What's it like in Monticello, Indiana?

From the historic Indiana Beach and the twin lakes of Lake Shafer and Lake Freeman to beautiful golf courses, a winery, and go-to restaurants, Monticello is a must-visit small town in Indiana.

Small Town Breakdown No. 70: Monticello, Indiana

For this week's small town breakdown we're going from the county seat of Frankfort in Clinton County to the county seat of Monticello in White County. Monticello is 90 minutes north of downtown Indianapolis, 40 minutes north of Lafayette, and just under two hours west of Fort Wayne.

The History of White County and Monticello, Indiana

White County was established in 1834 from portions of Carroll County. The first settlers arrived in the area west of the Tippecanoe River in 1829, and as population increased, residents pushed to form a separate county. It was named in honor of Colonel Isaac White, a soldier and friend of Governor William Henry Harrison of the Northwest Territory. White was killed alongside General Joseph Daviess at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811, and they are buried in a common grave just a few miles south of Monticello.

Monticello was platted, established a post office, and became the county seat in 1834. It was named after President Thomas Jefferson's estate in Virginia. Nearly a century later in the early-to-mid 1920s, two dams were built on the Tippecanoe River just outside of town, creating Lake Shafer and Lake Freeman and setting the stage for Monticello to become one of Indiana's premier lake destinations.

As of 2024, Monticello’s population was 5,519, making it the 124th-largest city in Indiana and the largest in White County.

Things to Do In or Near Monticello, Indiana

Monticello's signature attraction is Indiana Beach, an amusement and water park that is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2026. In 1926, Lake Shafer’s water level was lowered to provide water for Lake Freeman, so Earl Spackman, who owned a piece of shoreline on Lake Shafer, created "Ideal Beach,” which included sand, row boats, and a refreshment stand. He then built the Ideal Beach Ballroom, which became one of Indiana's best entertainment venues, hosting Duke Ellington, The Beach Boys, The Who, and many more high-level performers. After Earl died in 1946, his son Tom brought in the rides, and the park became known as Indiana Beach in 1960.

Today it features more than 45 rides and attractions, including seven roller coasters. Two of the favorites are among the oldest; the wooden coaster Hoosier Hurricane was built in 1994, and the Cornball Express opened in 2001. Indiana Beach is also home to Ideal Beach Water Park, arcade games, and a famous boardwalk running along the lake.

The Get Indiana crew recently visited Indiana Beach, rode some rides, hunted pirate zombies in the Den of Lost Thieves, played games in the arcade, and snagged some mouth-watering pizza from Earl’s Pizzeria in the park.

The twin lakes, Lake Shafer and Lake Freeman, are great for boating, water skiing, and fishing, with Lake Shafer offering beautiful views of Indiana Beach’s roller coasters and rides. Indiana’s largest registered boat is the Madam Carroll, launched on Lake Freeman in 1976. It is 135 feet long, weighs 300 tons, and is open all year with live entertainment and seasonal cruises from May through November.

For a classic movie-watching experience, make your way to Lake Shore Drive-In. It’s been showing films since 1949 and has movie nights Friday through Tuesday.

Wine enthusiasts will want to visit Whyte Horse Winery, a family-owned farm winery just south of town that was established in 2006. Sit back in its tasting room, sip wine on the patio, and enjoy outdoor and indoor events throughout the year.

For golf, the semi-private Tippecanoe Country Club along Lake Shafer is a beautiful course to play. There is also the family-owned Pine View Golf Course that was founded in 1985.

Places to Eat or Drink in Monticello, Indiana

Start your day at Harvest Time Family Restaurant, open daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Their country skillets and omelets are popular, and they have over 1,000 Google reviews to back them up.

For lunch and dinner, Oak & Barrel is the go-to spot with farm-to-table ingredients. It offers steaks, burgers, classic sides, and a variety of appetizers including street tacos, crispy cajun alligator, crab rangoons, nachos and more.

For something smoky, Chapman's BBQ serves up signature brisket, pulled pork, and ribs with house-made sauces.

For dessert, head to 10.10 Bakery and try one of its cake pops. They’re the best in White County. 10.10 also specializes in cakes, cupcakes, and cookies.

High School History

Twin Lakes Senior High School, home to the Indians, was formed from the consolidation of Monticello High Schools and high schools from Idaville and Burnettsville. The Indians compete in the Hoosier Athletic Conference.

In the 1900s, Monticello High School was strong in boys track & field, finishing as IHSAA state runner-up in 1907 to Indianapolis Manual before winning the 1908 title over Indianapolis Shortridge. Its boys basketball program was also solid, winning 16 sectional titles from 1927 to 1963 and regional championships in 1955 and 1957.

Since Twin Lakes opened, the Indians have been strong in softball and on the court in boys and girls basketball.

Softball delivered the school its only IHSAA state championship, doing so in 1989 with a 4-0 win over Bellmont. In 1994, Twin Lakes fell in the softball state semifinals to the eventual champion, Carmel, 2-0. They also won a 3A regional title in 2010.

Boys basketball has won 13 sectional titles since 1980 but made its only run past regionals in 2017, making it all the way to the 3A state final, where they lost 73-71 on a heartbreaking buzzer-beater to Indianapolis Crispus Attucks. Bryce Bennington scored a game-high 32 points for the Indians in the loss.

The girls basketball program has been one of the most decorated in White County history, winning 17 sectional titles since 1977, regional championships in 1979, 1980, and 1982, and 2023, and a 1980 semi-state title before they fell in the state semifinals to Columbus East.

That's it for small town breakdown No. 70. Where should we head next?