There are all kinds of offbeat attractions in Indiana that are all honestly worth visiting when one has the time. There are easily over 100 choices, but we did some of the hard work for you already! We’ve created a five-destination road trip in Indiana to several of our favorite weird little Indiana spots, and we’re pretty sure at least a few of them will be new to you! For the record, for this article’s sake, we’re beginning our journey in Jasper, Indiana, and we’ll end up in Kokomo. Hop in the car and let’s go see some of the best hidden gems in Indiana:
Stop #1: The Providence Home Geode Grotto - Jerome, IN
rogersober/TripAdvisor
rogersober/TripAdvisor This stunningly beautiful and super-unique grotto was constructed over a period of one decade. It’s made of locally-found geodes, as well as limestone, marble, and found objects. The entire display is absolutely beautiful, and we strongly suggest you bring a camera! The statues present on the grounds were imported all the way from Italy, and visitors are able to admire them throughout the park. 520 W 9th St, Jasper, IN 47546, USA
Stop #2: Empire Quarry - Bloomington, IN
Indiana Geological and Water Survey/Facebook
Paul Hudson/Flickr Fun fact: some of North America’s highest-grade limestone is found right here in Indiana! A lot of it can be found in the hills of Bedford and Bloomington, and literal tons of it have come out of this very quarry. Limestone from Indiana makes up many, many iconic American buildings, including (but not limited to) the Empire State Building, the Pentagon, and 35 state capitol buildings. This particular quarry produced all 18.6 tons of limestone needed for the Empire State Building. Importantly, though, do note that this is on private property - so make sure to admire from a permissible distance. 719 E Smithville Rd, Bloomington, IN 47401, USA
Stop #3: The Zoom Flume - Bloomington, IN
Kai Morgener/Flickr Our second stop in Bloomington takes us to an abandoned water slide. This slide was operated from the late 1970s into the early 1980s, and poor safety standards are the suspected reason it shut down. It sits right off of State Road 446; park at Cutright S.R.A, (carefully!) cross the highway, and climb the hill. You’ll see the graffiti-covered abandoned slide behind a fence; don’t enter without permission! This is one weird abandoned place in Indiana you definitely want to check out. 5505 State Hwy 446, Bloomington, IN 47401, USA
Stop #4. The Ruins - Indianapolis, IN
Michael McLean/Flickr Our second-to-last stop brings us to good ol’ Indy. Tucked in a city park, you’ll find the remains of a legitimate New York skyscraper turned into an urban work of art. The sculpture is known as “The Races Of Man,” and depicts men from different races working together. Other things have been added to the Ruins in Indiana throughout the years, and visitors are welcome to wander around. 6363 Spring Mill Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46260, USA
Stop #5: Kokomantis - Kokomo, Indiana
Kokomantis/Facebook
Kokomantis/Facebook Our final stop brings us to the unique little town of Kokomo, Indiana. It’s unmistakable: a 17-foot-tall, 22-foot-long sculpture of a praying mantis looms over the sleepy town, noticed by everyone passing through. This is a fun roadside attraction in Indiana that’s definitely worth a gander. It’s made of World War II fuel pontoons and metal traffic poles. It is, very literally, one of a kind. The monolith supposedly took 220 hours to create (one for every foot of length!), and the sculpture has a very colorful presence on social media. 200 W Sycamore St, Kokomo, IN 46901, USA
If you’d like to see a visual map of the recommended route to take for this intriguing trip, check it out here. Do you have any suggestions for strange, out-of-the-way attractions to visit in Indiana? Tell us all about your favorites in the comments!
rogersober/TripAdvisor
This stunningly beautiful and super-unique grotto was constructed over a period of one decade. It’s made of locally-found geodes, as well as limestone, marble, and found objects. The entire display is absolutely beautiful, and we strongly suggest you bring a camera! The statues present on the grounds were imported all the way from Italy, and visitors are able to admire them throughout the park.
520 W 9th St, Jasper, IN 47546, USA
Indiana Geological and Water Survey/Facebook
Paul Hudson/Flickr
Fun fact: some of North America’s highest-grade limestone is found right here in Indiana! A lot of it can be found in the hills of Bedford and Bloomington, and literal tons of it have come out of this very quarry. Limestone from Indiana makes up many, many iconic American buildings, including (but not limited to) the Empire State Building, the Pentagon, and 35 state capitol buildings. This particular quarry produced all 18.6 tons of limestone needed for the Empire State Building. Importantly, though, do note that this is on private property - so make sure to admire from a permissible distance.
719 E Smithville Rd, Bloomington, IN 47401, USA
Kai Morgener/Flickr
Our second stop in Bloomington takes us to an abandoned water slide. This slide was operated from the late 1970s into the early 1980s, and poor safety standards are the suspected reason it shut down. It sits right off of State Road 446; park at Cutright S.R.A, (carefully!) cross the highway, and climb the hill. You’ll see the graffiti-covered abandoned slide behind a fence; don’t enter without permission! This is one weird abandoned place in Indiana you definitely want to check out.
5505 State Hwy 446, Bloomington, IN 47401, USA
Michael McLean/Flickr
Our second-to-last stop brings us to good ol’ Indy. Tucked in a city park, you’ll find the remains of a legitimate New York skyscraper turned into an urban work of art. The sculpture is known as “The Races Of Man,” and depicts men from different races working together. Other things have been added to the Ruins in Indiana throughout the years, and visitors are welcome to wander around.
