Visit Memphis Clark Indiana and the surrounding area to see the top sights. Memphis, Indiana: Artistic journey of discovery! Experience the Vibrant streets of Indianapolis and visit the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Discover the beautiful architecture of the Newfields campus and enjoy works of art by Picasso, Monet and many other masters.
Memphis sights have always fascinated me a bit because the city is more than just a point on the map of Union Township in the tranquil Clark County. I remember driving with my grandpa over the old railway bridge, which once formed the backbone of the region and today still carries the quiet rats of past times. Honestly, the story here is not exactly Hollywood-gloss, but that's exactly what makes the charm: a mix of pioneer-spirit and the unmistakable smell of fresh cornfield when you drive the country roads in the summer.
When you arrive by car, take the State Road 111 – it takes you directly to the heart of Memphis, past a few small shops that have more personality than some big city chains. I don't quite understand the hype around the big metropolises, but here, between the fields and the quiet stroller of the Ohio River, you suddenly feel less tourist and more neighbor. And yes, if you ask yourself where you get a cool drink in the evening, just look at the lights at County Square – this is the true Memphis experience that no one in guidebooks really describes.
I have to tell you about the little jewel I've got Union Township Community Center nenne – yes, that sounds like a place where you find yoga classes for seniors, but in truth this is the pulsating heart of Memphis, Indiana. For the first time, I have spread my Neighbourhood-Bierkrug-Wettbewerb-Karte, because the car park is almost always free, except on Sundays, when the whole city suddenly decides to host a Fleamarkt-Konzert combination there. The room smells like freshly mowed lawn and a bit like the smell of 90-year old wooden chairs you still love.
A short walk (or a short sprint, depending on the mood) leads you to Memphis Town Hall, a building that looks as if a Victorian architect had had a bad day and then decided to save the whole with a touch of “I-bin‐a‐mayor and‐ich‐mag brick”. I don't quite understand the hype about historical council houses, but here there is a small museum in the basement that exhibits old electives and a few yellowed city plans – perfect if you are interested in the most boring details of the city history.
If you have enough of concrete, look at the Old Mill Park on. The name is misleading, because there is no longer an old mill, but the water that goes quietly over the old stone bridge has something calming. I once made a picnic with my dog that showed more interest in the ducks than I did in the photos that I posted on Instagram, of course. Parking is usually easy, except on Saturday night, there will be a real problem – then you have to be friends with one of the many residents who will proudly betray your “park-spot secret”.
Another must for anyone who claims that he is a real explorer is the Memphis Library. Not some library, but the venerable building that contains more books than my entire Kindle collection. I found a reading circle there for “books that no one reads” – ironically, that was the only group that actually appeared every week. And yes, this is one of the Memphis Attractionsthat you shouldn't miss because otherwise you feel you missed something you never wanted.
For the culinary kick I recommend Cornfield Café. It's not just a café, it's a place where you feel you'd play in a movie from the 80s while you drink a freshly brewed coffee that's stronger than your last relationship test. I tried the “Farm-to-Table sandwich” there – no joke, the bread was so crispy that I wanted to eat almost the whole piece with my fingers before I touched the plate at all.
There is a little nostalgia in Railroad Museum, which is housed in a converted freight train station. The exhibition is small, but the old locomotive that stands there has more character than some people I know. I got a lead there with a former locomotive leader who had more anecdotes about lost trains than about his own life – that was a real highlight moment, especially if you were interested in the history of the railway that was never really big here.
And at the end, because I don't just want to list sights, I still have to count the annual Harvest Festival mention. This is the event where the whole city comes together to carve pumpkins, marvel local craftsmen and argue about who has the best apple cake. I was there last year, had eaten a few carrot sticks and asked me why I didn't move here every year – but then I remembered that I was actually living in Chicago and the whole was just a short trip.
The first stop I put to every new man's heart is that Falls of the Ohio State Park in Clarksville – a piece of prehistoric drama that spreads directly on the banks of the Ohio River. I once made a picnic there, while an older gentleman told me that more than 400 million years old fossils are embedded in the limestone; that was less a trip, more a time jump. Parking is almost always a Klacks, only Saturdays, when the families move with their strollers, the field becomes a small battlefield around the last free places.
A short trip to Charlestown leads you to Charlestown State Park, which, with its extensive hiking trails and the view over the flatland, is almost after a film set. I remember how I was suddenly followed by a swarm of wild geese during the ascent to the viewing tower – a moment that showed me that nature here is not only a background but a peculiar roommate. The entrance is free, and the car park is an open field that mutates in summer to an improvised barbecue area.
If you have enough of forest and fossils, take a look at the Jeffersonville Riverfront and the famous Big Four Bridge, which today serves as a pedestrian and cycling path. At night, I took a couple of friends over the bridge, while Louisville's lights flickered in the background – a picture you don't find in every guide. Parking on the Riverfront is usually easy as long as you are not at the same time as the weekly market event there.
For those who prefer to run into dusty archives, this is Clark County Historical Museum in Jeffersonville a must. I have an old suitcase full of letters from the 19th. Century discovered written by a local blacksmith to his wife – a small treasure that makes the history of the region alive. The museum is located in a former bank building, which is itself a piece of history, and parking is right outside the door if you don't have the weekly flea market mutil around the corner.
Another highlight that is often overlooked is the Ohio River Scenic Byway. I drove the route once on a rainy autumn morning; the wet fields mirrored the light of the falling sun and let the landscape look almost surreal. There are no official parking along the route, but the small field routes always offer enough space to park the car briefly and enjoy the silence.
For those who want to feel the real “local life”, a detour to the Clark County Fairgrounds. I was there during the annual autumn festival, where you can find not only carousel and sugar cane, but also local craftsmen who offer handmade furniture from recycled wood – a real look behind the scenes of the region. Parking is generous at the festival grounds, but it can be done quickly on the main days, so it's better to come early.
Whether you want to marvel at fossils from ancient times, stroll over an old bridge or dive into history in a museum – the environment of Memphis, Union Township, Clark, Indiana has more to offer than you would suspect at first sight. This selection Memphis Attractions shows that the true heart of the region lies in its small but fine peculiarities, which are only waiting to be discovered by a curious traveler.
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