Visit Kingman Fountain Indiana and the surrounding area to see the top sights. Kingman, Indiana: A small, quiet village in the Amish area! Experience the simple way of life of the Amische and enjoy the peaceful at the Plckenhof Farm & Market.
Kingman sights? Yeah, that sounds like one of those Instagram hashtags I never really understand, but let me tell you why I land here and again. Kingman was founded in 1886, a small piece of railway boom in the heart of Millcreek Township, Kingman County, and has since accumulated more dust than glamour – and that is kind of charming. When you get out of Indianapolis by car, just follow I‐70 west and take exit 124; the road takes you directly to the main road, where you can find the “heart” of the city, without anyone imposing a city plan. I have to admit, I don't quite understand the hype about the old barns, but the honest, cracking wooden beam atmosphere next to the modern café, which serves surprisingly good coffee, is really great. And yes, the County Court is an architectural relic that you hardly notice because it is almost swallowed by the surrounding fields – a perfect place to inhale a bit of history while you ask yourself why you are here at all. A short detour to Fountain, just a few miles south, gives you the feeling that you are trapped in the Middle West, but with a smile, because people here still know how to talk about the weather without starting a sales conversation. And when you return to Kingman, you will notice that the “sights” here are more of small moments – a crunchy chair in the old town hall, a friendly view from the local baker and the quiet sum of the grills at sunset. This is my kingdom, and I promise you it's more than just a point on the map.
I have to admit that I never thought that a place like Kingman in Millcreek Township could take me a bit of heartbeat until I get the old Kingman Town Hall have entered. The building is a bit like a dusty family photo: the clock on the façade still ticks, although the city has hardly enough inhabitants to wait for it. I stood there while a few teens loudly discussed the latest TikTok video, and suddenly I felt like I was part of a time capsule waiting to be opened by curious travelers. Parking is usually easy, except on Saturday night, there will be a real problem because then the weekly barbecue will take place in the front garden of the town hall.
Right next to the town hall Kingman Historical Society Museum, a tiny but surprisingly well-stocked museum located in the old school. I found an old school book written by a student in 1912 – that was a real find! The exhibition is not exactly spectacular, but the history of the city is presented here with a mixture of pride and a pinch of self-iron, which I find really great. If you ask yourself whether the museum has opened at all, don't worry: the door is almost always open, because the staff consists of volunteers who prefer to talk about history than having a 9‐to‐5 job.
A short walk leads you to Kingman Community Park. Here there is a baseball court, a small playground area and a lake that is populated in the summer by ducks who stare at you with a view as if they knew that you are here only to relax. I once made a picnic, while an older couple spoke loudly about the “good old times” – that was almost a local play. The car park is an open field, so no stress with parking tickets, but bring some blankets if you want to lie there in spring.
If you're looking for a place where you can sneak a little culture without entering a museum, look at the Kingman Public Library on. The library is small, but the shelves are full of local newspapers from the 1920s and a few modern bestsellers that you can borrow there if you don't want to escape to a café. I found an old town plan there that showed that Kingman used to be an important hub for the railway – a bit of nostalgia that you don't get every day. The staff is friendly, but they have a slight tendency to ask you if you really need the book before they borrow it.
Another highlight I don't want to conceal is that Kingman Railroad Depot. The old railway station is today a small shop selling handmade souvenirs – from T-shirts with the lettering “I survived Kingman” to handmade wooden signs that carry the word “Kingman Sights” in curved letters. I found an old train ticket from the 1950s that I took home as a lucky charm. The store is easy to find because it is located directly on the main road, and parking is practical because there is a small parking lot that is usually empty as long as the annual train festival does not take place.
A bit away from the center, but still a must, the Kingman Water Tower. The tower protrudes over the fields and is a popular photo motif for Instagram users who believe that a red water tower is somehow hip. I once made a picnic there because I thought it was romantic, and then a tractor came by, which made the whole a little less romantic – but that is part of the charm. Access is via a small path that is not really illuminated, so better run there during the day.
Last but not least Kingman Farmers Market, which takes place every second Saturday in summer in the parking lot of the town hall. Here there are fresh vegetables, homemade jams and a few stands that sell handmade ceramics. I bought a pumpkin there that was so big that I could hardly carry it through the door – a real proof that people still adhere to traditions that you can only see in Instagram posts. The market is loosely organized, so no long snakes, but bring enough cash, because not all stands accept cards.
All in all, Kingman has more to offer than one would suspect at first glance. The city is small, but every place has its own history, and this makes exploring here a little adventure you don't forget so quickly. Next time you drive through Indiana, you'll see that even the most inconspicuous places hide a little magic.
The first stop of my little Odyssey was the Prophetstown State Park, a piece of Indiana-Wildernis, which extends only a cat jump south of the old route 41. I have to admit that I cannot fully understand the whole “historical village hype”, but the museum, which sits in a lovingly restored 19-year-old building, really surprised me with a collection of original Corn Mill parts and a hand-drawn town plan from 1845. Parking is usually a Klacks, as long as you don't get out of the circle on Saturday night with the families – then the field full of picnic baskets becomes a small battlefield.
A short detour to the west leads directly to the famous canyons of Turkey Run State Park. There are more rock formations here than I have gathered in my whole life for excuses for non-cleaning. I remember the day I climbed down the “Sugar Creek Gorge” with a friend, just to see that the water reached the ankles – a refreshing shock that reminded me of my childhood in the outdoor pool. The path is well marked, and parking is almost never a problem thanks to the generous lottery phrases, except when the local school classes plan their excursions.
A little further north, almost in nowhere, is Shades State Park. There are no exaggerated numbers of visitors here, but a network of narrow paths that lead through dense beech forests – perfect if you honestly need a little distance to people. I once made a small picnic on a glow, while a squirrel bravely stole my sandwich balls; that was the only time I was happy about a thief. The parking spaces are small, so better to be there early if you don't want to stand in the traffic jam of cars.
A short jump to Covington, the County-Seat of Fountain, brings you to an architectural gem: the Fountain County Courthouse. The 1891 building exudes a kind of majestic decay, which reminds me of old Western films in which the law is negotiated in a dusty court building. I once made a tour with a local historian who told me that the court building once served as a meeting point for secret societies – no joke, that was a real gag I will never forget. Parking is a bit tricky here because the road is narrow, but a few free places you always find when you drive a bit around the corner.
Only a few miles further lies the Attica Covered Bridge, a charming relic from the time when people thought a roof over a bridge was the nonplusultra of engineering. I photographed the building at sunset, and the light has dipped the wood into a warm gold – a picture I now have as a background on my phone. Access is free, and parking is virtually right on the river where you can dip your feet into the cool water if the heat becomes too much.
A little off the usual tourist trails is the Wabash River Heritage Trail, a 13-mile walkway that runs along the mighty river. I once explored the trail with my old mountain bike and discovered a few abandoned fishermen's huts that still flowed away the scent of old rubber. The path is well maintained, and parking at the starting point is usually easy as long as you don't come on weekends with a group of school classes that use the trail as an outdoor classroom.
So, if you're going to Kingman for the next time, don't forget that the surrounding area has more to offer than just a few field routes – from historical museums to spectacular canyons to silent bridges on the river. These Kingman Attractions show that the heart of Indiana consists not only of corn fields, but of stories waiting to be discovered.
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