Delightful Indiana makes visitors wonder. As one in-state joke goes, “We’re mixed up. South Bend is up north, Santa Claus is down south, and French Lick isn’t what you think.”
People also ponder what the Hoosier nickname means. Multiple explanations exist, but historian, academic and author Walter Havighurst bypassed that by observing, “Whatever its origin, Hoosier has continued to mean friendliness, neighborliness, an idyllic contentment with Indiana landscape and life.”
Group tour destinations throughout Indiana support that assessment.
Popular Demand
Blue Gate/Shipshewana
Flashy live entertainment options complement the Amish culture’s rustic appeal in LaGrange County and Shipshewana. Top venues include the Blue Gate Theatre and Blue Gate Performing Arts Center. Groups can start with a hearty meal at the Blue Gate Restaurant (try the Amish Country Sampler with fried chicken, meatloaf, roast beef and vegetables) and then migrate upstairs to the 320-seat theater and music hall to enjoy productions tailored for that space. The nearby 1,500-seat Performing Arts Center features touring acts such as Jo Dee Messina, Bill Engvall, Michael W. Smith, and Alison Krauss & Union Station.
Holiday World
Holiday World in the aptly named town of Santa Claus in southern Indiana was a pioneer in America’s theme park industry, starting in 1946 as Santa Claus Land. It outgrew the original theme in 1984 and began promoting three themed sections: Christmas, Halloween and the Fourth of July. Other holiday celebrations and the addition of Splashin’ Safari water park keep it among the world’s most celebrated parks, frequently receiving salutes for its friendly staff, cleanliness and innovations. Roller coaster fans revel in three wooden giants, including The Raven, an Edgar Allen Poe reference in the Halloween section. It offers 125 acres of multigenerational fun.
Columbus
This small city (population 52,000) in Indiana corn country has an outsized reputation for modern architecture. Thank the congregation at First Christian Church for getting the ball rolling — or the girders rising. The congregation retained architect Eliel Saarinen in 1942 to design the first modern-style church in the country. Chinese American architect I.M. Pei designed the Cleo Rogers Memorial Library in Columbus before moving on to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and the Louvre’s glass pyramid in Paris. Civic, commercial and residential buildings are highlighted during architectural tours, as are many pieces of public sculpture.
Up and Coming
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum has a long history, but it could be considered a new attraction due to a $65 million renovation that kept it closed for 17 months before reopening in April 2025. The project added 40,000 square feet (doubling the museum’s size) for attractions including the Starting Line Experience that places guests in an immersive video space to showcase the sounds and pageantry of the start of the Indianapolis 500; state-of-the-art racing simulators that prove how challenging racing an Indy car really is; and a “pit stop challenge” where guests learn the tools and equipment of the racing trade. The museum opened in 1956 with 12 race cars, but the new incarnation has 150 cars and 55,000 artifacts.
Indiana Dinosaur Museum
University of Notre Dame earth science students in South Bend have a field trip destination not far from campus — the Indiana Dinosaur Museum that opened in 2024. Group tours will enjoy it for other reasons. More than 40 dinosaur sculptures and 30 dinosaur skeletons (think apatosaurus, Tyrannosaurus rex and other ancient creatures) offer glimpses into the far distant past, while the towering Deep Time display makes clear the slow progression of geologic eras. Complementing the indoor exhibits, a network of four trails offers scenic overlooks, including one where bison roam on a restored prairie. Owner Mark Tarner said he envisions “the best small dinosaur museum in America.”
Indiana Dunes National Park
The Indiana Dunes are old in geologic time, but Indiana Dunes National Park is still young in the pantheon of America’s national parks. It received the designation in 2019 and now attracts new visitors to its 15 miles of Lake Michigan coastline. White sand dunes, rolling waves and golden sunsets over the water are unexpected treats in a heartland state. The park’s 16,000 acres, located just east of metro Chicago, also offer 50 miles of trails through quiet woodlands, prairies and wetlands. Among its historic attractions is Chellberg Farm, which tells the story of a vibrant Swedish immigrant community from the 1840s.
Overnight Sensations
The Bradley
Being a destination known as the home of a luggage designer may seem odd, unless the luggage designer is Vera Bradley, of course. Fort Wayne is delighted to be associated with Vera Bradley luggage, handbags, totes, backpacks and other items, and the association went beyond the famous quilted patterns in 2021 when The Bradley opened as the city’s first boutique hotel. The 124-room, five-story limestone hotel is an understated gem. A special touch is fabric-covered headboards in every guest room — each featuring a Vera Bradley pattern. The main restaurant is named Arbor to honor Fort Wayne’s nickname of “the City of Trees.”
West Baden Springs Hotel
West Baden Springs Hotel is a stunning circular building, featuring a domed ceiling and an atrium 200 feet across, that took its inspiration from Baden-Baden, the famous spa town in Germany’s Black Forest. Its history is almost as impressive as its contemporary hospitality in the town of French Lick. The structure has been an Army hospital, a Jesuit seminary and a private college between stints as a resort. It is a National Historic Landmark and part of the larger French Lick Resort, which offers everything from casino excitement and championship golf to culinary delights and — perhaps it goes without saying — spa treatments in the grand style of Baden-Baden.
Memorable Meals
Bodhi
Step aside, hearty Midwestern fare. International cuisine takes center stage at Bodhi, a Thai bistro and cocktail bar in Indianapolis’ Bottleworks district. Three generations of women in one family created this flavorful gem in 2021 and steered it to USA Today’s 2025 Restaurants of the Year — one of only 45 to make the list. Specialty cocktails set the mood for an array of curries, Thai salads and stir-fries. An Indianapolis Star food writer recommends splitting entree-size Thai salads to permit more menu sampling. “Bodhi” comes from a Sanskrit word that means awakening or enlightenment, which is the goal the owners seek for guests exploring Thai cuisine.
DeBrand Fine Chocolates
DeBrand Fine Chocolates in Fort Wayne is a dessert destination, most logically after a light meal elsewhere. Founder Cathy Brand-Beere says she grew up “immersed in the confectionery arts” and began working with chocolate at age 8, designing wedding cakes in high school and opening her own chocolate shop in 1987. Kitchen tours tell how the DeBrand reputation was built on fresh, local ingredients as well as imports from Belgium, Switzerland, France and beyond. After a tour, the enjoyment continues in an inviting cafe with case after case of temptations, plus the prospect of a cup of hot chocolate or a sundae.
