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Region
Highlights:
Whitewater
Valley Guide
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Museums
Throughout the Whitewater Valley are many museums that Interpret the settlement of the Whitewater Valley and transportation history that led to the settlement of the interior of the state of Indiana using interpreters, demonstrations, and artifacts that allow hands on learning to adults and children.
Click on the links below to find information about local area museums:
Dearborn County Museums
Fayette County Museums
Union County Museums
Wayne County Museums
Metamora Mill Museum
Huddleston Farmhouse
Nettle Creek Valley Museum
Levi Coffin House
Gaar Mansion and Farm Museum
Hayes Arboretum
Indiana Football Hall of Fame
Wayne County Historical Museum
Museum of Overbeck Art Pottery
Model T Ford Museum
Joseph Moore Museum - Earlham College
Wilbur Wright Birthplace and Museum
Fayette County Historical Museum
Elmhurst Mansion
Canal House
Schrader Weaver Nature Preserve
Hillforest Victorian House Museum
Veraestau
The Depot
Templeton Cabin
Once a public hall, this building was erected in 1880. This museum features frescoed wall murals painted by local artist Charles L. Newcomb in 1913. Other exhibits include local native American history, birth of an early canal town, industrial heritage and much more.
In 2006 the museum expanded to include a gift shop and exhibit space on the first floor of this historic I.O.O.F. Hall building.
Enjoy the display of the V-Plex Clutch prototype, invented by Hagerstown resident, Marion Davis.
Wednesday
9 a.m. – NoonFriday, Saturday and Sunday
1:00 p.m. - 7 p.m.Group Tours by appointment.
Closed January and Major Holidays765) 489-4005
A part of the legendary Underground Railroad for fleeing slaves of pre-Civil War days, this registered National Historic Landmark is a Federal style brick home built in 1839.
113 U.S. 27 North
P.O. Box 77
Fountain City, IN 47341$2.00/adults
$1.00/children (6-18) $1.00/pre-scheduled school groupsJune 1 - Aug. 31
Tues. - Saturday
1p.m. - 4p.m.Sept. 1 - Oct. 31
Saturday only
1p.m. - 4p.m.(Last tour begins at 4p.m.)
Group Tours by appointmentMuseum Voice #
(765) 847-2432
Museum Fax #
(765) 847-2498Tourism Board
(765) 935-8687
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Gaar Mansion was built in 1876 for Abram and Agnes Gaar.
Original cost to build the mansion was $20,000. It was completed in 8 months. Complete interior/exterior restoration of this Victorian style mansion boasts hand-painted ceilings, parquet wood floors, and features many original furnishings with their actual bills of sale.
Advanced for its day, the home has many unique features, including central heating, indoor plumbing, gas, electricity, and an intercom system throughout the residence.
Jonas Gaar and his sons, Abram and John Milton Gaar, and Jonas' son-in-law, William G. Scott were founders of Gaar-Scott and Company, the leading manufacturer of threshing machines and steam engines from 1842 to 1911.
This Second Empire style mansion is open for tours of 10 or more by appointment and may be rented for special events.
(765) 966-1262
Information
Hayes Arboretum is the educational project of S.W. Hayes Research Foundation, Inc. Our educational activities and the experiences we offer focus on both nature and recreational programs.
There are 466 acres located in Richmond, Indiana that Hayes Arboretum makes available to our members and visitors. There are unique plant collections, rock and fossil collections and miles of hiking and running paths.
Other features found on his property include 3% of Indiana’s old growth forest, many acres of reforested woods, an 1833 dairy barn that acts as our Nature Center, the Hayes Museum, Adena and Hopewell Indian mounds, ponds, fields, and wetlands. Hayes Arboretum is open free of charge to the public.
There are many reasons to come and visit, bring your friends and family and enjoy the day with us.
Our Hours
March through October:
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through SaturdayNovember through February
Open only for special events and scheduled programs.815 North A. St.
Richmond, Indiana 47374
765-966-2235 www.indiana-football.org
Wayne County Historical Museum
“This gem of a museum is like a miniature Smithsonian, NY Metropolitan, and Williamsburg all rolled into one.”
Bruce Sampsell, (a former president of Fisher Price Toys) who was amazed at the scope and quality of the museum’s holdings.Comprised of eight buildings on a compact site, the museum is a unique repository of Wayne County and Richmond history from early pioneer life through the industrial revolution into modern times.
Exhibits include period clothing, furniture, portraiture, two log cabins of local origin, a genuine Conestoga wagon, a blacksmith shop, print shop, bakery, loom house, a superb collection of early Richmond made automobiles, steam powered tractors, the first Davis airplane manufactured in Richmond in 1929, and a whole lot more about Richmond’s rich industrial heritage.
There is much to see beyond Wayne County, too. On display are fine art objects from around the world collected by the museum’s founder. There is also a choice collection of Native American artifacts including both modern and ancient pottery of Hopi, Zuni, Pueblo, Anasazi origins. Perhaps the most popular exhibit in the museum is the recently updated gallery dedicated to telling the story of Life and Death in Ancient Egypt.
A 3000-year old mummy is on display along with his beautifully preserved and exquisitely painted coffin. Surrounding the mummy are 12 display cases filled with objects that were used in every day life but also preserved I tombs for their owner to use in the afterlife.
Communities all over the country are recognizing the importance of America's heritage and are struggling to establish museums to preserve it. The citizens of Wayne County are fortunate that community leaders established the Julia Meek Gaar Museum in 1930. It is now regarded by many as one of the outstanding local museums of the country.
Monday - Friday
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.Saturday and Sunday
1 p.m. - 4 p.m.www.waynecountyhistoricalmuseum.com
765-962-5756
Museum of Overbeck Art Pottery
Overbeck Pottery, produced between 1911 and 1955, is recognized as an important part of our national art history. The museum preserves the creative art of the six Overbeck sisters who lived and worked in Cambridge City, Indiana.
