Visit Straughn Henry Indiana and the surrounding area to see the top sights. Straughn, Indiana: A small town in the southwest of Indiana, known for its beautiful nature and historical sites. Visit the Wabash River Cruise or the Old Capitol Museum in Vincennes. A quiet and beautiful travel experience guarantee!("Straughn, Indiana: A small town in the southwest of Indiana, known for its beautiful nature and historical sites. Visit the Wabash River Cruise or the Old Capitol Museum in Vincennes. A quiet and beautiful travel experience guarantee!)
Straughn's attractions are for me less a tourist destination than a silent promise that you will only discover when you leave the dusty country roads of Henry County and turn into the tranquil Dudley Township. Honestly, the city was founded in 1882 as a railway hub, and this is still felt today: the old warehouse on the track bed looks like a relic from a time when the steam locomotive determined the city life. I usually drive Highway 31 north, then a short trip to County Road 44 brings me to the heart of Straughn – no wonder that the locals are a bit proud of their “small city with great character”.
A walk through the main road is almost a ritual: the old diner, which has served the same milkshakes since the 60s, the post office, which is still marked with a wooden sign “Straughn”, and the small parking where the neighbors park their tractors as if they were luxury cars. I don't quite understand the hype about the annual harvest festival parade, but the next barbecue is really great – smokey ribs that you don't let go anymore while watching the sunset over the fields.
When you arrive by train, just get off at the nearby station of New Castle and take the bus 12 that takes you directly to the center; otherwise the car is still king. And yes, if you ask where you are best investing your time: the “Straughn sights” are fewer museums, more the authentic feeling that the country life has not yet been overwhelmed by Instagram filters.
I have to admit right at the beginning that my heart beats for the small, inconspicuous Straughn – yes, exactly the Straughn you hardly find on the map because it lies between corn fields and a road that sees more tractors than tourists. My first recommendation, and this is not a joke, is that Straughn Methodist Church. The building from the early 20th The century has this crunchy wooden bench, which you only see in movies from the 50s, and a bell game that sounds a bit like a forgotten alarm clock at every wind blow. I tried a Sunday service microphone there once – the microphone was so old that it almost flew out of the booth when singing “Amazing Grace”. Parking is usually a Klacks as long as you are not there on the first Saturday of the month when the whole community comes together and parking becomes a small improvised lottery game.
If you're looking for something that's less preaching and playing more, look at that. Straughn Park on. It's not exactly a Disneyland, but the swing is stable enough that you don't ask if it collapses, and the little sandbox corner is surprisingly clean – that's probably due to the many parents who keep an eye on their children here because the next field full of corn is not just a safe playground. I once made a picnic with my neighbor, and we talked about the “local speciality” – corn flasks that came directly from the field next door. Parking is practically right at the entrance, but if you come by bike, you have to satisfy yourself with a narrow, slightly sloping path that almost makes you stumble.
A short walk (or a short sprint if you have a hurry) leads you to Straughn Cemetery. Yes, a cemetery, but not some – here are the founders of the city, and the tombstones tell stories you don't find in any guide. I once discovered an old veteran burial stone, whose inscription was almost completely swallowed by the moss, and a little boy from the neighborhood asked me if it was a ghost grave. I explained to him that the real spirits here are rather the stories of the people who lived here. Entering is free, and parking is an old tractor still standing there – a real eye-catcher if you want to take a photo.
A bit further, but still in the heart of Straughn, this is Straughn Grain Elevator. This is not exactly a museum, but the silver silos project like futuristic towers from the landscape and give the place a certain industrial charm. I once asked the operator if I could taste a few grains – he laughed and said that it was “not for tourists, but for those who want to taste the real land life.” The good thing is that you get a look behind the scenes of local agriculture, and parking is practically right next to the entrance, as long as you are not there at the time of harvest, then the terrain becomes a small traffic chaos from tractors and trucks.
