Louis J. Koch had a dream--one of family, fun, and Christmastime year-round. And so he created Santa Claus Land, the nations first theme park, in Santa Claus, located in the gentle rolling hills of southern Indiana. Now, six decades later, Kochs legacy lives on at Holiday World and Splashin Safari. Still owned and operated by the Koch family, Holiday World and Splashin Safari are consistently voted the friendliest and cleanest parks in the country, and their wooden roller coasters are rated in the top ten list among coaster enthusiasts. The Koch family members treat visitors to the park as...

Madison, tucked among the rolling southeastern hills that meander toward the Ohio River, was settled when Indiana was still a territory and became a city in 1809. A major river port, Madison thrived during the steamboat era as well as when railroads came to dominate the landscape. The citys glorious past is still on display. Many magnificent edifices dating back to eras from the beginning of the 1800s to the early 20th century provide wonderful examples of Federal, Greek Revival, and Italianate architecture. The National Register of Historic Places lists over 133 Madison blocks, making it...

Once an almost impenetrable landscape of dunes, marshes, and woodlands hugging the southern shore of Lake Michigan, the land comprising what would become East Chicago was a developer's dream for the emerging steel industry. Considered one of the country's ultimate melting pots, four out of five of its citizens hailed from other countries, each bringing their valued cultures and traditions to this thriving metropolis. The industrial jobs, requiring hard work and much grit, provided a way out of poverty, but the area also offered beautiful parks and mansions along the waterfront, as well as...