50 Interesting & Fun Facts About Indiana State to Know Visual Story

By Lauren Rey

Introduction

50 Interesting & Fun Facts About Indiana State to Know Visual Story

From speed races to Santa Claus, there are many interesting and fun facts about Indiana...

CATEGORY 1

Fun Facts on Indiana

CATEGORY 1 - FACT 1

The Indianapolis 500 draws in close to 250,000 visitors a year

The Indianapolis 500 is one of the most-watched motorsport races in the world. Close to...

actionsports/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 1 - FACT 2

Indiana's Wabash River is home to the oldest animal species in North America

The Wabash River spans over 500 miles throughout the state of Indiana. It is full...

CATEGORY 1 - FACT 3

Indiana is home to Santa Claus

The town of Santa Claus, Indiana, is known as America's Christmas Hometown. Established in 1856...

CATEGORY 1 - FACT 4

The Indiana Dunes are known as the birthplace of ecology

In 1896, botany professor Henry Chandler Cowles began studying the plant life along the shores...

CATEGORY 1 - FACT 5

There are over a hundred wineries in Indiana

One of the most fun facts of Indiana is its abundance of wineries! Most people...

CATEGORY 1 - FACT 6

13 different species of bats call Indiana home

Indiana has a diverse population of bats, including cave-dwelling bats and migratory bats. All of...

CATEGORY 1 - FACT 7

Indiana is known for popcorn

Not only does Indiana have a small town named Popcorn, the state is a major...

CATEGORY 1 - FACT 8

The Ohio River Scenic Byway was one of the original scenic byways in America

Spanning over 300 miles, the Ohio River Scenic Byway in southern Indiana is full of...

CATEGORY 1 - FACT 9

Indiana has the "Donut Capital of the World"

Tom's Donuts in Angola, Indiana, holds the Guinness World Record for most the donuts sold...

CATEGORY 1 - FACT 10

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is the largest children's museum in the world

At 225,000 square feet, the Children's Museum of Indianapolis holds the title of the world's...

CATEGORY 1 - FACT 11

Indiana has a Peony Festival

Peonies are the Indiana State Flower and are prevalent in gardens across the state. The...

CATEGORY 1 - FACT 12

Several movies have been filmed in Indiana

Indiana has served as the filming location for numerous movies over the years, from creepy...

CATEGORY 1 - FACT 13

Indiana has a historic automobile museum

Opened in 1974, the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum is a landmark in Auburn, Indiana...

CATEGORY 1 - FACT 14

Fairmount Indiana is home to Garfield the Cat

Famous cartoon creator Jim Davis was from Fairmount, Indiana. Most known for his beloved sarcastic...

CATEGORY 1 - FACT 15

Parke County Indiana is known as the Covered Bridge Capital of the World

One of the most interesting Indiana facts is the number of bridges in Parke County...

CATEGORY 2

Interesting Facts About Indiana

littleny/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 2 - FACT 1

Indiana is restoring bison populations

Bison were once native to Indiana, but due to habitat loss and hunting, they became...

littleny/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 2 - FACT 2

The Indiana State Flag was created by a local artist in a contest

In 1916 the state of Indiana ran a contest to create its state flag. It...

littleny/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 2 - FACT 3

Indiana pays homage to famed Revolutionary War Colonel George Rogers Clark

Indiana has strong ties to George Rogers Clark, the famed Revolutionary Colonel who captured Fort...

CATEGORY 2 - FACT 4

Indiana was home to famous poet James Whitcomb Riley

Born in Greenfield, Indiana, in 1849, James Whitcomb Riley became a beloved author and poet...

littleny/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 2 - FACT 5

The Indiana State Seal depicts its history even before statehood

The State Seal of Indiana is one of the oldest state seals, with renderings of...

littleny/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 2 - FACT 6

Indiana is known as the crossroads of America

Due to its centralized location in the US and proximity to major highways, Indiana became...

littleny/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 2 - FACT 7

The University of Notre Dame is in Indiana

Famous for its historic architecture and iconic football team, The Fighting Irish, the University of...

actionsports/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 2 - FACT 8

Television Host David Letterman is from Indiana

Born and raised in Indianapolis, David Letterman started his broadcasting career at his college radio...

littleny/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 2 - FACT 9

Indiana was home to the iconic Jackson Family

The legendary family of musicians, the Jackson Family, hailed from Indiana. Siblings Michael, Tito, Jermaine...

littleny/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 2 - FACT 10

The Raggedy Ann Doll was created in Indiana

In 1915, Indianapolis cartoonist and children's book author, Johnny Gruelle created the now-famous Raggedy Ann...

littleny/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 3

Weird Facts About Indiana

CATEGORY 3 - FACT 1

Indiana is nicknamed the "Hoosier" state, but no one really knows why

One of the most interesting facts about the state of Indiana lies within its nickname...

