Exploring the Ohio River Scenic Byway
The Ohio River Scenic Byway follows one of the most historic and scenic waterways in the United States.
Stretching through Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, this route winds along the banks of the Ohio River, connecting small towns, historic sites, river overlooks, and hidden gems that many travelers miss.
This is not a fast highway drive—it’s a journey through history, landscapes, and communities shaped by the river.
Ohio River Scenic Byway Map
This map includes:
- The full byway route
- Stops we’ve visited
- Towns, parks, and historic sites
- Scenic pull-offs and river views
Our Adventures Along This Route
📖 Exploring Olmsted, Illinois – Historic Railroad Depot and the Ohio River Locks & Dam
Explore Olmsted, Illinois, a small Ohio River town with a rich transportation history featuring the historic railroad depot, Lock and Dam 53, and the massive modern Olmsted Locks and Dam project.
📖 Exploring Mound City, Illinois – Civil War Ironclads, Naval Shipyards, and the Mississippi River Squadron
Explore Mound City, Illinois, a historic Civil War river town that served as a Union naval shipyard, ironclad repair depot, military hospital, and home of the Mississippi River Squadron along the Ohio River.
📖 Visiting Fort Defiance Park in Cairo, Illinois – Where the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers Meet
Visit Fort Defiance Park in Cairo, Illinois, where the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers meet. Explore Civil War history, General Ulysses S. Grant’s western headquarters, river gunboats, and one of southern Illinois’ most historic locations.
📖 Gerst Bavarian Haus in Evansville Indiana – A German Restaurant Along the Ohio River Scenic Byway
Enjoying Gerst Bavarian Haus in Evansville Indiana, a historic German restaurant along the Ohio River Scenic Byway known for large portions, local atmosphere, and classic German-inspired meals.
📖 Café Arazu Newburgh Indiana – Outdoor Dining Near the Ohio River
Enjoying lunch at Café Arazu in historic downtown Newburgh Indiana. A relaxing Ohio River dining stop with outdoor seating, friendly service, and great food along the Ohio River Scenic Byway.
📖 Exploring Newburgh, Indiana – A Historic Ohio River Town Along the Ohio River Scenic Byway
Explore Newburgh along the Ohio River with historic downtown walks, riverfront views, and local history along the Ohio River Scenic Byway.
📖 Exploring Cave-in-Rock State Park Along the Ohio River Scenic Byway in Shawnee National Forest
A Stop in the Village of Cave-in-Rock We traveled to the small village of Cave-in-Rock, Illinois to explore both the town and the state park. While we were there, we also took a ride across the river on the local ferry that runs between Illinois and Kentucky—a simple but memorable experience along the Ohio River....
📖 Angel Mounds State Historic Site along the Ohio Scenic Byway in Southern Indiana.
Angel Mounds State Historic Site – Ancient Native American City in Southern Indiana Discovering Angel Mounds State Historic Site We visited Angel Mounds State Historic Site, located just off the Ohio River Scenic Byway in southern Indiana. This remarkable site sits along the banks of the Ohio River and is one of the best-preserved Native...
📖 Mount Vernon, Indiana – A Historic Stop on the Ohio River Scenic Byway
Exploring Mount Vernon, Indiana on the Ohio River Scenic Byway Early History of Mount Vernon The first settler in Mount Vernon, Indiana was Andrew McFaden in 1806, and the early settlement was known as McFaden’s Bluff. The town was officially platted as Mount Vernon in 1816, although many people continued to refer to it as...
📖 Wesselman Woods Evansville Indiana
We recently visited Wesselman Woods and Nature Preserve in January 2025. Wesselman Woods is the largest tract of virgin, old-growth forest within any city limits in the United States. It also has many of the last surviving remnant of Southern Indiana’s original forests. It features 200 acres of virgin bottomland hardwood forest and is home...
Read Our Full Travel Post & Story about Wesselman Woods Evansville Indiana
📖 Kincaid Mounds Historic Site – Hidden Native American Mounds Near the Ohio River
A Quiet Stop Along the Ohio River Scenic Byway As we traveled the Ohio River Scenic Byway, we made a stop at one of the lesser-known historic sites in southern Illinois. The Kincaid Mounds State Historic Site sits just a few miles off the main route, down a series of rural and gravel roads. It’s...