33 West Main Street
Cambridge City, IN 47327
(Located in the basement of the Cambridge City Public Library)Monday - Saturday
10 a.m. - 12 noon
2 p.m. - 5 p.m.(765) 478-3335
Located at the Centerville, Indiana off ramp on I-70
(Near the Warm Glow Candle Company, just south of the Interstate)
Winter Hours:
10 AM – 5 PM Daily except Mondays
Joseph Moore Museum - Earlham College
An Egyptian mummy and giant pre-historic mammals captivate audiences of all ages. See a pre-historic mastodon, allosaurus skeleton and observe birds and mammals in their natural habitat.
The Joseph Moore Museum, established in 1847 as a teaching collection, was officially named in 1905 for Joseph Moore, the Earlham president and geology professor who originated it. The museum is now staffed almost entirely by Earlham students who design exhibits, maintain collections, and lead tours. As a college program, the museum's hours reflect Earlham's academic schedule. Admission is free and group tours can be arranged by calling (765) 983-1303 during museum hours, or leave a message and we'll get back to you.
Sunday - Year Round
1 p.m. -5 p.m.Extended Hours during the Academic Year:
Sept. 15 - Dec. 15;
Jan. 15 - May 1
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
1 p.m. - 5 p.m.(765) 983-1303
Wilbur Wright Birthplace and Museum
Fayette County Historical Museum
Historical exhibits, civil war relics and industrial exhibit on Connersville. Open by appointment only. Located at 315 Vine Street. Call (765) 825-2561.
A historical mansion which was once owned by Caleb Smith, the Secretary of the Interior under President Lincoln. Its original structure was erected in 1831. The farm formed an important link to the Underground Railway. Other uses of the mansion were a sanitarium, girls school, and residential house. Located on State Road 121 South.
Built in 1842, the headquarters for the Whitewater Valley Canal Company. The structure is listed in the National Register of Historic Landmarks. The building once served as the clearing house for the canal which once ran through Connersville.
Schrader Weaver Nature Preserve
Consists of 107 acres of virgin forest made by the U.S. Department of Interior. Houses the Schrader home which was built in 1830. Located at 5229 North County Road 450 West. Call (765) 478-5309 for more information.
Hillforest Victorian House Museum
Hillforest Victorian House Museum, overlooking the Ohio River, was the home of industrialist and financier Thomas Gaff and his family between 1855 and 1891. Shipping and riverboats were significant elements of the Gaff business enterprises and are reflected in the architecture of the home. The style is Italian Renaissance, completely symmetrical and characterized by broad overhangs, ornately carved brackets, arched windows, graceful balconies and porches. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1992. Located on top of Main Street in Aurora, Ind., Hillforest is open for tours Tuesdays through Sundays, 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm (EDT) April 1 - Dec. 23, 26-30.
For more information, call 812-926-0087.
Veraestau, one of Indiana’s most historic homes, lies 427.4 feet above the Ohio River, just downriver from a sharp bend which causes the river to suddenly flow to the southeast. The bend and high elevation allow a sweeping view of the lowlands of Kentucky, and the cities of Aurora and Lawrenceburg. Veraestau captures a long sweep of Indiana’s architectural history and exemplifies the historic preservation practiced by generations of two families - the Holman/Hamilton clan and the O’Brien/Gibson family. The two-story log house with a brick addition was built in 1810. Veraestau is open weekends April - December, Sat-Sun. 1pm - 6pm, during the week by appointment.
Call 812-926-0983 for more information.One N. Railroad St.
Liberty, Indiana
The’new’ depot was the talk of the town as early as 1884, the old frame structure that had been built on the west side of the tracks in 1880 was unable to serve the growing passenger needs.
In October of 1886, construction began on the new depot. The new depot was located on the east side of the tracks. It had unique high arch windows of stained glass and sported a round turret on the roof above the ticket office. (The turret is no longer a part of the structure.)
The lawn had low iron posts supporting chains, flowerbeds, and grass plots.
Brick pavement extended along the rails south of Union Street.Line ownership changed several times between 1852 and 1957. In 1957 the Baltimore and Ohio R.R. ceased passenger service at the Liberty Depot.
The depot was used as a storage building for the B&O. C&O, the Chessie System, and then the CSX.
In 1989 the Union County Historical Society saved the Depot from demolition. The Depot was moved 100’ north and 20’ east of its original location. It now serves as the Union County Historical Society Museum.
The Depot is open from 2 to 4 pm on Sundays in June-August, Founder’s Day, and by appointment.
S.E. corner of Courthouse Square
Believe it or not, Templeton’s Cabin has the distinction of having been in three dirrerent counties and never moved from its original site. Can you name the counties?
In 1804, a group of pioneers entered the Whitewater Valley by the way of the “Carolina Trace” and began looking for a place to settle. They explored as far as what is now southwestern Union County and found a narrow plane, well elevated from the river, with fine timber, and good water.
In the spring of 1805, the Carolina settlement moved their families in to the Whitewater Valley. The names of these early families included: Templeton, Hanna, Leviston, Swann, McCann, Bryson, Nickels, Dunlap, Logan, Abernathy, and McGeier.
In 1805, John Templeton built his two story cabin (originally ten logs high) along the Whitewater River. In 1937, it was moved to the jail yard, and later in 1980 to the Courthouse lawn.
Templeton’s Cabin is located on the southeast corner of the Courthouse lawn. It is open July 4th, Founder’s Day, and by appointment.
For more information on either of these museums contact the:
Union County Historical Society
PO Box 143
Liberty, Indiana 47353
Phone: (765) 458-5294
http://WWW.unioncountyin.com