Take This Quirky Road Trip To Visit Indiana’s Most Unique Roadside Attractions
By Tori Jane|Published November 07, 2022
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Tori Jane
Author
Tori Jane is a storm chaser, writer, photographer, and the village idiot - in that order. When she's not out and about dancing with the meanest storms on planet Earth for funsies she can be found wandering, shooting landscapes, writing, editing photos, and otherwise up to no good. Legend has it that she can also be occasionally spotted typing up short bios in the third person, but those rumors are unsubstantiated.
Indiana is a delightful place to live and a fun place to visit (no matter what anyone who [wrongly] calls it “Flyover Country” says). In just about every nook and cranny, you’ll find something fun to do, from the outrageous to the courageous to the downright weird, and in this case, we went ahead and compiled a list of six of our favorite weird and wacky roadside attractions in the Hoosier State. This ultra-fun (and ultra-weird) road trip in Indiana is perfect for a weekend or even just one day – the drive time is only about six hours total, ensuring you can do it all at once or stretch it out however you please. Follow along on the official Google Map!
Buckle up and let's go get some weird, wild, and wonderful fun.
Imagine that you're a tree. Then, imagine that you're a tree so legendary that, once you die, your stump is still kept forever and turned into an attraction. Enter the world's largest sycamore stump, a tree that was thought to be up to 1,500 years old when it was felled in a storm some decades ago. It's more than 50 feet in diameter, and seriously - it is a sight to behold. It may not sound all that interesting upon first read, but trust us... this one will drop your jaw. It's just one of many oddities in Indiana that qualify as a "biggest."
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2. Next, we'll be heading to an out-of-this-world candy factory named after the punniest planet: Uranus.
If you're a fan of ridiculously stupid puns - more puns than you ever knew you needed in your life - then head over to Uranus. No, it's not the seventh planet from the sun (though that would be pretty cool), it's just an amazing candy, fudge, and chocolate factory - perfect for anyone with even a hint of a sweet tooth. Bring your sense of humor to Uranus Fudge Factory... you're gonna need it.
In 1978, a small plane carrying nine important figures in the Indiana racing scene crashed, ironically, into a cemetery, killing all on board. The bodies were, unfortunately, in incredibly rough shape, unable to be formally identified, and buried together in an unmarked grave at the Arlington East Hill Cemetery. Make this stop and check out the spooky (and fascinating) memorial marker placed on the grounds to commemorate them.
5. And now for something completely different: a stunning art installation lovingly (if not mistakenly) known as "The Hubcap Lady."
Nestled between a lumber yard and some railroad tracks is a stunning work of art that folks often call "The Hubcap Lady," though she was not, in fact, made from recycled hubcaps. She's a legend and a tribute to women and womanhood everywhere, standing tall and strong and visible among the rest of the average world. She's a fun, psychedelic attraction in Indiana that's sure to make an impression.
6. Finally, we'll meander down to another unique art installation in Indiana: the Shoe Tree.
This large, mature maple tree near Milltown, Indiana, has been covered in various folks' shoes over the years, and you can add yours to the mix, too! After the original tree was struck by lightning, the works simply spread to other trees in the vicinity - and now it's more like a shoe forest. This is a fun, weird little hidden gem in Indiana you'll be happy to check out at least once.
So there you have it: a fun, quirky road trip in Indiana to do over a weekend when you’re otherwise bored with nothing to do. Which of these stops did you enjoy the most? What would you add to the itinerary? Let us know in the comments!
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