📖 Buzzard Roost Overlook – A Scenic Stop Along the Ohio River in Southern Indiana
Buzzard Roost Overlook – A Scenic Stop Along the Ohio River Buzzard Roost is a scenic bluff overlooking the Ohio River and is located just off the alternate route of the Ohio River Scenic Byway. Many travelers exploring this famous 967-mile driving route take a short detour to experience the view from the cliffs. The...
📖 Historic Rose Hotel in Elizabethtown, Illinois – Oldest Operating Hotel in Illinois on the Ohio River
Historic Rose Hotel in Elizabethtown, Illinois – Oldest Operating Hotel in Illinois We recently stayed at the Historic Rose Hotel in Elizabethtown, Illinois, and it turned out to be an incredible weekend getaway. Located in the heart of the Shawnee National Forest and perched high on a bluff overlooking the Ohio River, the views alone...
Places to Explore from our Trip Planner
📖 1937 Ohio River Flood High-Water Mark
This high-water marker shows the level reached by the historic 1937 Ohio River Flood in downtown Mount Vernon. It offers a powerful reminder of one of the region's greatest natural disasters and the resilience of the community that rebuilt after the waters receded.
View Full Listing about 1937 Ohio River Flood High-Water Mark
📖 Abraham Lincoln Boyhood Home and National Museum
Explore the Indiana landscape where Abraham Lincoln grew up, with museum exhibits, the Lincoln family cabin site, a pioneer cemetery, and a living historical farm.
View Full Listing about Abraham Lincoln Boyhood Home and National Museum
📖 African American Troops
Locally, brave African American men from Cairo served in the various regiments of USCT Special Honor is given to Reverend Thomas Jefferson Houston, an ordained Baptist preacher, a conductor of the Underground Railroad, and personal assistant to General Ulysses Grant...
📖 Angel Mounds State Historic Site
Explore a remarkable Mississippian archaeological site, with earthen mounds, trails, and exhibits that illuminate the Indigenous history of the Ohio River Valley.
📖 Battle of Corydon Park
Visit the site of Indiana’s only Civil War battle, where John Hunt Morgan’s cavalry met local Home Guard troops during Morgan’s Raid in July 1863. Preserved earthworks and interpretation bring the story of the Corydon fight to life.
📖 Buel House State Historic Site
The Buel House State Historic Site is closely connected to the history of the Cherokee Trail of Tears and the river town of Golconda, Illinois. Visitors can explore a site tied to local traditions, frontier life, and the stories that...
📖 Buzzard Roost Recreation Area in Southern Indiana
Buzzard Roost Recreation Area in Southern Indiana offers visitors an opportunity to explore local history, regional heritage, and the stories that helped shape the surrounding community. Travelers interested in discovering hidden gems, historical connections, and the character of the Midwest...
View Full Listing about Buzzard Roost Recreation Area in Southern Indiana
📖 Café Arazu
Café Arazu offers visitors an opportunity to explore local history, regional heritage, and the stories that helped shape the surrounding community. Travelers interested in discovering hidden gems, historical connections, and the character of the Midwest will find this site a...
📖 Cairo Historic District
The Cairo Historic District showcases the rich history of one of America's most strategically important river towns. Visitors can explore architecture, transportation history, Civil War connections, and stories tied to the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.
📖 Cairo Illinois
Cairo Illinois offers visitors an opportunity to explore local history, regional heritage, and the stories that helped shape the surrounding community. Travelers interested in discovering hidden gems, historical connections, and the character of the Midwest will find this site a...
📖 Cairo’s Historic Park District
Explore the historic core of Cairo, Illinois, a strategic river city shaped by the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, railroads, commerce, and the Civil War. Historic buildings and river views make this a thoughtful stop for travelers who enjoy old towns and layered American history.
📖 Carnegie Center for Art & History
The Carnegie Center for Art & History combines local history and contemporary art in New Albany’s historic downtown. Exhibitions and programs offer an engaging look at the region’s culture, people, and creative traditions.
