin posed on top. The Concrete Kingdom (formerly The Concrete Lady), locally famous since the 1970s for its lawn statuary, has over 4,000 items for sale.

Crown Point

There are two fun and offbeat reasons to stop by the Old Lake County Courthouse – pencils and marriages. The first is a collection (nicely displayed) of more than 5,000 pencils. The second is to hear about all the (surprisingly) famous folks who have been married here: Rudolph Valentino, Muhammed Ali, Red Grange, Tom Mix, Michael Jackson’s parents, and others. The old ‘inescapable’ jail made headlines when John Dillinger, Public Enemy No. 1, made a gun out of wood, locked up the jailers and escaped. Tours, special events and paranormal investigations happen here. Relax at Tao of Massage, then have custom pieces of high-end jewelry made at Moriarty’s Gem Art.

Kendallville

A popular stop along Sawyer Road is a replica of the old Shell gas station. While on private property, pumps, tankers, signs, and memorabilia are visible from the street. Take a free walking tour around the property at the Mid-America Windmill Museum, where 50 of the structures make a nice kinetic display on a breezy day. A family fun photo op awaits at the Jiffy Lube on W. North Street – two walls covered in a painting entitled the Froggy Forest Mural. Explore history in a creatively offbeat way with a walk along the one-of-a-kind Tombstone Trail. This self-guided experience (stories included) has grown to include ten cemeteries across five counties.

Logansport

Take a dive in a former limestone quarry, which is now a SCUBA destination called France Park, where underwater explorers can swim amongst old mining equipment. Reports have surfaced of a monster-sized, seven-foot sturgeon swimming in the depths. Or, take a dive from 6,000 feet in the air at the Air Indiana Skydiving Center. Mr. Happy Burger is famous for having not one but two 12-foot-tall bull statues in residence since the 1970s at their east and west locations. The Longcliff Museum, located at the (still operational) Logansport State Hospital, displays artifacts, equipment, and documents from the history of this psychiatric facility dating back to 1888.

Peru

What better spot to see five buildings full of circus memorabilia than in the ‘circus capital of the world’! The International Circus Hall of Fame location traces its routes back to 1892 and welcomes visitors from around the country. For a look at the offbeat curiosities of the past (two-headed calf, Big Charley the Elephant skull, and the overalls of the world’s tallest man), stop by the Miami County Museum. On US 31, an anti-aircraft turret that was once on a battleship points its guns to the sky. Sit in the cockpit of a Phantom F4 and UH-1 helicopter at the ‘hands-on’ Grissom Air Museum. Stay the night at the Cole Porter Inn, where this famous composer mastered the piano and violin by the age of eight, and his mother assisted him with writing his first operetta.

Richmond

The Chocolate Trail pass (digital and paper) guides visitors to 14 local merchants who offer delicious sweet treats. Visit 12 and receive a Certified Chocolate Lover t-shirt! The brick building at Firehouse BBQ and Blues Restaurant has 3-D murals of a Dalmatian, an old-timey fire engine, and a lady dropping her cat into the waiting net of the firefighters below. A carved stone commemorates Indiana’s highest elevation – 1,257 feet. At the site of an old piano factory that became a recording label, the Gennett Records Walk of Fame is a sidewalk of ‘records’ recognizing famous musicians like Guy Lombardo, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, and more.

Santa Claus

Every day is Christmas in this destination, whose name dates back to 1852. Sitting back from the road stands a 22-foot-tall cement Santa (‘the world’s oldest’ and ‘America’s first’ statue) weighing 40 tons and looking ‘snowy’. The Santa Claus Museum is filled with displays and items about the town’s history, and the post office is the only one in the world with this name. Elves help with mail during the holidays so that recipients can get a Christmas card with the coveted postmark. The Drippy Snowman, a centerpiece at a miniature golf course, is the perfect cold weather statue in the summer heat at this destination. Grab a candy cane at Santa’s Candy Castle on the former site of ‘America’s oldest theme park.’

Seymour

A large mural and plaza park downtown celebrate why John Mellencamp sang ‘I Was Born in a Small Town.’ After its service of generating power from 1886 to 1951, the massive 12-foot Blish Mill Flywheel is on display at Community Crossroads Park. An intricate sign welcomes visitors to the town with sculptures commemorating its history in railroads, music, grain, airplanes and more. In the St. Ambrose Cemetery lie the remains of three of ‘America’s first train robbers.’ The 1866 heist by the Reno Brothers was unsuccessful and they met their demise at the hands of vigilantes. Headstones and markers tell the tale.

Wabash

A clever and artistic creation stands guard at the Metal Source recycling center – a 12- to 15-foot intricate statue of Optimus Prime. A stunning 15- to 20-foot recreation of Bumble Bee (also from Transformers) poses nearby. At the same location are metal sculptures of Imperial Walker and Scout Walker from Star Wars, both with the same attention to detail. All are made from, you guessed it, recycled materials! Stop by the courthouse to read how this location became the ‘first electrically lighted city in the world’ and see one of the original bulbs. The home of Dr. James Ford is filled with mid-19th-century medical equipment and a collection of prosthetic eyes from the period.

An eclectic array of offbeat attractions draws visitors to these nine small towns in Indiana. Tell time from two miles away in Clarksville. See which famous people got married in Crown Point. The Kendallville Tombstone Trail is the only one of its kind in the country, and Logansport is the place to jump out of an airplane. Visit the sites where famous musicians created their legacies in Peru and Richmond. The town of Santa Claus celebrates all things Christmas and the country’s first train robbers are buried in Seymour. Bring your camera to Wabash where statues from movies are expertly crafted from recycled materials.