USA TODAY 10Best
Best Indiana attraction? Readers' say Brown County State Park!
Best Indiana Attraction (2017)
Indiana is more diverse than postcards of its corn-stubbled landscape would have you believe. Whether in Indianapolis, the state's largest city, or small towns like Columbus, Hoosier hospitality permeates the state.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Indiana Attraction are as follows:
Photo courtesy of Guy Rhodes, USA TODAY Sports Images
No. 10: Columbus
One of the best towns in the United States for architecture, Columbus has more than 80 noteworthy buildings and art installations, including the mid-century Miller House.
Photo courtesy of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
No. 9: Indiana Dunes State Park & National Lakeshore - Chesterton
Some of the prettiest spots on the shores of Lake Michigan can be found within Indiana Dunes State Park and National Lakeshore. Between the two parks, visitors enjoy mile after mile of sand dunes, wetlands, beaches and forests.
Photo courtesy of VisitIndy.com
No. 8: Eiteljorg Museum - Indianapolis
The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art houses a stellar collection of pieces by greats like Andy Warhol, T.C. Cannon and Georgia O'Keeffe.
Photo courtesy of Carl Van Rooy Photography
No. 7: Victory Field - Indianapolis
Located within Indianapolis' White River State Park, Victory Field is the home of the Indianapolis Indians, an affiliate team of the Pittsburgh Pirates. It's considered one of the best minor league stadiums in the country.
Photo courtesy of Paul J Everett / Flickr
No. 6: Conner Prairie Interactive History Park - Fishers
History comes alive at Conner Prairie, one of the country's most popular outdoor museums. This Smithsonian affiliate – the first in the state – features interactive exhibits on everything from science and history to art and nature.
Photo courtesy of Indianapolis Museum of Art
No. 5: Indianapolis Museum of Art - Indianapolis
After over a century in operation, the Indianapolis Museum of Art now maintains a collection of well over 50,000 works representing just about every medium, era and geographical region. A highlight is the collection of watercolors by J.M.W. Turner.
Photo courtesy of Forrest Mellott / Indianapolis Motor Speedway
No. 4: Indianapolis Motor Speedway - Indianapolis
The home of IndyCar hosts two of the most talked about races of the year. The Brickyard 400 is now a crown jewel race of the NASCAR calendar and has one of the largest winnings purses of the entire season, while the Indy 500 is billed as the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”.
Photo courtesy of Children's Museum of Indianapolis
No. 3: Children's Museum of Indianapolis - Indianapolis
A favorite Indy attraction, the Children's Museum of Indianapolis is the largest museum of its kind in the world, encompassing 29 acres of fun-filled exhibits. Kids can star in their own circus, slide down a river of chocolate, fly over the Great Wall of China, snap a selfie with a T-rex or explore outer space through the lens of NASA’s Project Mercury.
Photo courtesy of Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
No. 2: Holiday World & Splashin' Safari - Santa Claus
It's Christmas year-round at Holiday World in the town of Santa Claus, Ind. The park celebrated its 70th birthday in 2016, making it one of the oldest theme parks in the country.
Photo courtesy of Rain0975 / Flickr
No. 1: Brown County State Park - Nashville
Known as the Little Smokies due to its resemblance to the Great Smoky Mountains, Brown County State Park comprises 16,000 acres of narrow ridges, rugged hills and quiet ravines. It's one of Indiana's great fall color hot spots.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Jessica Nunemaker (Little Indiana), Travis Seward (10Best) and Skyler Wagoner were chosen based on their knowledge and experience of travel in Indiana.
Congratulations to all these winning attractions!
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Jessica Nunemaker
Jessica Nunemaker is the creator of Indiana's... Read More
Jessica Nunemaker is the creator of Indiana's county-wide selfie stop trail and owner of Little Indiana. More than a website, it is a PBS segment and a book Little Indiana: Small Town Destinations, winner of the Best of Indiana Journalism, Nonfiction Book Category, from the Society of Professional Journalists.
Jessica Nunemaker
Jessica Nunemaker is the creator of Indiana's county-wide selfie stop trail and owner of Little Indiana. More than a website, it is a PBS segment and a book Little Indiana: Small Town Destinations, winner of the Best of Indiana Journalism, Nonfiction Book Category, from the Society of Professional Journalists.
Skyler Wagoner
Skyler Wagoner is a Freelance / Adventure... Read More
Skyler Wagoner is a Freelance / Adventure Photographer based out of Indianapolis. His photographs are developed around his friends and their adventures together. By the age of 17 Skyler has been recognized by Instagram as a Suggested User and by TIME in the article Instagram Photographers to Follow in All 50 States for 2015 & 2016, leaving him with a growing 46.9k plus followers. He was also featured on local new WTHR Channel 13 for his photography and recognition. During Skyler's journey he has worked with many excellent brands.
Skyler Wagoner
Skyler Wagoner is a Freelance / Adventure Photographer based out of Indianapolis. His photographs are developed around his friends and their adventures together. By the age of 17 Skyler has been recognized by Instagram as a Suggested User and by TIME in the article Instagram Photographers to Follow in All 50 States for 2015 & 2016, leaving him with a growing 46.9k plus followers. He was also featured on local new WTHR Channel 13 for his photography and recognition. During Skyler's journey he has worked with many excellent brands.
Travis Seward
As Editor in Chief of 10Best since its founding... Read More
As Editor in Chief of 10Best since its founding well over a decade ago, Travis Seward has absorbed more travel media than many readers come across in a lifetime. Born and raised in Indiana, he's also seen a good portion of the USA, and appreciates historic architecture, beautiful grounds and a great story.
Travis Seward
As Editor in Chief of 10Best since its founding well over a decade ago, Travis Seward has absorbed more travel media than many readers come across in a lifetime. Born and raised in Indiana, he's also seen a good portion of the USA, and appreciates historic architecture, beautiful grounds and a great story.