📖 Carpenter House
Carpenter House offers visitors an opportunity to explore local history, regional heritage, and the stories that helped shape the surrounding community. Travelers interested in discovering hidden gems, historical connections, and the character of the Midwest will find this site a...
📖 Cave-in-Rock State Park
Cave-in-Rock State Park follows the Ohio River around the limestone cavern that made this southern Illinois community famous. It is a memorable stop for river views, a natural landmark, and colorful frontier history.
📖 Chapman Harris historic marker
Harris, a free African American, came to Madison, 1839, as the fight over slavery along the Ohio River became more violent. He worked as a teamster, farmer, and Baptist minister. His family owned land in Eagle Hollow and Madison. Harris’s...
📖 Charlestown State Park
Charlestown State Park pairs rugged Ohio River scenery with wooded trails, ravines, and the historic Rose Island site. Former ammunition-plant lands and flood-scarred amusement-park remains add depth to a memorable southern Indiana outing.
📖 Children’s Museum of Evansville (cMoe)
The Children's Museum of Evansville (cMoe) offers hands-on exhibits that inspire learning through play. Interactive displays, science activities, creative spaces, and educational programs make it one of southwestern Indiana's top destinations for families with young children.
View Full Listing about Children’s Museum of Evansville (cMoe)
📖 Clark County Museum
Educational museum focused on the history of Clark County, featuring exhibits on everything from Native AmeEducational museum focused on the history of Clark County, featuring exhibits on everything from Native American culture to the area's archaeological history.rican culture to the...
📖 Constitution Elm Stump
The Constitution Elm Stump marks the spot where Indiana's first constitution was drafted beneath a large elm tree in 1816. Preserved at Corydon Capitol State Historic Site, it commemorates the birthplace of Indiana's state government.
📖 Corydon Capitol State Historic Site
Indiana’s transformation from a territorial outpost to a functioning modern state was a deeply dramatic and fascinating time in our nation’s history. Here, you can explore Corydon’s colorful beginnings where Hoosier statesmen carefully built the foundations for the state we...
📖 Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site
Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site offers visitors an opportunity to explore local history, regional heritage, and the stories that helped shape the surrounding community. Travelers interested in discovering hidden gems, historical connections, and the character of the Midwest will find...
View Full Listing about Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site
📖 Daniel S. Major House
Daniel S. Major House is a historic home located at Lawrenceburg, Indiana. It was built between 1857 and 1860, and is a two-story, rectangular, Italianate style brick dwelling. It has an ashlar stone foundation, low hipped roof, polygonal bay windows,...
📖 Dearborn County Historical Society
Located in the historic Vance-Tousey House, the Dearborn County Historical Society preserves southeastern Indiana's history through exhibits, genealogy resources, historic buildings, and educational programs, making it an excellent stop for anyone exploring Lawrenceburg and the Ohio River region.
📖 Delta and Linwood Avenue Historical Marker
A neighborhood marker at Delta and Linwood avenues exploring Cincinnati’s community development and transportation history.
View Full Listing about Delta and Linwood Avenue Historical Marker
📖 Downtown Lawrenceburg Historic District
Downtown Lawrenceburg Historic District is a national historic district located at Lawrenceburg, Indiana. The district encompasses 257 contributing buildings and 2 contributing objects in the central business district and surrounding residential sections of Lawrenceburg. The district developed between about 1815...
View Full Listing about Downtown Lawrenceburg Historic District
📖 Eagle Cotton Mill Historical Marker
This Madison, Indiana, historical marker recalls the Eagle Cotton Mill and the role early manufacturing played in the growth of the Ohio River Valley. It is a quick stop for travelers interested in local industry and river-town history.
📖 Evansville African American Museum
In 1997 the Evansville Housing Authority (EHA) planned to demolish the housing development, and in August of that year, Sondra L Matthews (Editor and Publisher of Our Times newspaper) appeared before the EHA to request the preservation of a section...
📖 Evansville Wartime Museum
Evansville Wartime Museum offers visitors an opportunity to explore local history, regional heritage, and the stories that helped shape the surrounding community. Travelers interested in discovering hidden gems, historical connections, and the character of the Midwest will find this site...
