Historic Sites

Take a walk down paths along rivers and raceways where mills once stood and picture a bustling scene from mid-1800. Pose for a photo in front of rustic Bonneyville Mill. Its huge millstones still grind flour. Buy a bag – it's a tasty reminder of the days when water ran commerce.

At Elkhart's New York Central RR Museum stand next a massive steam locomotive. There's no question why these ruled the rails. Then glimpse the early 1900s lifestyle of the rich and famous at Ruthmere, a lavish home turned museum. In the "Roaring 20s'", Elkhart residents enjoyed vaudeville productions at the Lerner Theatre. Check out the theatre when it re-opens in 2011, restored to its original grandeur.

In Goshen peek through the bullet proof windows of the limestone police booth at the corner of Main and Lincoln and imagine the days when John Dillinger terrorized Indiana banks. At the edge of town, you can drive across Indiana's oldest iron bridge of its kind. Dwight Eisenhower crossed this bridge with an army convoy back in 1919.

Amish life meshes easily with modern day America in Nappanee. Oftentimes there are as many buggies as cars on rural roads. At Amish Acres, an 80-acre Amish farmstead on the National Register, you'll experience the plain lifestyle of the Amish who settled here. Be sure to see the "Dutch Kitchenette" display at the Nappanee Center. Nappanee gained national attention back in 1920 producing these ingenious cabinets.