Visit Edgewood Madison Indiana and the surrounding area to see the top sights. Edgewood, Indiana: Experience the American town idyll and visit the "Hoosier National Forest" for adventure in nature.
Honestly, if you think of Edgewood, don't immediately imagine a glamorous tourist paradise, but a small town that was built in 1915 from a piece of land that was previously only crossed by corn fields and a few brave railways. The city grew thanks to the nearby railway line, which at the time formed the backbone for trade and the one or other slanted feast. I don’t understand the hype about the “historical” city formation completely, but the flair of the old warehouses has something unpredictable that one rarely finds in the overflowing metropolises.
When you arrive by car from Indianapolis, just follow the I‐70 east and take the exit 115 – no joke, this is the fastest route, and you feel like you are almost in the heart of Indiana. If you prefer to take the train, Amtrak can climb to Indianapolis and then the local bus 12, which is not exactly a luxury liner, but reliably swings to the city centre.
A short walk through the main road leads you to the real Edgewood sights: the old town hall, which still has the same creeping wood that my grandparents admired at that time, and the small café on the corner that serves the best apple cake far and wide – no joke, that's a must when you're here.
So, next time you drive over the road to Indiana and suddenly see the sign “Welcome to Edgewood”, let me get the first Top attractions envision: Edgewood Community Center. I spent my first karaoke night there – and that was no joke, I actually tried to sing “Living on a Prayer”, while a 70-year-old veteran shouted loudly “Halleluja!” in the background. The building is an inconspicuous brick box in the middle of the city centre, but there is a whole arsenal in activities: from basketball courts full to burst on Saturday afternoons, to a small café serving the best coffee in the area (I swear the espresso is almost as strong as the opinions of locals over the new supermarket). Parking is usually a Klack, except when the annual “Edgewood Summer Fest” starts – then you need a bit of patience and a good feeling for free gaps between the food trucks.
A short walk further (approximately five minutes if you don't stop to take photos) leads you to Edgewood Park. This is not some park, this is the green heart of the city where you listen to children playing in sunny afternoons while hiding and playing older men's chess while telling you with a wink that they used to play "real" games in the field. I once made a picnic with my neighbor from the city – he insisted that we “only” eat a few sandwiches, but then suddenly an improvised Frisbee tournament started, which lasted until the dawn collapsed. The playground is modern enough, the barbecue area is clean, and the only manko is the occasional squeaking of the old swing, which reminds you that not everything is brand new here.
If you're looking for something that has a little more history, look at that. Edgewood Historical Society Museum on. The museum is a tiny space in the old town hall, stuffed with photos, old newspapers and a collection of tools from the agricultural flowering period of the 1920s. I saw an old tractor there that had more rust than metal, but the guide (which I improvised because the staff had just lunch break) was still fascinating. Best of all: You can enter the museum at any time because there are no fixed opening hours – just ring and hope someone opens the door. And yes, parking is right in front of the building, but you have to drive around the corner with the local cars, which always park “just short” and then stay.
Another jewel I always mention is that Edgewood Public Library. Sounds like a place where you should only read quietly, but that's a shortage. The library has a small reading café where you can enjoy a homemade muffin next to a book, and the staff knows every visitor by name – this is almost scary if you don't just borrow a book about local legends. I remember how I wanted to borrow a book about the “Indiana Ghost Towns” there, and the librarian whispered me that Edgewood itself was not so spooky, but the stories about the old cinema, which suddenly burned down without warning, still hang in space in 1973. Practical: You can turn off your bike at the rear entrance, but be warned that the children from the neighborhood like to “borrow” and then never return.
And because I don't just want to list culture and green areas, I still have to Edgewood Diner mention – this is the culinary heart of the city. The diner is a retro building with neon lights that has been running since the 50s and still serves the best milkshakes wide and wide (I tried the chocolate muffin shake and was almost convinced that it is magical). The service is friendly, but a bit tedious, which I find somehow charming. When you sit there, you can watch the street through the window, where most cars are slowly passing, because people here seem to never be in a hurry. Parking is right in front of the diner, but on the weekend there is often a small snake problem because the locals love the breakfast buffet.
