story by GLENDA WINDERS
With so many budget-friendly options throughout the state, your entire family can enjoy their favorite activities on your next road trip. Even if your budget is small, you can start out at one end of the state and drive to the other, collecting all the fun along the way.
“Indiana has countless opportunities for free or budget friendly adventures,” said Amy Howell, senior vice president of tourism, marketing, and communications for the state.
“From outdoor experiences at our state parks and trails, to year round local festivals that showcase Indiana’s culture and traditions, it’s easy to explore and experience Indiana without breaking the bank.
Not only are these opportunities financially accessible, but they are also accessible from a proximity standpoint. No matter where you are in Indiana, you are within an hour’s drive from one of our state parks, and there are nearly 600 festivals held across all 92 counties annually.”
Speaking of state parks, Janet Hartstuff at the Steuben County Tourism Bureau says the best value there is Pokagon State Park.
Hoosiers enter this and all the other state parks for just $7 per car or $50 for a yearly pass to all the parks. Summers here are filled with hiking, biking and horseback-riding, but the good times don’t end when the season changes. In the winter cross country skiing and a chilled toboggan run are also possibilities.
A winter delight in LaGrange County is Breakfast With the Birds at the Maple Woods Nature
Center, which also offers hiking trails and an interpretive center. This is also the site of Folk Jam, with country and bluegrass music during the winter months. No matter what time you’re here, take the self-guided “off the beaten path” tour to find 120 Amish cottage shops, 80 barn quilt barns, and scenic views.
The Blue Gate Theatre in Shipshewana sometimes has budget tickets for shows, and they announce specials and promotions monthly.
“We want to provide a high-level entertainment experience at more affordable prices,” says Andy Rohrer, vice president of sales and marketing for Blue Gate Hospitality. “Compared to larger cities where you pay for parking, expensive hotels, and show tickets, we have reasonable rates on overnight accommodations, meals, and nationally-recognized live shows and performances.”
The Civic Auditorium in La Porte has a great lineup of various musical performances throughout the year, including some of the nation’s top tribute bands that you can experience for a fraction of the cost of other venues. While you’re in town, you can enjoy several free festivals, along with a great parks system. In Valparaiso, you’ll find plenty of free and affordable events downtown, like summer outdoor movies, Chocolate Walk, orchestra concerts, wine festival, and more. And at Journeyman Distillery, you can enjoy tours and tastings and special events.
Along Indiana’s “South Shore” in the northwest part of the state, Lake Michigan provides free and low-cost fun. And, you can explore the Indiana Dunes’ beaches any time of year. In the summer, the sand is warm, the breeze is cool, and Lake Michigan is sparkling and inviting. During the winter, the stark beauty of the lake and the shelf ice that forms on it will take your breath away. Spring breathes new life into the shoreline and the dunes, and in the fall, the stunning array of colors will astound you.
Kosciusko County invites you to sign up for seven digital passports on their website so you can enjoy extra perks once you get there. The four Challenge Passports offer free activities, such as the Public Art Trail, Trailblazer Challenge, or Adventure Challenge, and three Sip & Savor Passports offer exclusive discounts at some local restaurants. By visiting five locations on any of these passports you can be entered to win $150 in Kosciusko Cash to spend at local businesses.
Sundays and Tuesdays in the summertime feature the Lake City Skiers, the state’s only competitive water-ski team, at Hidden Lake. Or take a cruise on the 1929 Dixie Sternwheeler Tour Boat, Indiana’s oldest, for just $7 each.
Some free highlights in Fort Wayne include exploring the Public Art Trail for more than 150 pieces and the Artlink gallery at the Auer Center.
Thursdays between 5 and 8 p.m. the Fort Wayne Museum of Art is also free. The Genealogy Center, which holds the largest public collection in the world, is here and offers free one-on-one consultation. The Allen County Public Library is exceptional, and it’s also the home of the Rolland Center for Lincoln Research. The grounds at the fort that gave the city its name are open all year for exploration.
Kokomo is the place to go for music lovers. Among the free concerts held throughout the summer are the Kokomo Summer Concert Series, the Kokomo Riverwalk Concert Series and the Kokomo Park Band. Selections range from symphonic masterpieces to traditional jazz. Need help getting around? Koko-Go Free Ride is a seasonal bike-share program that allows you to enjoy up to three hours of ride time. Use your wheels to find art, parks, murals, sculptures, shops, and eateries along downtown trails. Be sure to make a stop at the free Elwood Haynes Museum in the home of the man who invented the first commercially successful gasoline powered automobile in the United States, along with the alloy “Stellite” and stainless steel.
A tour of the Kokomo Opalescent Glass Co. that costs $6 for adults and $3 for students will allow you to step back in time to see art glass manufactured in the same facility and with the same techniques used since their founding in 1888.
The City of Carmel is home to year round events and festivals, many of them with no admission fees. In winter, the Ice at Carter Green is a hub of excitement and fun. During the Festival of Ice, you can watch professional ice carvers creating large works of art and competing in friendly carving competitions, January 17-19. The Carmel Winter Games are held January 24 and 25 with City of Carmel department teams battling it out on the ice on Friday night and local friends and business teams competing against each other on Saturday. Cheer for your favorites as they compete in tricycle races, Human Hungry Hippo and other fun games.
Madison County is home to the Anderson Museum of Art, with admission fees at just $3 and free every Wednesday and the first Friday of the month. The museum is a beautiful BeauxArts Neoclassical gem built in 1905. It has a glass dome formed by 16 ribs of stained glass with a wreath motif in colors of yellow, green, gold and red. Their gift shop is open during gallery hours and features local artisans handcrafted items.
For a more quirky experience in the county, make a trip to Alexandria to see the “World’s Largest Ball of Paint” where price of admission is donation only; or stop by Uranus Fudge Factory to browse their fun selection of gifts, along with their delicious fudge.