📖 Floyd County Historical Society Museum (Padgett Museum)
The Floyd County Historical Society Museum preserves the history of New Albany through exhibits, archives, and local artifacts. Located beside the historic Culbertson Mansion, it offers an excellent introduction to the people, industries, and river heritage of Floyd County.
View Full Listing about Floyd County Historical Society Museum (Padgett Museum)
📖 Fort Finney & North Point Historical Markers
Explore the site of Fort Finney and the North Point Historical Markers, where frontier settlement, military history, and Native American heritage intersect along the Ohio River Valley. These markers help tell the story of the region's earliest settlers and the...
View Full Listing about Fort Finney & North Point Historical Markers
📖 Fort Massac State Park
On the Ohio River near Metropolis, Fort Massac State Park pairs a reconstructed frontier fort with wooded grounds, river views, and a relaxed setting for exploring southern Illinois history.
📖 Four Freedoms Monument
The Four Freedoms Monument was commissioned by President Franklin D. Roosevelt following his articulation of the "Four Freedoms" in his 1941 State of the Union Address. This was yet before the Attack on Pearl Harbor and the participation of the...
📖 Freedomland Cemetery
A historic African American cemetery in New Albany, Indiana, offering a quiet place to reflect on local heritage, family, and freedom.
📖 George Rogers Clark Homesite
A Clarksville landmark marking the later home of Revolutionary War leader George Rogers Clark, with a chance to reflect on the town’s early frontier history near the Falls of the Ohio.
📖 Grave of Alvin P. Hovey
The grave of Alvin P. Hovey honors the Civil War general, congressman, diplomat, and 21st Governor of Indiana. Buried in Mount Vernon, Hovey's remarkable career helped shape both Indiana and the Union during one of America's defining eras.
📖 Harrison County Discovery Center
The Harrison County Discovery Center introduces visitors to the history, geology, wildlife, and archaeology of southern Indiana. Interactive exhibits make it an excellent first stop before exploring Corydon, Indiana's first state capital, and the county's many natural attractions.
📖 Hillforest House Museum
Step into an 1855 Italianate home and explore Aurora’s river-town history, Victorian furnishings, and the prosperity created by Ohio River commerce.
📖 Historic Cairo Mississippi River Iron Bridge
The Historic Cairo Mississippi River Iron Bridge stands as a reminder of the vital role railroads and river crossings played in connecting the nation. Travelers exploring Cairo can appreciate both the engineering achievement and the area's transportation history.
View Full Listing about Historic Cairo Mississippi River Iron Bridge
📖 Historic Guilford Covered Bridge
A historic 1879 covered bridge over Tanners Creek, offering a scenic glimpse of southeastern Indiana’s rural heritage near Guilford.
📖 Historic Huffman Mill Covered Bridge
Huffman Mill Covered Bridge is a historic covered bridge spanning the Anderson River in Anderson Township, Perry County, and Harrison Township, Spencer County, Indiana. It was built in 1864–1865, and is a 148-foot-long, Burr arch truss wood, stone, and steel...
View Full Listing about Historic Huffman Mill Covered Bridge
📖 Historic Madison Inc
Historic Madison, Inc. preserves and interprets the architecture, stories, and Ohio River heritage of one of Indiana’s most historic river towns.
📖 Historic Newburgh Inc.
Historic Newburgh, Inc. preserves and shares the story of Newburgh, Indiana, an Ohio River town with historic streets, riverfront views, and a rich regional past.
📖 Historic Rose Hill Neighborhood
The Historic Rose Hill Neighborhood features beautifully preserved homes, tree-lined streets, and rich architectural heritage. Located near downtown Jeffersonville, it offers visitors a chance to explore one of the city's oldest residential neighborhoods and experience its Ohio River history.
📖 Historic Tunnel Cairo Entrance
A small but evocative Cairo landmark, this tunnel entrance offers a glimpse into the city’s transportation history and strategic river-crossroads setting.
