Indiana

A City That Surprises

Indianapolis is a city that consistently delights first-time visitors who arrive expecting little and leave planning a return trip. The revitalised Mass Ave cultural district is packed with independent restaurants, art galleries and live music venues, while the Canal Walk offers a leafy waterside stroll right in the heart of downtown. The Indianapolis Museum of Art, now operating under the Newfields banner, combines world-class collections with sweeping gardens and an outdoor amphitheatre that hosts events throughout the warmer months.

Sand Dunes and Shoreline

Indiana Dunes National Park stretches along the southern shore of Lake Michigan and is one of the most biodiverse national parks in the United States, a fact that surprises most people who had no idea a park this remarkable was tucked into the industrial lakefront. The dunes themselves rise dramatically from the beach and reward climbers with sweeping views across the lake toward the Chicago skyline on clear days. Migratory birds pass through in spectacular numbers each autumn, making the park a genuine draw for wildlife enthusiasts.

Small Towns and Covered Bridges

Beyond the cities, Indiana unfolds into a patchwork of farmland, small towns and quiet valleys that reward unhurried exploration. Parke County is known as the covered bridge capital of the world, with more than 30 historic wooden bridges still standing across the Raccoon Creek watershed, and the county's annual festival each October draws visitors from across the Midwest. Columbus is an architectural pilgrimage site, a modest-sized town that somehow accumulated a collection of modernist buildings by some of the most celebrated architects of the twentieth century, with works by Eero Saarinen and I.M. Pei sitting alongside community buildings still very much in everyday use.