Another highlight I don't want to conceal is that Straughn Community Hall. The old school building, which was rebuilt in 1952, today serves as a venue for everything possible – from bingo exhibitions to local art exhibitions. I was there at a “art and cake” event where the only “modern art” was a painting of a tractor that a teenager had painted. Acoustics is surprisingly good, and parking is a small but fine parking behind the building, which is mostly free, except when the whole village celebrates a festival there.
If you're looking for something you can share in social media, look at the Straughn Volunteer Fire Department on. The red building with the big sign is not only a place where the fire brigade lays its equipment, but also a small meeting place for the municipality. I spent one day with the volunteers there, they showed me how to roll a tube, and I learned that the noise of the siren heul in Straughn is almost as common as the muhen of the cows. Parking is a bit tight, but you can still find a place if you don't get too late.
Finally, and this is almost an insider tip, there is the Straughn Attractions – yes, this is the keyword you enter into Google when you think you saw everything. It is not an official list, but rather a collection of small but fine things that make up the village: the old water mill plaque on the edge of the field, the rusted sign “Welcome to Straughn” (which I photograph every time it seems nostalgic), and the annual “Straughn Harvest Festival” where you get corn flask, apple cake and lots of local stories. Practically, you can find a parking lot for the whole village as long as you don't arrive exactly at 5:00, then the whole thing becomes a small but charming mess.
The first stop I always drive is that Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in New Castle – a place that is almost sacred to anyone who has ever taken a ball. I don't quite understand the hype around the Hall of Fame because I was never a big fan of halls, but the collection of old jerseys, the creeping wooden benches and the stories of “The Shot” make me a little nostalgic every time. Parking is usually easy, except on Saturday night, it becomes a real problem because then the local high school tournament takes place in the outbuilding.
A short detour to the south leads to Henry County Historical Museum. The building itself is a rebuilt old school house that sprays more charm than any modern exhibition. I once saw an old carriage that was supposedly driven by one of the founders of the city – that was a real eye-catcher because I never keep much of carriages. The entrance is free, and the staff is so friendly that they even gave me a piece of self-baked bread from the cafeteria while I strolled through the exhibitions.
If you have enough of dusty relics, it is worth looking at the imposing Henry County Courthouse. The building is located in the centre of New Castle and is an example of the Victorian architecture that is still to be found here. I once observed a legal dispute there – not because I have legal curiosity, but because I simply couldn't resist filming the dramatic gestures of the lawyers. Parking directly in front of the courthouse is a nightmare on Monday morning when the city administration stops its weekly session.
A walk through the New Castle Commercial Historic District feels like a jump in the 1920s. The old shop windows, which are still decorated with handwritten price tags, give the whole a hint of authenticity that is missing in most modern shopping malls. I once ordered a breakfast in a tiny diner that was better than what I've ever eaten in most of the city's hotels – and at a price that barely exceeded a euro.
A little further outside, almost on the edge of the city, this is Henry County Fairgrounds. This is where the Henry County Fair takes place every year, a spectacle of carousel, cattle presentations and a lot of local food levels that contain more sugar and fat than you should live healthy. I won a pumpkin competition there – not because I am an expert for pumpkins, but because I was by chance the only participant with a particularly large but slightly deformed pumpkin.
For nature lovers there are Big Walnut Creek, a narrow river that stretches through the fields and forests around Straughn. I have often thrown out my fishing and caught more fish than I want to admit – most of them were small ash, but that still counts. The shore is ideal for picnicing as long as you keep an eye on the weather; a sudden rain shower can turn the whole experience into a muddy disaster.
Another highlight that I cannot overlook is the Henry County Public Library. Located just a few minutes from the centre, it offers not only an impressive collection of books, but also regular readings and local art exhibitions. I took part in a reading where a local author spoke about the history of Straughn – a bit boring, but the subsequent discussion about the best bakeries in the area was really great.
So if you're in the area next time, don't forget that Straughn Attractions not only consist of a single small village, but a colourful mix of history, sport, nature and a bit of slanted charm that make the whole county a surprisingly interesting destination.
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