📖 Indiana Jim’s Prospector Hill
Indiana Jim's Prospector Hill (located at 7804 IN-166, Cannelton, IN) is a privately listed location that serves as a base for Indiana Jim, a well-known educational wildlife and animal program in the region. Our interactive and educational program features animals...
📖 Iron Bridge
Launch trailered boats on the Blue River at Old Iron Bridge Boat Ramp near Leavenworth, with ample parking and turnaround space.
📖 Isaac Knight Memorial
The Isaac Knight Memorial marks the original gravesite of frontier pioneer Isaac Knight, who survived more than two years in captivity after his 1793 capture. His remarkable journey remains one of the Ohio River Valley's most compelling early pioneer stories.
📖 Joan Marchand Bridge
This bridge is a rare surviving example of a 19th century pin-connected truss bridge designed for heavy urban traffic. Thus, the bridge has much more massive members and a wider deck than most surviving pin-connected metal truss bridges that remain...
📖 Kincaid Mounds State Historic Site, Illinois
Kincaid Mounds preserves the remains of a major Mississippian settlement in southern Illinois, including earthen mounds and archaeological traces dating roughly from A.D. 1050 to 1400.
View Full Listing about Kincaid Mounds State Historic Site, Illinois
📖 Lankford Cave Historic Site
Pause in Rockport to see Lankford Cave, a local historic-site stop with a natural-cave setting.
📖 Life on the Ohio River History Museum
Learn how the Ohio River shaped Vevay and the surrounding region through stories of local people, river industries, and transportation.
View Full Listing about Life on the Ohio River History Museum
📖 Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
Walk the Indiana landscape where Abraham Lincoln spent his youth, with museum exhibits, historic grounds, a reconstructed pioneer farm, trails, and the cemetery where his mother is buried.
📖 Lincoln Landing Monument
A Rockport riverfront monument recalling Abraham Lincoln’s southern Indiana years and the Ohio River Valley’s role in his early story.
📖 Lincoln Pioneer Village & Museum
A museum and outdoor pioneer village in Rockport featuring local-history exhibits and historic or reconstructed log buildings connected with the world of Abraham Lincoln’s Indiana years.
📖 Little Red Brick House
The historic Little Red Brick House in Newburgh, Indiana, is an 1850s-era landmark that was saved from demolition in 2017. Originally located on West Jennings Street, the 150-year-old structure was moved to the Old Lock and Dam Park along the...
📖 Locust Hill Cemetery and Arboretum
More than a cemetery, Locust Hill Cemetery and Arboretum preserves local history through its monuments, historic burials, and beautiful collection of mature trees. It offers visitors a peaceful place to explore the stories of the people who shaped the community.
📖 Lyman Hoyt House & Underground Railroad Center
A historic Jefferson County home associated with the Underground Railroad and preserved by Historic Eleutherian College, Inc.
View Full Listing about Lyman Hoyt House & Underground Railroad Center
📖 Madison Historic District Historical Marker
Madison Historic District, listed in National Register, 1973, in over 130 blocks contains hundreds of structures of every type, size, and period, 1812-1920, including many outstanding examples of major 19th century architectural styles. Madison is significant in growth of Indiana...
View Full Listing about Madison Historic District Historical Marker
📖 Magnolia Manor – Cairo
Magnolia Manor is a manor located in Cairo, Illinois, located in Alexander County built in 1869. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since December 17, 1969. The house is operated as a Victorian period historic...
📖 Millennium Park Rock (Historical Reference)
An unverified historical reference near Newburgh’s Ohio River waterfront; no reliable source confirms a formal attraction called Millennium Park Rock.
View Full Listing about Millennium Park Rock (Historical Reference)
📖 Mound City IC Depot
The Illinois Central Railroad Depot preserves Mound City's rich railroad heritage. Once serving passengers and freight, it helped connect this important Civil War river town with communities across the Midwest while supporting commerce, transportation, and regional growth.
📖 Mound City National Cemetery
Mound City National Cemetery is one of the most significant Civil War burial grounds in the Midwest. Visitors can honor the sacrifices of veterans while exploring an important piece of American history. West of town just off of the highway.
