In 2025 we are highlighting 52 small towns across the state of Indiana in 52 weeks. For our 11th small town breakdown of the year, we’re headed from Gas City in Grant County to Seymour in Jackson County. Seymour is located smack dab between Indianapolis and Louisville on I-65, almost exactly one hour from each major city.
The History of Jackson County and Seymour, Indiana
Located in south central Indiana, Jackson County was founded in 1816 and named after General Andrew Jackson, who later became the seventh president of the United States from 1829-37. Seymour became incorporated in 1852 and today is the largest city in Jackson County with a population of 21,666 as of the 2023 census. While the much smaller Brownstown serves as the county seat, Seymour is known as the “Crossroads of Southern Indiana” because of its location at two major intersecting north-south and east-west railroads — the Jefferson, Madison and Indianapolis Railroad connecting Indianapolis to the Ohio River at Jeffersonville and the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad connecting St. Louis and Cincinnati. The latter railroad was built with the help of civil engineer and politician Hezekiah Cook Seymour, for whom the city is named.
Things to Do in Seymour, Indiana
If your timing is right and you find yourself in Seymour during the first weekend of October, then you can’t miss its annual Seymour Oktoberfest. The German-rich town celebrates its heritage with live music, carnival rides, a beer garden, parade, flea market, 5K and more. The 52nd annual Seymour Oktoberfest is Oct. 2-4 this fall.
With a 4.6 star rating among 100-plus Google reviews, you must have Chateau de Pique on your Seymour bucket list. It’s a winery, brewery and wedding & event center all in one that is tucked into 80 acres of rolling farmland.
Located three miles east of town on U.S. Route 50 is Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge, which is Indiana’s oldest wildlife refuge and contains a wide variety of habitat on rolling terrain. Locals can go birding, hiking, hunting during specific times of the year and more in the refuge.
Sticking with the outdoors, Shadowood Golf Course opened in 1976 and can be seen off I-65. The 18-hole course can be played on weekdays for $45 and $55 on weekends and holidays. It’s one of the premier public courses to play in Indiana.
Places to Eat in Seymour, Indiana
There are many restaurants in Seymour worth stepping inside and having a bite to eat. We’ll start with Larrison’s Diner, which has been serving locals for over 50 years. You don’t need to overthink this one when ordering — go with the burger and fries, or arrive early and enjoy a hearty breakfast.
While we’re on the topic of breakfast, the Sunshine Cafe serves an all-day breakfast and signature waffles. Whatever you order, expect large portions at an affordable price.
Another downtown restaurant to check out is Rails Craft Brew & Eatery. The cod dinner and salmon spinach berry salad are two of its specialties, and the 4.4 star Google rating among over 1,000 reviews backs it up as a place to dig in and enjoy.
Lola’s Modern Kitchen is another hot spot and trendy location. For starters, get the fried cheese drizzled with smoked honey, fresh chives and its house-made dipping sauce. For the main course, dive into some tacos or burritos before you top off your stomach with an order of cheesecake chimichangas — New York style cheesecake wrapped in a flour tortilla, deep fried, tossed in cinnamon sugar and drizzled with caramel. Holy. Smokes. No wonder this place has a near perfect rating on Google.
Since we’re in a German-rich town, we can’t leave Schwatzer’s German Restaurant off the list. German beer, check. Jagerschnitzel and bratwurst, double check. Learning the German language for free? There’s a link on its website for you to do just that.
Famous People from Seymour, Indiana
Seymour is the hometown of singer-songwriter John Mellencamp. Mellencamp’s hit song “Small Town” was released on his eighth album in 1985. Today, the lyrics “I was born in a small town” are written on a Mellencamp mural in town, and the town is referenced in the music video.
Katie Stam, a graduate of Seymour High School and the University of Indianapolis, was crowned Miss Indiana in 2008. The following year, she became the first and only Indiana woman to be crowned Miss America.
Random Facts about Seymour, Indiana
Seymour, Indiana is featured on Expedition Unknown season 14 episode 4 because of the Reno Gang train robberies. The first robbery took place on Oct. 6, 1866, as the train was moving in Seymour, and the group of outlaws made off with over $16,000 in cash. You’ll need to watch the episode to find out the full story and what happened to the Reno Gang.
Let’s transition from train robberies to egg-laying hens. What began as a family chicken farm with two Rose Acre hen houses holding 500 hens each in the 1930s, Rose Acre Farms has grown to become the second-largest egg producer in the United States with 17 facilities located across seven states. Sounds like an egg-cellent local business to me.
Seymour High School and State Championship History
Seymour High School is home to the second-largest high school gym in the entire country. The school also stakes claim to three state championships, the first coming in baseball in 1988 followed by a girls golf title in 1990 and boys golf championship in 1991.
That’s it for small town breakdown No. 11 of 2025. Where should we head next?
