Visit New Ross Montgomery Indiana and the surrounding area to see the top sights. Discover the charming little town of New Ross in Indiana! Experience the Historic Hoosier Hills Scenic Byway and visit the New Ross Mill Park. Eat yourself in the local restaurant "The Village Inn". A must: The traditional New Ross Fall Festival!
Honestly, if you ask yourself why anyone should talk about New Ross at all, let me briefly serve the story: Founded in 1836 by a few adventurous pioneers, the city has stolen its name from an Irish model and survived thanks to a small railway line that today transports more tourists than goods. I find this kind of charming that a place that is barely bigger than a village still has a bit of pride on its roots.
Now for the very reason you could come here: The main street “The Rusty Spoon” is really great if you are looking for a latte that has more character than your last relationship partner. The service knows every regular guest on the first name – and this is no joke, that is Small-Town magic. Right next to the café is the old town hall, which today serves as an art gallery; I don't understand the hype for modern installations, but the rustic brick ambience makes the whole thing bearable.
When you arrive by car, simply follow the US‐31 to the exit Ross; the signs are so clear that even my Navi briefly gives up and says: “Here you are.” For those who prefer to come by train, the Amtrak-stop stops in the neighboring city, and a short taxi ride takes you to the heart of the city.
One last tip before you say goodbye: The small book stores along Main Street are true treasure chests for collectors of “New Ross Sights” – here you will find more local history in a single book than in any guide catalog.
a.So if you're the first time after New Ross come, let's start with the heart – the old Town Hallthat somehow has more charm than most modern council houses I've ever seen. The building from the 1880s is in the middle of the center, and I swear that the clockwork in the tower still ticks with the same murky patience you would expect from an old uncle. I started a spontaneous photo competition with some locals there, because the light through the high windows was just too good to ignore it. Parking is usually easy, except on Saturday night, there will be a real problem because then the annual “Fall Festival” starts and everyone tries to get a place next to the food truck.
Right next to the town hall New Ross Community Center, a place where you can find everything from basketball to bingo ends – yes, this is really a thing here. I once made a yoga-hour experiment there because I thought a bit of relaxation would help after the festival. The trainer was a retired fireman who knew more about the extinguishing of fires than about the stretching of muscles, but that gave the whole a certain charm. The center has a small parking lot that is usually free as long as you don't want to get a beer right after the game.
If you're looking for a little rest, look at the New Ross Library an – an inconspicuous branch of the Floyd County Public Library, but with a local history corner, which brings the hardest historian to wonder. I found an old city planning document there that shows how the village was supposed to become an industrial center before someone said “no”. The staff is super friendly, and the Wi-Fi even works when you annoy you about the old-fashioned wooden shelf that has more stories to tell than most guides.
A short walk leads you to New Ross Park, a small green piece that is more than just a place to sit. There is a playground, a few benches and a tiny pond in which ducks live who seem to know more about life than I do. I once made a picnic with my neighbour who claimed he could call the ducks by name – I never heard of him again, but the ducks seemed impressed. The parking lot is free, and parking is practically directly on the main road, so no stress.
A bit off, but definitely a highlight for those who want to New Ross Attractions interesting, this is Historic District. This is where the headstone pavement roads span between Victorian houses, which look like they just got an Instagram filter update. I discovered an old baker's shop that still uses the recipe for cinnamon chicks from the 1920s – no joke, they are better than anything you would find in a chain. The area is walking well to explore and you don't need a parking lot because you can park and run on the edge of the main road.
Finally, if you want to sniff the real “local life”, go to New Ross Farmers Market Saturday morning. Fresh vegetables, homemade jam and a stand where an older gentleman sells his handmade wood carvings – I bought a small wood heart that is now on my desk and reminds me that not everything in life must be perfect to be beautiful. The market has a few parking spaces behind the community center, but if you're too late, you'll have to hit around with the usual city traffic.
I have my first real discovery tour near New Ross with a trip to Brown County State Park started – yes, this is the “mountain paradise” for Indiana fans that you find in every guide, but I don’t understand the hype completely until I have climbed the 30% rises of the trail maps. The view from the Sunset Point is a bit cheesy, but if you sneak a cool beer out of the cooler in the summer, it feels almost as if you breathe the real Indiana. Parking is usually easy, except for long weekends, the field becomes a parking microcosm.
A short jump to the south leads me to the Squire Boone Caverns Oolitic. I was skeptical because I thought it was just another “lamp and talactite” – but the tour was surprisingly funny – the guide told how he was looking for lost marbles as a child in the caves. The underground lakes glisten in the appearance of the LED lamps, and the echo of your voice sounds as if the rock itself was thinking about your travel plans. Admission is not cheap, but that's what you get when you're in a real cave and hear the echo of your own voice.
Back to the city, but not to New Ross, I have Montgomery County Courthouse in Crawfordsville. The building is a magnificent example of Victorian architecture that is otherwise only known from films where judges with long robes walk through the halls. I spent a few minutes there with an old lawyer who told me that he has been negotiating cases here since 1975 – and that the court building is the only one he has ever referred to as “ chic”. Practical: The street in front of the courthouse always has enough space to park as long as you are not there at noon when the city stops its weekly “coffee and cake collection”.
A bit further north Wabash College, which I attended from pure curiosity, because the college is supposed to be the most “intellectual” in Indiana. The library is a labyrinth of old books, and I met a student there who told me that every year the college hosts a “philosophy festival” where participants try to explain the meaning of life in less than five minutes. I volunteered because I thought that was a good place to end my own life crises – Spoiler: It didn't work, but the campus café serves the best espresso outside Indianapolis.
If you feel that you have soaked enough culture and history, then a detour to Indianapolis Motor Speedway A must. I visited the famous “Indy 500” museum there, although the race just didn’t run. The noise of the old motors that echoed in the halls was almost hypnotic. I stood next to a former racer who told me that he would have overtaken almost the whole field if he had not been distracted by a chicken – yes, that is Indiana-Humor in his purest form. Parking is a patience sample because the terrain is huge, but most visitors find a place when they come early enough.
A short trip to Indianapolis brings you to Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. I was there because I thought an art museum would be a safe place to escape the rural charm. The sculpture gardens are actually a bit too big for my preference for compact walks, but the museum itself has an impressive collection of American art, which almost made me forget that I was actually looking for a good snack. The entrance is free when you visit the museum on one of the first Thursdays of the month – a little trick I learned from a local student.
Whether you want to explore the hilly paths of Brown County, explore the dark depths of Squire Boone Caverns or suck the adrenaline-laden flair of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway – the surroundings of New Ross offer more than just a few dusty land roads. My personal tour has shown that New Ross Attractions not always stand in the spotlight, but have plenty of character and a bit (sometimes too much) to offer Indiana charm.
Find more vacation destinations near New Ross Montgomery Indiana using our map.
Villages, towns, districts, places and Vacation destinations you should visit.
©copyright by POI-Travel.de
info@poi-travel.de