Affordable and incredibly interesting museums await in Shelby County and Hancock County. In Shelbyville, the Grover Center Museum and Historical Society highlights the area’s history with such exhibits as a train gallery and “The Streets of Old Shelby” where visitors enter a life-size village that includes a hotel, saloon, stable, and other shops during the 1900s. In Greenfield, the James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home & Visitor Center is the boyhood home of this famous Hoosier poet, and will take you back to life in the 1850s and 1860s. The home provides an opportunity to view life from the poet’s perspective. Admission here is $4 and under. Over in Tippecanoe County the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette features four galleries filled with student artwork as well as local, regional, and national artists, and the admission is free.
Ditto the Purdue Galleries, which offer rotating exhibits of regional, national, and international artists along with their permanent collection. The Wells Community Center houses The Arts Federation, with exhibits that change throughout the year.
The Haan Museum of Indiana Art is housed in a mansion that was moved to Lafayette from St. Louis after serving as the Connecticut Building at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. Here are historic paintings by Indiana artists along with antique furniture and sculptures. The cost is just $12 for adults and $6 for youth, but the Sculpture Garden and Nature Trail are free.
For a museum of a different kind, head to the Tippecanoe Battlefield Park, site of a historic encounter between U.S. forces and the Native American confederation. Admission to the museum is $7, with discounts for seniors, veterans and students, but the battlefield grounds,
trails and the Wah-ba-shik-a Nature Center are free.
On the campus of Ball State University in Muncie, you’ll find the David Owsley Museum of Art and the Rinard Orchid Greenhouse, both free of charge. The main-floor exhibits, gardens, and surrounding nature area are all free at Muncie’s Minnestrista, too, and the ticketed areas ($8) offer discounts. Also in Delaware county, the Albany Glass Museum is part of the Indiana Glass Trail and only open for limited hours or by appointment but worth the effort. Art exhibits are always free at Gordy’s Fine Art & Framing, and there’s no charge to attend Downtown Muncie’s First Thursday events that include music, art and food.
“Talk about a free and affordable!” said Nancy Sartain, leisure marketing director at the Richmond-Wayne County Convention and Tourism Bureau. “Richmond and Wayne County are a very affordable destination.” She points out that several museums, such as the Richmond Art Museum, the Joseph Moore Museum of Natural History, and the Museum of Overbeck Art Pottery offer free admission, as do the 4 Leaf Honey Farm; the Hayes Arboretum with its butterfly garden, mountain-biking network, and natural playscape; and the Cope Environmental Center with its trees, trails, and birds. The Model T Museum and Wayne County Historical Museum charge nominal fees and are worth the money.
Some organized “trail” activities here are cost-free, too, including outdoor murals, the Chocolate Trail, and the Gennett Walk of Fame. Richmond’s Black History Trail is also not to be missed. Several landmarks celebrate the accomplishments of the area’s Black population
and the abolitionists who helped enslaved people find their way to freedom. The 1839 Levi and Catherine Coffin House, known as the Grand Central Station of the Underground Railroad, charges admission ($11 for adults, $9 for seniors and $6 for children), but the experience of seeing the house where the family risked their own lives to protect people who had escaped from brutal slaveholders along with a tour of the adjoining interpretive center is unforgettable.
The French Lick Resort offers surrey rides, horseback riding, and bike rentals at reasonable prices, and you don’t have to be a hotel guest to take advantage of them. Pluto’s Alley, also at the resort, provides six lanes for bowling as well as an arcade for playing games. And if you get hungry, a pizza restaurant is just a few steps away. The area is full of budget-friendly options, including the French Lick West Baden Museum which often has free admission days or discounted rates.
Also reasonable is the Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy in Vincennes, the comedian’s hometown. The collection here includes his memorabilia and artwork, which are a testament to how much joy he provided, even in difficult times. Watch movies, paint your face like a clown, and much more. Or, visit the Indiana Military Museum, with one of the most outstanding displays in the Midwest spanning the Civil War through WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and current engagements.
The Annex exhibit space displays feature tanks, artillery, and aircraft; while the indoor museum showcases uniforms, flags, battlefield relics, captured enemy souvenirs, WWII toys, home front items, and vehicles. Admission is $8 and under.
Madison offers an array of free activities that blend history, nature, and community spirit. Begin at the Visitors Center or download the PocketSights GPS Tour App to explore self-guided walking tours, including historic churches, murals, Madison in the Movies, and architecture in the National Historic Landmark District. Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy the Heritage and Hatcher Hill Trails, the Milton-Madison Bridge, and Hargan Matthews Park. Clifty Falls State Park offers stunning waterfall views, especially in winter (free admission December through February). Madison’s vibrant music scene features free live performances every weekend. Families can enjoy outdoor movies during the Mayor’s Movies in the Park.
Festivals abound, including Old Court Days, the Madison Chautauqua Festival of Art, and seasonal favorites like the Harvest Festival and A Very Merry Madison Christmas Parade & Celebration. Explore public art in the Cultural District, visit the Gallery at the S.P.O.T., or experience the Riverfront Fireworks during Regatta weekend.
Harrison County is the place to be for affordable caving adventures. At Squire Boone Caverns you’ll also find a petting zoo, zip-lines, grist mill, candle-making, candy shop, and rock shop. Squire Boone is also intriguing for history buffs and anyone looking to get outdoors. Nearby Indiana Caverns, one of the longest in the United States, offers adventure tours, a petting zoo, the Bat Chaser, the Plunge zip-lines, and walking trails. Take a boat ride in the cave or — if you’re really brave— consider the Deep Darkness crawling and kayaking tour. They offer package deals to help families save and also to have a memorable good time.
