Indiana has a special place in my heart. Much of my family lives in Indiana and my wife lived there for roughly 20 years. Indiana is most commonly associated with the Indy 500 race, Notre Dame (the university, not the place in France), and high school basketball.

One of the biggest mysteries ever in Indiana was where the name “Hoosier” came from. This explanation came close, when a Quaker from Richmond, Virginia by the name of Sarah Harvey had written in an 1835 letter about the “old settlers in Indiana…called ‘Hooshers.'” She explained that a ‘Hoosher’ was actually a type of cabin called a ‘Hoosher nest,’ and that’s what those settlers lived in. That sounds pretty accurate, but still to this day, people debate about the nickname of every Indiana resident.

If you like popcorn, particularly Orville Redenbacher, know that all of that popcorn mainly comes from Indiana. 90 percent of the world’s popcorn, in fact. Redenbacher himself was actually born in Brazil, Indiana, too.

If it wasn’t for Indiana, New York’s Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, the Pentagon, the U.S. Treasury, and many other buildings right in Washington D.C. would never exist. 14 state capitols would never be erected either; all because Indiana’s home to a sea of limestone deep below the earth. It happens to have one of the richest deposits of that type of stone found anywhere on the planet.

There are so many hidden gems across the state that it was really difficult to pin down just 3 to feature this week. However, in my opinion, these are the top three hidden gems of the Hoosier state.

Bosse Field – Evansville

Baseball was practically born in Indiana – Fort Wayne, to be exact. The very first professional game occurred in Fort Wayne on May 4, 1871. Having said that, 273 miles away in Evansville, IN lies our first hidden gem.

I am a HUGE baseball fan, so this one was an easy one for me….lol. For baseball fans and historians alike, Bosse Field in Evansville is a true gem, hidden or not.

Home to the Evansville Otters, Bosse Field opened in 1915 and was the first municipally owned sports facility in the United States. Only Boston’s Fenway Park (1912) and Chicago’s Wrigley Field (1914) are older than Evansville’s Bosse Field. It is the site for the filming of “A League of Their Own” in 1992. Whether you’re a sports fan or a history buff, this 100-year-old structure for America’s favorite pastime is a must see! Bosse Field and the Evansville Otters are like a return to the twenties at a time when life was simple and you could walk up and talk to your favorite ball player. Its a chance to see people who put on a baseball glove for the LOVE of the game. A a real field of dreams and a chance to relive A League of Their Own!!! Always a good time, because THERE IS NO CRYING IN BASEBALL!!

Market Street Catacombs – Indianapolis

One of the only few tunnels that still exist in the United States of America, Market Street Catacombs is one of those hidden attractions in Indiana that lays in plain sight. If you are a resident or have visited the city, you may have crossed, visited, or eaten at one of the many restaurants in the famous City Market in Indianapolis; but what you may not know is that just beneath your feet is a long stretch of interconnected passageways that were created about a century ago to transport and store meat products and produce that required a cooler atmosphere to stay fresh. At the time, the catacombs served as refrigeration for the whole market since there were no freezers or cold storages. However, in the present day, the tunnels remain concealed and almost forgotten.

Book a tour or buy a ticket to visit the Market Street Catacombs – autumn and Halloween are perfect.

Bluespring Caverns – Bedford

Flowing through the Bluespring Caverns in Bedford, Indiana, lies the longest underground river in the United States of America which is home to an abundant species of albino animals and other aquatic species.

First discovered in the 19th century, the wide limestone caverns stretch for miles over the river, acting as a canopy, and ensuring a cool, moist, and dark atmosphere that makes surviving convenient and sensible for even the blind albino creatures.

Crickets, frogs, spiders, beetles, and crayfish are some of the creatures that live in, under, and over the river and around the caves.

Though the whole cavern and its resident river are equally striking, what stands out the most is the group of creatures that are either pure white or nearly see-through, and an exceptionally extraordinary group of blind cave fish! An hour-long boat tour through Bluespring Caverns brings you up close to the majesty of the underground in a trip as natural as possible. Passages and water-courses are illuminated by the pocket of light that follows your tour boar through darkness that otherwise envelopes everything. Visit during a wet period and you will hear and see the power of the underground river, though many of it’s creatures will have retreated to quieter areas. Don’t miss the 1/2 mile nature trail in the Bolton Natural Area. It’s your chance to view one of Indiana’s largest sinkholes (covering 15 acres!) as you experience the connection of the land above to the great Caverns hidden below. Group tours are available.

So there you have it; our top 3 picks for Indiana’s hidden travel gems. Think we missed or overlooked what should have been a featured “hidden gem”? Leave us a comment below and let us know. Coming up next week, the Volunteer State – Tennessee. Until then, happy Red Frog Travels…  🙂