Have Fun in the Heart of Southwestern Indiana! Home to Indiana’s largest barn quilt trail, one of the state’s last remaining African American pioneer settlements, a state-of-the-art automotive production facility, a picturesque arboretum and botanical garden plus numerous unique shopping and dining options. No matter how you spell “fun,” you’re invited to enjoy it in Gibson County, Indiana!
Be sure and visit the Gibson County Visitors & Tourism Bureau located at the historic Princeton Train Depot built in 1875 and beautifully featuring a railway museum with a restored train caboose. Tours are available at no charge Monday-Friday 9-5.
4-DAY TRIP ITINERARY
DAY 1— Get under the hood at the Toyota Indiana Visitors Center in Princeton! Watch the sparks fly as you take a free tram tour through the Toyota manufacturing facility and observe the Toyota Production System up close. Then have lunch at R’z Café where Dan and Candy Yancey love to treat visitors to one of their wonderfully created eclectic dishes. You’ll love the casual nature of this restaurant that’s known for being big on flavor. If antiquing is your thing, you’ll find three antique stores in Princeton and three more located in the surrounding area such as the Haubstadt Antique Mall.
DAY 2— Discover a patchwork of beauty with over 250 hand-painted blocks known as the Gibson County Barn Quilt Trail that provides the perfect opportunity to step off the beaten path and discover the homespun beauty of southwestern Indiana. While viewing the beautiful landscape, make sure you see the two covered bridges Red Bridge over Big Bayou Creek in southern Gibson County and the Wheeling Bridge, spanning the Patoka River northeast of Princeton. End your day in Haubstadt at the oldest restaurant in Indiana, The Log Inn, widely known for its family- style dinners and has been named as one of Indiana’s Favorite Hometown Restaurants by the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns.
DAY 3— In the springtime you won’t want to miss one of the largest collections of azaleas in the Midwest. The Azalea Path Arboretum & Botanical Gardens covers over 60 acres of land and includes more than 3,000 azaleas located in Hazelton. If you are a museum lover, don’t miss Lyles Station Historic School and Museum recognized as one of the last remaining African American settlements in Indiana, founded by free black men in the mid 1800s and featured as an exhibit in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Also, Henager’s Memories and Nostalgia, named the “Loneliest Museum in America” by Roadside America, this museum is a quaint collection of artifacts and memorabilia spanning the last century such as Roy Rogers and a 1930 Ford Model A coupe. For dinner try the Broadway House Bistro in Princeton—you won’t be disappointed.
DAY 4— Before leaving Gibson County you’ll want to check out New Generation Dairy Farm, a family-owned dairy with an indoor observation room where visitors can get a birdseye view of the milking process. Tour the dairy facilities and discover how milk gets from the farm to your table and with a “dairy good” treat. Tours by appointment March-October. Then keep the agritourism going by visiting Hedgegrove Meadery & Winery in Cynthiana, where you’ll find some of the finest Mead in the region. If you enjoy birdwatching don’t miss Cane Ridge Wildlife Management Area, home to the largest nesting colony of the endangered interior Least Tern east of the Mississippi River, and is recognized as a Globally Important Bird Area with over 380 species of wildlife observed on the refuge.
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO PLAN YOUR WEEKEND VISIT: GibsonCountyIN.org.