Finally, if you ask yourself what else you can do in Edgewood, take a look at the Edgewood Attractions – this is not just a keyword that the city uses in its flyers, but a hint that almost every angle here has a story that you can discover when you are ready to stroll a bit off the main roads. Whether you're visiting the old water mill building on the outskirts of the city (it's no longer in operation, but the bark in the river is a real photo magnet) or just strolling through the small shops on Main Street, you'll notice that Edgewood has more to offer than you would suspect at first sight. And that's exactly what I love in this place: the mix of cozy everyday life and surprising little highlights that let you come back again and again, even if you just wanted to go through “always”.
I must confess that the first time I left the dusty Highway 56 and I went into the green of Clifty Falls State Park dared, almost thought I missed the way to the next big city – and that was not a joke. The waterfalls here are not exactly the Broadway version of Niagara, but the rough noise over the rocks has something unpredictable that immediately caught me in the spell. I tried the Trail “Falls Canyon” a bit slippery, but this is the real adventure, right? Parking is usually a Klacks, unless you arrive at the weekend with the whole family, then the field full of SUVs becomes a small battlefield.
A couple of miles further Hoosier National Forest, a huge piece of untouched wilderness that I like to call the “secret backbone” of Indiana. I have the Trail of Tears explores – not to be confused with the historical path, but a hiking path that leads through dense beech and moss-covered stones. The best? You can make a campfire almost everywhere as long as you notice the rules, and the sound of the grills is almost therapeutic. I even made a small picnic with local cherries from a stand on the edge of the way – they were better than anything I've ever found in the city's supermarkets.
If after a touch of 19. century search, then this is Lanier Mansion in Madison a must. The mansion is an architectural jewel built by the Lanier family in 1844. I was there on a rainy afternoon, and the cracking parquet almost made me feel like a ghost from the past. The guide told me that the house once served as a “art gallery” – I have never connected the word “art” with so many layers of dust. The small parking lot behind the property is almost always free, unless you plan your visit during one of the rare special exhibitions.
A short trip to Madison city centre leads you to Jefferson County Courthouse, an imposing brick building that has throned above the marketplace since 1850. I spent a few hours there because I thought a courthouse wasn't exactly what you were looking for in a guide – but the artistic columns and the huge clock that still ticks convinced me. Parking is a bit tricky, because the road around the square is often blocked by vans, but a short walk from the main road is enough.
For all who love the water, the Ohio River Scenic Byway a real secret tip. I drove the route on a sunny autumn morning, the leaves dyed the shore in a fiery red, and the noise of the river was the only thing that disturbed my thoughts. There are numerous small docks where you can park your bike and explore a piece of the river on foot. I discovered an old fishing boat at one of these places, which seems to have been there for decades – a perfect spot for a spontaneous photo shooting.
A little further south, directly on the river, the Madison Riverwalk. I made my morning jogging round there because the fresh breeze from the water is the only thing that keeps me from sleeping. The path is well maintained, and parking at the end of the path is usually free as long as you are not there at noon when the families show up with picnic blankets. The Riverwalk offers not only a great view of Madison's skyline, but also a few small cafés that serve surprisingly good coffee – a real munter maker.
If you have enough of nature and history, take a look at Madison Historic District. I spent a weekend to photograph the old brick houses that seem to have come from another time. The street is lined with small boutiques selling handmade soaps and local art – I have bought a piece of ceramic that is now in my kitchen and reminds me every time of the scent of freshly mowed grass that I smelled while passing through the alleys. Parking is a bit of a gamble here because the narrow alleys hardly offer space for cars, but a short walk from the main road solves the problem.
All in all, the surroundings of Edgewood offer a kaleidoscope of nature, history and small surprises that inspire every modern traveler – and all this just a cat jump from the Edgewood Attractions removed.
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