This Blink-And-You’ll-Miss-It Town in Indiana Is So Worth Exploring

There's no shortage of delightful small towns in Indiana. If you wanted to, you could easily come up with an ultimate small towns of Indiana road trip, or you can simply enjoy all the best small towns in Indiana one at a time, weekend by weekend, month by month, or whatever you'd prefer.

Take, for instance, the tiny town of Paoli, which is everything you could ever hope for in a beautiful, sleepy small town in Indiana—it's so perfectly Midwest!

Paoli, Indiana, is a beautiful small town located in Orange County with a population of less than 4,000 people. Things here are quiet and low-key, though if you're the adventurous sort, you'll surely find plenty of fun things to do. The town of Paoli was originally platted in 1816 and named after the son of a prominent North Carolina governor. The town's post office opened up in 1817 and is still in operation to this day. Today, the town is thriving, and you'll never get bored with all the things to do 'round here.

You'll find numerous buildings and structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include notable locations such as the Orange County Courthouse and the Paoli Historic District. You'll also find an abundance of unique local restaurants and eateries to fall in love with.

Another local favorite is a visit to Wilstem Wildlife Park, an absolutely wonderful wildlife park and resort. If you're looking for one-of-a-kind experiences you won't get anywhere else in Indiana, you'll love Wilstem, where you can have amazing animal encounters that'll change your perspective of our beautiful planet in so many ways. Oh, and did I mention that you can go ziplining? You sure can.

Enjoy other fun activities, such as the Paoli Rock-and-Bowl Family Entertainment Center and the Paoli Community Park, among others. If visiting during the winter, be sure to check out the legendary Paoli Peaks. Here, you can try your hand at snowtubing, skiing, or snowboarding.

Every time you show up, you'll find more and more fun stuff to do. For more information about this amazing small town, visit the official Town of Paoli website. There, you'll find all the most up-to-date info about goings-on around town. Feeling inspired? Try planning your own trip using Only In Your State’s itinerary planner.