Story Ideas
We love hosting writers, bloggers and videographers as you share travel tales with your audiences. So come on in! Your next story is waiting to be told.
26 story ideas in ’26
Spring
Back to Top of List
01 WAVE THE CHECKERED FLAG
Known as the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway over Memorial Day weekend is the largest single-day sporting event in the world.
02 PUT ON A NEW COAT
The World’s Largest Ball of Paint in Alexandria has grown to a gargantuan, 11,000-pound orb consisting of 30,000-plus layers of paint. Visitors can add a coat of paint to the growing spectacle.
03 GO UNDERGROUND
Travel down into Indiana caves like Indiana Caverns in Corydon (part of one of the largest cave systems in the U.S.), Marengo Cave in Marengo, Squire Boone Caverns in Mauckport, and Bluesprings Caverns in Bedford.
04 UNWIND IN A LABYRINTH
Check out New Harmony, a historic area from the 1800’s with innovative modern architecture, guided tours, and two walking labyrinths that reveal a fascinating and informative peek at the lore and legends that remain.
05 PLAY FARMER IN THE DELL
A premier agritourism destination, Fair Oaks Farms in Newton County offers plenty of fun, educational, and interactive experiences, from a dairy museum to a pig farm tour, to a pollinator garden, to an indoor ropes course.
06 EXPERIENCE AMISH CULTURE
Elkhart and Shipshewana are home to one of the largest Amish populations in the U.S. The culture harks back to a peaceful, simpler time when the most popular mode of transportation was a horse and buggy.
Summer
Back to Top of List
07 HIT THE SAND
Framed by 15 picturesque miles of Lake Michigan coastline, the Indiana Dunes features more than 50 miles of hiking trails winding through wooded terrain that includes wetlands and a variety of bird habitats.
08 MAKE A SPLASH
Indiana amusement parks thrill and chill visitors with spectacular water rides. Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari in Santa Claus boasts the Guinness World Records–certified Mammoth Water Coaster.
09 TAKE A DEEP DIVE
Logansport’s France Park showcases scenic trails, a waterfall, and a clear swimming lake with a beach that looks out into the Quarry Cliffs.
10 SQUEAL YOUR TIRES
Badlands Off Road Park in Attica features more than 1,400 acres of diverse terrain where ATVs, dirt bikes, Jeeps, trucks, side-by-sides, and more are all welcome to take a spin.
11 EMBRACE LAKE LIVING
Patoka Lake in Birdseye is an 8,800-acre lake surrounded by a wide variety of lodging options, such as cabins and villas, but houseboats and floating cabins are available for visitors who prefer to stay directly on the water.
12 BRAVE WHITEWATER RAPIDS
South Bend’s East Race Waterway features around 2,000 feet of Class II rapids, as well as 5 miles of paved walking/running paths along the banks.
Fall
Back to Top of List
13 PEEP SOME LEAVES
Brown County State Park in Nashville provides an idyllic autumn scene with rolling hills and hollers covered in leaves of vibrant colors.
14 TROT INTO SLEEPY HOLLOW
Fans of author Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow can immerse themselves in a thrilling take on the gothic folk tale at the Headless Horseman Festival at Conner Prairie in Fishers.
15 EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD
Built in 1902, the 200-footwide and 100-foot-tall domed atrium at West Baden Springs Hotel is a sight for architecture aficionados and luxury travelers alike. Tours of the impressive hotel, as well as the adjacent French Lick Springs Hotel at the French Lick Resort, detail the history of the site once famous for its healing mineral springs.
17 COVERED BRIDGE CAPITAL
The Parke County Covered Bridge Festival is a huge 10-day celebration in October with several participating communities.
Winter
Back to Top of List
18 RACE DOWN A TOBOGGAN RUN
Making a pilgrimage north to zip down the toboggan run at Pokagon State Park and whizzing along the quarter-mile refrigerated track at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour has become an annual wintertime tradition for Indiana families, as well as visitors from other states.
19 HIT THE SLOPES
Indiana provides impressive outdoor snow activities. For skiing and sledding, opt for Paoli Peaks in Paoli and Perfect North Slopes in Lawrenceburg. Koteewi Run in Noblesville’s Strawtown Koteewi Park has guests sliding down 700 feet of groomed lanes in their custom tubes.
20 ACT LIKE A KID AGAIN
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is partnering with Disney to create the first-ever Princess Tiana exhibit, curated right here in Indianapolis before it travels the world to other museums. Disney’s Princess Tiana’s story comes to life on March 7, 2026–Jan. 3, 2027. Find the spirit of New Orleans by exploring the art, food, dance, music, and collaborative spirit alongside Princess Tiana.
21 EMBRACE HOOSIER HYSTERIA
Basketball will always hold a special place in Indiana’s heart, and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in New Castle is a testament to our hoops obsession. The Hoosier Gym in Knightstown, a historic gymnasium featured prominently in the movie Hoosiers, has been preserved as a living museum. If you still can’t get enough basketball, head west to the Larry Bird Museum in Terre Haute.
Holiday
Back to Top of List
22 VIEW MINTS IN THE MAKING
Established in 1919, Martinsville Candy Kitchen in Morgan County is touted as “the sweetest place around.” Famous for its candy canes, the red-and-white-striped confectionery allows visitors to watch demos of their peppermint treats being made.
23 LET RUDOLPH GUIDE YOUR SLEIGH
Deer devotees and anyone for whom Rudolph is the reason for the season can expect to see a litany of deer at Whitetail Acres Nursery & Landscaping’s Reindeer Encounter in Brookville.
24 MAIL A LETTER TO SANTA CLAUS
Take in all the festivities of Santa Claus, Indiana, where guests can visit with Santa and mail cards to the North Pole. The Santa Claus Post Office helps visitors make their lists and check them twice to ensure that Kris Kringle sorts his letters into the correct naughty and nice piles.
25 GET STUCK TO A LIGHT POLE
Remember the scene in the movie A Christmas Story when Ralphie’s schoolmate Flick is triple-dog-dared to affix his tongue to a frozen light pole? The Indiana Welcome Center in Hammond commissioned a bronze sculpture to immortalize the unfortunate incident.
26 DO PAUL BUNYAN PROUD
If you have room to tie a Christmas tree to the roof of your car—or you just really love the scent of pine—explore Dull’s Tree Farm in Thorntown to cut down a towering evergreen (or a cute Charlie Brown–size version) to take home.
What's New IN Indiana
Back to Top of List
LET THE GAMES BEGIN
West Baden Hotel Billiard and Bowling Pavilion at French Lick Resort is open for the first time in more than 90 years! The historic pavilion features six lanes and two pool tables restored to the throwback experience. Guests from both hotels can use the facility.
IN THE STARS
Fort Wayne’s Science Central is set to open the region’s only public planetarium on March 25 and 26, 2026. The planetarium will offer immersive cosmic experiences with cutting-edge projection technology.
126 ACRES OF FUN
Sky Lake Adventures opens its first phase in the summer of 2026 in Sheridan. It includes a natural lake with a water adventure area, an all-season tubing hill, and a treetop ropes course.
BOOMING DOWNTOWN
Ball State University and the city of Muncie are revitalizing their commercial district, The Village. The project includes a 97-room hotel, The Cantio Hotel, as well as new entertainment venues, spaces for living, working, and dining. Project completion is ongoing in 2026-2027.
Have Questions?
Brandon Caldwell SOCIAL MEDIA PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
Phone