📖 Mound City National Cemetery Preservation Commission
A local preservation effort honoring the history and sacrifices remembered at Mound City National Cemetery, a Civil War-era cemetery in southern Illinois.
View Full Listing about Mound City National Cemetery Preservation Commission
📖 Mound City Shipyards
A historic Mound City riverfront site connected with the Union naval base, shipbuilding, repairs, and supply operations that supported Civil War campaigns in the Western Theater.
📖 Mount Vernon Indiana
Mount Vernon is a historic Posey County seat on Indiana’s Ohio River, where riverfront scenery, local heritage, and nearby outdoor areas make for a relaxed southwestern Indiana stop.
📖 Mount Vernon Veterans Memorial
The Mount Vernon Veterans Memorial honors local men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces. Located near the Ohio River riverfront, it provides a peaceful place to remember the sacrifices and service of veterans from every generation.
📖 Musee De Venoge
Musée de Venoge celebrates local history and culture while preserving artifacts connected to the community's past. We are an all-volunteer living history museum and our purpose is to understand and interpret the lives and material culture of the early French-Swiss...
📖 New Albany National Cemetery
Established during the Civil War, New Albany National Cemetery honors Union soldiers, veterans, and service members from later conflicts. Its quiet grounds provide a thoughtful place to reflect on New Albany’s military history.
📖 New Harmony–Mount Vernon Plank Road Toll Gate Site
This site marks the southern toll gate of the 1851 New Harmony–Mount Vernon Plank Road. The innovative toll road connected New Harmony with the Ohio River, improving travel, trade, and transportation while helping shape the early development of Posey County.
View Full Listing about New Harmony–Mount Vernon Plank Road Toll Gate Site
📖 New York Central RR Depot – Olmsted Illinois
Built in 1872, the New York Central Railroad Depot preserves Olmsted's railroad heritage. Now a museum and National Register landmark, it tells the story of the Cairo and Vincennes Railroad and the trains that helped shape southern Illinois.
View Full Listing about New York Central RR Depot – Olmsted Illinois
📖 Newburgh Indiana
Newburgh Indiana offers visitors an opportunity to explore local history, regional heritage, and the stories that helped shape the surrounding community. Travelers interested in discovering hidden gems, historical connections, and the character of the Midwest will find this site a...
📖 Newburgh Museum
Newburgh Museum offers visitors an opportunity to explore local history, regional heritage, and the stories that helped shape the surrounding community. Travelers interested in discovering hidden gems, historical connections, and the character of the Midwest will find this site a...
📖 North Cemetery – Mt. Vernon
Old North Cemetery is Mount Vernon's earliest pioneer burial ground, containing the graves of Judge John Pitcher, Civil War veterans, cholera victims, and many founding families. The historic cemetery preserves an important chapter of Posey County's frontier and Lincoln-era history.
📖 Ohio County Historical Society Museum
The Ohio County Historical Society Museum preserves the history of Rising Sun and Indiana's smallest county through local artifacts, historic exhibits, and the famous HOOSIER BOY racing boat, all housed inside a beautifully restored nineteenth-century factory.
View Full Listing about Ohio County Historical Society Museum
📖 Olmsted Locks and Dam
The Olmsted Locks and Dam is one of America's most important inland waterway projects. Completed in 2018, it replaced outdated locks and now moves millions of tons of cargo each year while offering visitors an impressive look at modern river engineering.
📖 Original Ft. Massac Site
The original Fort Massac site is located in Fort Massac State Park in Metropolis, Illinois. It features the preserved archaeological outline of the 1757 French fort, sitting directly on the Ohio River bluffs, along with an adjacent, reconstructed 1802 American...
📖 Perry County Museum
The Perry County Museum, located at the old Perry County Courthouse in Cannelton, is a 501c3 Non-Profit organization. Artifact and financial donations are greatly appreciated. The building was purchased by the Perry County Museum Board of Trustees in December 1998....
📖 Posey House
The Posey House preserves the home of Thomas Posey, Indiana Territory's last governor before statehood. Located at Corydon Capitol State Historic Site, it offers visitors a glimpse into frontier government and everyday life during Indiana's formative years.
