It’s Spring Break time again! Before you pack your flip-flops and beach towel, consider some of these close-to-home destinations to keep your family entertained (and informed!). Indiana truly has something to offer for everyone.
For the sports fanatic
The 14,000-square-foot Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in New Castle strives to honor the state’s proud basketball heritage. View photos and memorabilia commemorating years of state championship teams and see special sections dedicated to Hoosiers like Oscar Robertson and Larry Bird. With interactive exhibits, try your hand at the game-winning shot, become a sportscaster or attempt to block Oscar Robertson’s shot.
Learn more at hoopshall.com.
For the food aficionado
Head north and west for a fresh taste of farm-to-table fare. At Fair Oaks Farms in Fair Oaks, Indiana, visitors can get a behind-the-scenes look at how cheese and yogurt are made, enjoy a lunch made with farm-fresh ingredients at the cafe, pick up some handmade farm-to-box chocolates and dine with a show at The Farmhouse Restaurant’s chef’s table. Activities include the String Cheese Maze, the Moo Choo Train, a theater-style birthing barn, a tour of a milking parlor and an indoor magnetic climbing wall.
Learn more at fofarms.com.
For the history buff
If you thought the recent discovery of a mallet used by Abraham Lincoln was exciting, wait until you see the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial. Start at the Memorial Visitor Center to view artifacts and exhibits about Lincoln’s family, childhood and frontier life in Indiana. See the Pioneer Cemetery, where Lincoln’s mother is buried, and the Cabin Site Memorial, what’s left of what is believed to be a Lincoln cabin. At the Lincoln Living Historical Farm, experience the pioneer homestead life Lincoln lived. Four hiking trails connect the various sites at the memorial.
Find more details at nps.gov/libo.
For the art enthusiast
You won’t have to go far to visit this premiere art lover’s destination: The Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) is located right in the city. In addition to traveling temporary exhibits, the IMA boasts a permanent collection that includes more than 54,000 works spanning 5,000 years and several continents. Collections include paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, photographs, textiles and more. Outside the museum, visitors can experience the 100-acre art and nature park, the Lilly House and Gardens that offers a look at restored 1930s architecture, and the greenhouse.
For more information, visit imamuseum.org.
For the music fan
Of course music lovers can find any number of performances going on daily across the state, but for something a little different, check out the Rhythm Discovery Center. Explore the universality of rhythm and percussion with interactive, educational exhibits and artist performances. For another Indianapolis musical journey, visit the Cole Porter Room at the Indiana Historical Society to immerse yourself in the 1940s-inspired setting. Learn more about Porter and his work while enjoying a performance of his standards.
Learn more about these two destinations at rhythmdiscoverycenter.org and indianahistory.org.
For the nature lover
For those who love Mother Earth, nothing beats the 203,000-acre Hoosier National Forest in south-central Indiana. Visitors can hike, ride horses, mountain bike, camp, picnic, watch birds, see wildflowers, canoe down a river, drive a scenic byway or just bask in nature’s beauty. The Hoosier National Forest also encompasses the Lick Creek African-American Settlement, where many free Blacks made a community in the early 1800s.
Learn more here: fs.usda.gov/main/hoosier/home.