CATEGORY 3 - FACT 2

Indiana has been called "The Mother of Vice Presidents"

To date, 6 United States Vice Presidents have hailed from Indiana, leading to the state...

CATEGORY 3 - FACT 3

Indiana does not have a state animal

While there is an Indiana state bird, the cardinal, there is no Indiana state animal...

CATEGORY 3 - FACT 4

There's a random tree full of shoes in Indiana

There couldn't be a list of weird Indiana facts without mentioning the Milltown shoe tree...

CATEGORY 3 - FACT 5

The "Limestone Capital of the World" is Bedford Indiana

Known for its large quarries of limestone, Bedford, Indiana, has been called the "Limestone Capital...

CATEGORY 4

Cool Facts About Indiana

jetcityimage2/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 4 - FACT 1

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the highest-capacity sports venue in the world

With seating for 250,000 and an overall capacity of 400,000, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has...

jetcityimage2/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 4 - FACT 2

The state held the first professional baseball game

On May 4th, 1871, players took the field in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in what became...

jetcityimage2/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 4 - FACT 3

You can traverse an underground river at Indiana Caverns

Indiana Caverns is not only Indiana's longest cave, it also has an underground river flowing...

jetcityimage2/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 4 - FACT 4

South Bend, Indiana, is known for roller derby

The South Bend Roller Girls is Indiana's iconic roller derby team. Founded in 2010, the...

jetcityimage2/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 4 - FACT 5

Indiana has some serious basketball fans

Basketball has a strong influence on Indiana culture. From high school to college teams, the...

jetcityimage2/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 5

Creepy Facts About Indiana

CATEGORY 5 - FACT 1

The dunes on Lake Michigan are rumored to be haunted

In the early 1900s, Alice Mabel Gray lived in a shack along the dunes of...

CATEGORY 5 - FACT 2

Indiana is home to the haunted Whispers Estate

Known as the house "where the walls really do talk," the Whispers Estate has been...

CATEGORY 5 - FACT 3

There are creepy catacombs beneath the Indianapolis City Market

Below the Indianapolis City Market sits the remnants of an abandoned basement system known as...

CATEGORY 5 - FACT 4

Several notorious killers have come from Indiana

One of the darker facts on Indiana is its history of killers. From HH Holmes...

CATEGORY 5 - FACT 5

Indiana has several ghost towns

There are an estimated 41 towns across Indiana that can be classified as ghost towns...

CATEGORY 6

Historical Facts About Indiana

sgoodwin4813/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 6 - FACT 1

Indiana had the first train robbery in American history

The first train robbery in American history happened in 1866 in Jackson County, Indiana. The...

sgoodwin4813/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 6 - FACT 2

Vincennes is the oldest city in Indiana

Established in 1732, the city of Vincennes is the oldest city in Indiana. Originally founded...

CATEGORY 6 - FACT 3

Indiana is the historic homeland of many Native Americans

Prior to European arrival, Indiana was home to over 16 different Native American tribes. Between...

sgoodwin4813/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 6 - FACT 4

Indiana's William Henry Harrison served the shortest presidential term in US history

In 1840 the Governor of Indiana, Willian Henry Harrison, ran for President of the United...

sgoodwin4813/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 6 - FACT 5

Famous Indiana musician Paul Dresser wrote the Indiana State Song

Paul Dresser was a prominent musician in Indiana in the late 1800s. He composed over...

sgoodwin4813/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 7

Important Facts About Indiana

zrfphoto/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 7 - FACT 1

Indiana Territory became the 19th state added to the United States

On December 11th, 1816, the Indiana Territory was signed into statehood by President James Madison...

zrfphoto/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 7 - FACT 2

Indiana was a key state in the Civil War

One of the most important facts about the state of Indiana was its role in...

zrfphoto/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 7 - FACT 3

Indiana was home to "The Grand Central Station of the Underground Railroad"

The historic Indiana home of Levi and Catherine Coffin became known as "the Grand Central...

zrfphoto/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 7 - FACT 4

Abraham Lincoln grew up in Indiana

Now a national memorial site and park, the childhood home of Abraham Lincoln is located...

zrfphoto/Depositphotos.com

CATEGORY 7 - FACT 5

The first city in the world to install electric streetlights was Wabash Indiana

In 1880, Wabash, Indiana, made history by being the first city in the world to...

zrfphoto/Depositphotos.com

Conclusion

In Summary

With all these interesting Indiana facts, it's easy to see why there is so much...

Discover more

Tap or swipe up to see more guides packed with photos and tips.