6363 Spring Mill Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46260, USA
Kokomantis/Facebook
Our final stop brings us to the unique little town of Kokomo, Indiana. It’s unmistakable: a 17-foot-tall, 22-foot-long sculpture of a praying mantis looms over the sleepy town, noticed by everyone passing through. This is a fun roadside attraction in Indiana that’s definitely worth a gander. It’s made of World War II fuel pontoons and metal traffic poles. It is, very literally, one of a kind. The monolith supposedly took 220 hours to create (one for every foot of length!), and the sculpture has a very colorful presence on social media.
200 W Sycamore St, Kokomo, IN 46901, USA
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The OIYS Visitor Center
Hidden Gems in Indiana May 22, 2022 Tori Jane What kind of fun things can I find off the beaten path in Indiana? Indiana is an absolutely beautiful place with lots of wonderful things to do, see, and experience, and like most places, there are those spots that get more attention than others. So, what are some of the best offbeat things to do in Indiana? We have lots of ideas! For example, did you know there’s a strange display every winter known as Veal’s Ice Tree that is pretty much exactly what it sounds like – a tree made of ice. It began as a Veal family tradition decades ago, and now it’s an Indiana tradition! Then there’s the world’s largest ball of paint, which is also exactly what it sounds like. What are some of the best Indiana hidden gems? Indiana is home to many delightful hidden gems, both natural and manmade. Some of our favorite hidden gems in Indiana include the mysterious and fascinating Market Street Catacombs, which run below the streets of Indiana’s City Market (but have never contained any bodies, as these catacombs were used for transporting goods). In Bedford, you’ll find the amazing Bluespring Caverns, one of the Midwest’s most awe-inspiring caves in Indiana. In Greencastle, there’s a delightfully weird (and tiny) museum called the Periodic Table Display, which is a lot more fascinating than it sounds like it should be. What kind of epic Indiana road trips can I do? Road trips in Indiana are about as limited as your imagination! No matter what you’re interested in, you’re sure to find road trip ideas centered around them. Embark upon an amazing Indiana waterfalls road trip, or maybe check out the delicious and unique Indiana donut trail. You can check out some of the most haunted places in Indiana, or even an incredible Indiana waterfalls road trip. No matter what you decide to do, you’ll need to do more by the time it’s over! Indiana is an amazing place to visit or live, and all the road trip ideas are just a part of its charm!
The OIYS Visitor Center
Hidden Gems in Indiana
May 22, 2022
Tori Jane
What kind of fun things can I find off the beaten path in Indiana? Indiana is an absolutely beautiful place with lots of wonderful things to do, see, and experience, and like most places, there are those spots that get more attention than others. So, what are some of the best offbeat things to do in Indiana? We have lots of ideas! For example, did you know there’s a strange display every winter known as Veal’s Ice Tree that is pretty much exactly what it sounds like – a tree made of ice. It began as a Veal family tradition decades ago, and now it’s an Indiana tradition! Then there’s the world’s largest ball of paint, which is also exactly what it sounds like. What are some of the best Indiana hidden gems? Indiana is home to many delightful hidden gems, both natural and manmade. Some of our favorite hidden gems in Indiana include the mysterious and fascinating Market Street Catacombs, which run below the streets of Indiana’s City Market (but have never contained any bodies, as these catacombs were used for transporting goods). In Bedford, you’ll find the amazing Bluespring Caverns, one of the Midwest’s most awe-inspiring caves in Indiana. In Greencastle, there’s a delightfully weird (and tiny) museum called the Periodic Table Display, which is a lot more fascinating than it sounds like it should be. What kind of epic Indiana road trips can I do? Road trips in Indiana are about as limited as your imagination! No matter what you’re interested in, you’re sure to find road trip ideas centered around them. Embark upon an amazing Indiana waterfalls road trip, or maybe check out the delicious and unique Indiana donut trail. You can check out some of the most haunted places in Indiana, or even an incredible Indiana waterfalls road trip. No matter what you decide to do, you’ll need to do more by the time it’s over! Indiana is an amazing place to visit or live, and all the road trip ideas are just a part of its charm!
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
Indiana is an absolutely beautiful place with lots of wonderful things to do, see, and experience, and like most places, there are those spots that get more attention than others. So, what are some of the best offbeat things to do in Indiana? We have lots of ideas! For example, did you know there’s a strange display every winter known as Veal’s Ice Tree that is pretty much exactly what it sounds like – a tree made of ice. It began as a Veal family tradition decades ago, and now it’s an Indiana tradition! Then there’s the world’s largest ball of paint, which is also exactly what it sounds like.
What are some of the best Indiana hidden gems?
Indiana is home to many delightful hidden gems, both natural and manmade. Some of our favorite hidden gems in Indiana include the mysterious and fascinating Market Street Catacombs, which run below the streets of Indiana’s City Market (but have never contained any bodies, as these catacombs were used for transporting goods). In Bedford, you’ll find the amazing Bluespring Caverns, one of the Midwest’s most awe-inspiring caves in Indiana. In Greencastle, there’s a delightfully weird (and tiny) museum called the Periodic Table Display, which is a lot more fascinating than it sounds like it should be.
What kind of epic Indiana road trips can I do?
Road trips in Indiana are about as limited as your imagination! No matter what you’re interested in, you’re sure to find road trip ideas centered around them. Embark upon an amazing Indiana waterfalls road trip, or maybe check out the delicious and unique Indiana donut trail. You can check out some of the most haunted places in Indiana, or even an incredible Indiana waterfalls road trip. No matter what you decide to do, you’ll need to do more by the time it’s over! Indiana is an amazing place to visit or live, and all the road trip ideas are just a part of its charm!
