Hidden Gems

Off-the-beaten-path discoveries and secret spots across Indiana

Blue water channel lined with gold and rust colored autumn trees under a clear sky at Fox Island County Park in Fort Wayne, Indiana

Fox Island County Park: Fort Wayne's Hidden Escape Into Nature

Taylor Huff

A man in a red sweater working behind the counter at Holly's Package Store in Greentown, Indiana, with shelves of liquor bottles and a hand-lettered store hours sign above him

Hidden Gem: Head to Holly's Package Store in Greentown, Indiana

Destany Long

A small limestone waterfall spilling over a rock ledge into a green plunge pool, ringed by bare hardwood trees and fallen leaves, at Calli Nature Preserve in North Vernon, Indiana

Calli Nature Preserve: Discover Rock Rest Falls in North Vernon, Indiana

Taylor Huff

Colorful themed attractions at The Fun Farm in Fort Wayne, including a blue alien spaceship, a castle, a giant mushroom and elephant sculptures across a grassy field.

The Fun Farm in Fort Wayne

Taylor Huff

A packed dining room at the Carriage Inn in Haubstadt, Indiana, with families gathered around tables set with fresh bread, drinks and homestyle comfort food.

A Hidden Gem in Southern Indiana: The Carriage Inn

Taylor Huff

The counter at René's Bakery in Broad Ripple, with glass jars of peanut butter, chocolate chip and chocolate chewy cookies above a case of pastries as bakers work behind it.

René's Bakery: The 400-Square-Foot Broad Ripple Gem With a Cult-Favorite Cinnamon Roll

Jarred Porter

The rubberized red-and-green Pfeil Miracle Field at Normain Park in Mishawaka, with a Miracle League of Northern Indiana outfield banner and scoreboard.

Miracle League Complex at Normain Park: Mishawaka's Fully Accessible Ballpark and Playground

Jarred Porter

A visitor stands atop the sandstone Prophet's Rock overlook in a sunlit spring forest near Battle Ground, Indiana, with a large tree rising in the foreground.

Prophet's Rock: One of Indiana's Most Historic Overlooks

Taylor Huff

The Mandy's Ice Cream storefront in downtown Brownsburg beside a vanilla scoop in a green cup and a cup of ice cream topped with syrup held in hand.

Mandy's Ice Cream in Brownsburg

Taylor Huff

The wood-sided storefront of Twin Archer Brewpub on West Charles Street in downtown Muncie, with its brewpub sign and red All Ages Entrance door.

Twin Archer Brewpub: A Hidden Gem in Muncie

Destany Long

Children and instructors gather on a fallen log in the woods during a White Pine Wilderness Academy forest school session in Indianapolis.

White Pine Wilderness Academy: Nature-Based Education in Indiana

Taylor Huff

A harnessed climber crosses a suspended wooden plank bridge high in the sunlit forest canopy at Go Ape in Eagle Creek Park, Indianapolis.

Go Ape Adventure Park Is One of Indianapolis' Most Exciting Outdoor Experiences

Taylor Huff

An illuminated rimstone formation at Squire Boone Caverns, its terraced flowing stone lit in blue and amber as water cascades over the ledges.

Discover the Underground Wonder of Southern Indiana: Squire Boone Caverns

Taylor Huff

The abandoned Zoom Flume concrete waterslide near Bloomington, Indiana, its curved channel covered in vibrant multicolored graffiti with green forest behind it.

The Zoom Flume: Bloomington's Hidden Waterslide Relic

Taylor Huff

The glass-fronted exterior of the RV/MH Hall of Fame and Event Center in Elkhart, Indiana, with landscaped grounds and a pond.

RV Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Indiana

Taylor Huff

The stone grave marker of Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman) in Fort Wayne, Indiana, topped with a green apple and ringed by a black iron fence.

Discovering Johnny Appleseed’s Grave: A Quiet Gem in Fort Wayne

Taylor Huff

The exterior of The Brick (Brick Bar & Grill), a small red-brick tavern in Jonesville, Indiana, with a covered entry and a Coca-Cola machine.

The Brick: A Hidden Gem in Jonesville, Indiana

Destany Long

World’s Largest Ball of Paint in Alexandria, Indiana

Paint Your Own Layer at the World's Largest Ball of Paint

Taylor Huff

Okaya: The Under-the-Radar Sushi Spot Fishers Locals Are Quietly Obsessed With

Fishers’ Best Kept Sushi Secret: Why Locals Keep Hushing the Buzz on Okaya

Jarred Porter

The Farmhouse Café & Tea Room: A Hidden Gem in Nineveh, Indiana

The Farmhouse Café & Tea Room: A Hidden Gem in Nineveh, Indiana

Taylor Huff

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