📖 Reitz Home Museum
Explore one of the Midwest's finest Victorian homes at the Reitz Home Museum. This beautifully preserved 1871 mansion features original furnishings, stunning architecture, and guided tours that showcase Evansville's Gilded Age history and the legacy of the influential Reitz family.
📖 Schenck Mansion Bed & Breakfast
Built in 1874, the Schenck Mansion is a beautifully restored Italianate home that now operates as a bed and breakfast. Its elegant Victorian architecture and downtown Vevay location make it a perfect base for exploring Switzerland County's history.
📖 Scribner House
Built by city founder Joel Scribner, this early frame house is associated with New Albany’s founding and has been owned by the Piankeshaw Chapter of the DAR since 1917.
📖 Squire Boone Caverns
It was Squire Boone and his brother, Daniel, who discovered these caverns in 1790. Squire later escaped enemy capture by hiding in the caverns. From that day on, he considered the beautiful hills and valleys surrounding the caverns to be...
📖 Switzerland County Museum
The Switzerland County Historical Society, organized in 1925, is one of the oldest of Indiana’s county historical societies. The society has collected with a vision for the future by preserving a wide range of artifacts and documents that relay the...
📖 Switzerland County Tourism Visitor Center
The Switzerland County Tourism Visitor Center is the perfect starting point for exploring Vevay and southeastern Indiana. Pick up maps, travel guides, and local recommendations before discovering historic sites, wineries, museums, scenic drives, and beautiful views along the Ohio River.
View Full Listing about Switzerland County Tourism Visitor Center
📖 The Overlook Restaurant
During the 1937 flood, 'Old Leavenworth' was washed away. This caused the townsfolk to move up on the bluff. A little over 10 years later, the Overlook opened it's doors in 1948. Since money was short, only a little café...
📖 Thiebaud Farmstead | Switzerland County Historical Society
The Thiebaud Farmstead in Vevay preserves the agricultural traditions and rural heritage of southeastern Indiana. Visit during a special event or by appointment.
View Full Listing about Thiebaud Farmstead | Switzerland County Historical Society
📖 Thomas T. Wright House
Built in 1838 for steamboat captain Thomas T. Wright, this Greek Revival home overlooks the Ohio River near Vevay. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it reflects the prosperity and architectural elegance of Indiana's river commerce era.
📖 Triple Whipple Iron Bridge
Built in 1878, Aurora's Triple Whipple Iron Bridge is a rare and striking example of 19th-century wrought-iron bridge engineering over Laughery Creek.
📖 Veraestau Historic Site
Overlooking the Ohio River, Veraestau Historic Site preserves an elegant 1810 Federal-style mansion, formal gardens, and beautiful grounds. This National Historic Landmark tells the story of Indiana's early settlement, river commerce, and Underground Railroad heritage
📖 Wabash & Erie Canal marker
This Evansville historical marker recalls the Wabash & Erie Canal and the city’s role as the canal’s southern Ohio River terminus. It offers a brief look at how canal travel influenced Indiana commerce and settlement.
📖 Welcome to Indiana Sign
A roadside welcome to Indiana near Jeffersonville and the Ohio River—a simple photo stop and fitting starting point for exploring southern Indiana.
📖 Wesselman Woods and Nature Preserve
Explore shaded trails through one of Indiana’s largest remaining old-growth forests and discover the natural history of the Ohio River Valley.
📖 William Henry Harrison Log Cabin
The William Henry Harrison Log Cabin is an interpretive frontier cabin at Corydon Capitol State Historic Site. Furnished to represent early nineteenth-century pioneer life, it helps visitors understand the homes and daily experiences of Indiana Territory settlers.
📖 Wyandotte Caves
The Wyandotte Caves is a pair of limestone caves located on the Ohio River in Harrison–Crawford State Forest in Crawford County, Indiana, 5 miles (8 km) northeast of Leavenworth and 12 miles (19 km) from Corydon. Wyandotte Caves were designated...
Follow On the Trail travels
We share our travels of the towns, restaurants, motels, and history that we learn on our trips.
Join our email list to follow future articles in the On the Trail area and receive updates as new articles, historic locations, and travel guides are added.



