Indiana

Designated as one of America’s Byways in 1996, the Ohio River Scenic Byway in Indiana is a 302 mile journey through scenic southern Indiana. The byway features many historic, natural, and recreational sites. Travelers will enjoy agricultural countryside with well-kept barns, vineyards, and orchards; vistas of rural villages dominated by church spires and historic courthouses; and thriving cities with imposing architecture. The topography of the Ohio River Scenic Byway is diverse.

At times it closely follows the winding river and at other times it moves more inland on tree-lined winding back roads. As the byway travels further west, the land spreads out and visitors can see the river bottoms. Along the way scenic overlooks provide beautiful views of the Ohio River valley.

Traversing the lush hills and farmlands of southern Indiana and paralleling the mighty Ohio River, the Ohio River Scenic Byway marks a time-worn and history-rich corridor that has profoundly influenced the people and communities through which it passes. Indiana was settled from the south to the north and the Ohio River served as a transportation route bringing settlers to what was then the new frontier. History buffs will enjoy the many historic sites along the Ohio River Scenic Byway.

Meriwether Lewis met up with William Clark at the Falls of Ohio and embarked on October 26, 1803 with a group of men from Kentucky and the Indiana Territory that would become the nucleus of the Corps of Discovery on their journey to explore the Louisiana Purchase and Pacific Northwest. Today visitors can see a replica of George Rogers Clark’s cabin at the Falls of the Ohio State Park. This is where Clark’s brother William was staying when he received a letter from Meriwether Lewis asking him to be co-commander of the expedition and where the group set off for their trip down the Ohio River.

Visitors can also tour Indiana’s first state capital in Corydon which is located on the Ohio River Scenic Byway. Corydon served as the capital from 1816 to 1825 when it was moved to its present location in Indianapolis.

Several historic house museums are located in cities and towns along the Ohio River Scenic Byway and are open for tours, including:

• Hillforest Mansion in Aurora was the home of Thomas Gaff, an industrialist and financier who was active in shipping and riverboats, and the house’s architecture reflects these interests.
• The J.F.D. Lanier State Historic Site in Madison is a Greek Revival mansion. The home was owned by James Lanier who loaned Indiana money during the Civil War and enabled the state to equip Union soldiers.
• The Howard Steamboat Museum in Jeffersonville was built in 1894 by the Howard family, who owned the adjacent Howard Shipyards.
• The Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site in New Albany was the home of William S. Culbertson who was once considered the wealthiest man in Indiana. In 1867 he spent about $120,000 to build mansion which encompasses 20,000 square feet and has 25 rooms.
• The Reitz Home Museum in Evansville was the home of lumber baron John Augustus Reitz. His son, Francis Joseph, remodeled the home in a Victorian style in the 1890s and it is noted as one of the country's finest examples of French Second Empire architecture.

There are many other places of interest along the byway for history-lovers. Among them:

• The Carnegie Center for Art and History in New Albany is a contemporary art gallery and history museum offering a full schedule of changing exhibits. Among its permanent exhibits are Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage: Men and Women of the Underground Railroad in the Indiana and Kentucky Borderland.
• Angel Mounds State Historic Site in Evansville is nationally recognized as one of the best preserved prehistoric Native American sites in the United States. From 1100 to 1450 A. D., a town on this site was home to people of the Middle Mississippian culture. Today, this living museum tells their story.
• Evansville Museum of Arts, History, and Science interprets river transportation and river town life, and includes a complete steam railroad exhibit along with a planetarium.
• The LST 325 located on Evansville’s riverfront is an authentic WWII warship open for tours.

Two places of historic significance, Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial and New Harmony, lie just a short distance from the Ohio River Scenic Byway and make excellent side trips. Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, located in Spencer County, is a National Park Service site where Abraham Lincoln grew up. Learn about the lives of Abraham Lincoln and his family, who lived there in a pioneer community from 1816 to1830. The Visitors Center includes a museum and an orientation film about Lincoln’s boyhood years and the Lincoln Living Historical Farm is a working pioneer homestead with a cabin, outbuildings, split rail fences, animals, gardens, and field crops. Rangers in period clothing perform a variety of activities typical of the 1820s. Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial is also the burial site of Lincoln’s mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln.

New Harmony is the site of two of America's great utopian communities. The first, Harmonie on the Wabash (1814-1824), was founded by the Harmony Society, a group of Separatists from the German Lutheran Church under the leadership of Johann Georg Rapp. In 1825, the Harmonists moved back to Pennsylvania and sold the town to Robert Owen, a Welsh-born industrialist and social philosopher. He envisioned using the town and the surrounding lands for his communitarian experiment.

The Ohio River Scenic Byway offers more than just history. There are many beautiful natural, scenic, and recreational sites as well. The Falls of the Ohio State Park in Clarksville is a 400-million-year-old Devonian fossil bed and the only natural obstruction on the Ohio River. Clifty Falls State Park in Madison features deep limestone gorges, waterfalls, and moderate to difficult hiking trails in addition to camping, picnicking, and swimming. The park also includes a recently remodeled lodge. The Hoosier National Forest runs through much of the central portion of the Ohio River Scenic Byway in Perry County and offers many recreational amenities. On the far western end of the Ohio River Scenic Byway lies Hovey Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area which is noted as the northernmost cypress swamp in North America.

Caves abound in southern Indiana due to its Karst (a geological) system. Wyandotte Caves are located in the Harrison-Crawford Wyandotte Complex in between Corydon and Leavenworth. The complex offers many other recreational activities such as camping, hiking, picnicking, and horseback riding. Squire Boone Caverns, located near Corydon, features cave tours, a working grist mill, and a pioneer village.

The Ohio River Scenic Byway includes many quaint river towns which feature beautifully preserved architecture, shopping, and dining. Lawrenceburg, Aurora, Rising Sun, Vevay, Madison, Jeffersonville, New Albany, Corydon, Leavenworth, Cannelton, and Newburgh each have their own small town charm.

The Ohio River Scenic Byway is also developing an artisan trail in southern Indiana. In many communities visitors will be able to see traditional artisans at work or view their product in shops and galleries.

For those who enjoy night life and gaming, there are five riverboat casinos located along the Ohio River Scenic Byway: Argossy in Lawrenceburg, Grand Victoria Casino and Resort in Rising Sun, Belterra Casino in Vevay, Caesars Indiana in Elizabeth, and Casino Aztar in Evansville. In addition to gaming, the casinos feature several restaurants, entertainment, and hotels.

The Ohio River Scenic Byway has so much to offer visitors. Historic sites, outdoor recreational activities, shopping, dining, casinos, wineries, orchards, beautiful scenery from the heartland, quaint small towns and thriving cities…there’s something to everyone. It is perfect for a weekend visit or a week’s vacation. We hope you will come visit Indiana’s Ohio River Scenic Byway.