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All United States Indiana

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Indiana

130 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Indiana

Updated April 4, 2023

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Top Cities
Well-maintained catacombs exist to this day under the popular City Market
Indianapolis
The sheer walls and striking blue water of the Empire Quarry have dazzled visitors for decades.
Bloomington
Kokomantis
Kokomo
Terre Haute
"Around the Corner" University of Southern Indiana, New Harmony Gallery, New Harmony, IN, 2003.
Evansville
Prophet's Rock
West Lafayette
All Cities
  1. Bedford
  2. Bloomington
  3. Crawfordsville
  4. Elkhart
  5. Evansville
  6. Fort Wayne
  7. Franklin
  8. Indianapolis
  9. Kokomo
  10. Lafayette
  11. Metamora
  12. New Harmony
  13. South Bend
  14. Terre Haute
  15. West Baden Springs
  16. West Lafayette
Attractions
Food & Drink
Map
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Unusual Attractions in Indiana

Well-maintained catacombs exist to this day under the popular City Market

Indianapolis, Indiana

Market Street Catacombs

A hidden network of subterranean passageways lies tangled beneath Indianapolis' bustling City Market.

Bedford, Indiana

Bluespring Caverns

The longest navigable underground river in the United States is home to countless blind and albino animals.
The sheer walls and striking blue water of the Empire Quarry have dazzled visitors for decades.

Bloomington, Indiana

Empire Quarry

A stunning, abandoned limestone quarry in southern Indiana provided the stone to erect the Empire State Building.

Indianapolis, Indiana

Indiana Medical History Museum

A medical facility that has been kept frozen in time.
The Ruins

Indianapolis, Indiana

The Ruins

Once adorning a New York skyscraper, these reclaimed ruins now haunt an Indiana park.
New Harmony Labyrinth. (Creative Commons)

New Harmony, Indiana

New Harmony Labyrinth

Symbolic attempt to overcome the issues of life.
The bathing pavilion at Indiana Dunes State Park was the location of City West

Chesterton, Indiana

City West Ghost Town

The site of a 19th century "dream city" that almost rivaled Chicago before being swallowed by the Indiana sand dunes.

West Baden Springs, Indiana

Historic West Baden Springs Hotel

A turn-of-the-century architectural marvel built on healing mineral springs and salt licks.
See All 130 Things To Do in Indiana

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Indiana

Jeffersonville, Indiana

Schimpff's Confectionery

This candy shop has been serving up sweets to the Louisville area since the 1850s.

Metamora, Indiana

Grannie's Cookie Jars & Ice Cream Parlor

More than 3,200 cookie jars line the walls and shelves of this little shop and over 1,000 salt and pepper shakers
Myers Dinner Theater Marquis

Hillsboro, Indiana

Myers Dinner Theater

Enjoy classic musicals with a home-cooked meal at this former staple of American social life.

Mentone, Indiana

Mentone Egg

A giant concrete egg marks this Indiana town as the "Egg Basket of the Midwest."
See all 5 Places to Eat in Indiana
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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

5 Incredible Trees You Can Find Only in Indiana

Once upon a time, the forests of Indiana were endless. Or that was how it seemed in the 19th century, when the state produced more lumber than anywhere else in the nation. The valuable trees went first, such as black walnut and white oak. The scrubby leftovers were often burned to create farmland. At the start of European settlement, 90 percent of what is now Indiana was forest. That number plummeted to a measly 6 percent by 1922. While the forests have significantly recovered, there are still only about 2,000 acres of old-growth forest left in the state. Yet trees hold a hallowed place here. One town has graciously allowed a tree to grow on its courthouse roof for more than a hundred years. In many graveyards, markers are fashioned to look like stumps and branches. Read on for five woody wonders of Indiana, all rooted deeply in their communities. As the pandemic continues, we hope this virtual trip helps you explore America’s wonders. If you do choose to venture out, please follow all guidelines, maintain social distance, and wear a mask.

View Itinerary
Some Indiana trees have even been to the moon.

Explore Indiana

Museums And Collections 13
Collections 9
History & Culture 9
Architectural Oddities 8
History 8
Outsider Art 8
Plants 8
Monuments 7
Abandoned 6
Animals 6
Roadside Attractions 6
Sculptures 6

Indiana Leaderboard

Places Added

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Visit a place in Indiana.

Recent Indiana Activity

  • J

    jnlerl2001

    wants to go to Captain Janeway Statue

  • R

    robertlyons2013

    wants to go to Market Street Catacombs

  • V

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    wants to go to The Ruins

  • I

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    wants to go to Prophet's Rock

  • I

    isf27

    wants to go to Chatham Passage

Stories About Indiana

The well-preserved remains of Fred, also known as the Buesching Mastodon, were found in 1998 near Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The Intriguing Life, Death, and Afterlife of an Indiana Mastodon

Scientists have pieced together a detailed biography—including a search for love and a violent end.
by Gemma Tarlach
June 14, 2022

Podcast: The Rotary Jail Museum

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
April 13, 2022
Berthold Laufer's cylinders: one row for vocals, the other for instruments.

Do These Tubes Hold the Oldest Known Stereo Recordings?

In 1901, a traveling researcher recorded some Chinese opera, and accidentally made music history.
by Matthew Taub
July 15, 2020
Peru's young circus performers are descendants of acrobats and lion tamers.

Inside the 'Circus Capital of the World'

The big top came to Peru, Indiana, in the late 19th century. It never left.
by Susan Salaz
April 8, 2020
After 50 years, Nappanee, Indiana's premier Amish attraction has closed its doors.

For Sale: 28 Acres of Historical Amish Stuff

Amish Acres featured a gigantic barn, buggy rides, and the longest-running Amish musical.
by Sabrina Imbler
February 3, 2020
Home sweet home!

The Monumental Undertaking of Moving Into an Old Masonic Temple

The 20,000-square-foot house requires endless renovations, but the ceiling is high enough to fly a drone inside.
by Jessica Leigh Hester
January 28, 2020
The magician Harry Houdini, who sought to debunk spiritualists and their tools, speaks into a spirit trombone.

How Victorian Mediums Gave Shy Ghosts a Megaphone

Spirit trumpets helped the dead speak above a whisper.
by Sabrina Imbler
October 23, 2019
Welcome to Story.

For Sale: The Entire Town of Story, Indiana

For $3.8 million, you can write the next chapter.
by Evan Nicole Brown
April 5, 2019

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