Auburn

Indiana’s “Hub of Transportation Heritage” seems a perfectly appropriate road-trip destination for car buffs and gearheads of all stripes.

From Noblesville, take the scenic route east on State Road 32, catching State Road 9 north in Anderson and continuing up through Marion with a pit stop to pay your respects at James Dean’s gravesite in Fairmount. Tracking down the dozen or so whimsical cat statues that make up the Garfield Trail in Grant County provides enough fodder for an entire day of amusement. If you’re hungry and passing through Huntington around lunchtime, Nick’s Kitchen claims to have originated the classic Indiana pork tenderloin sandwich.

Another hour to the north up I-69 past Fort Wayne, Auburn introduces an assortment of museums celebrating the town’s proud automotive legacy amid a mostly rural landscape. With more than 100 classic rides on display across a 1930s Art Deco showroom in the former Auburn Automobile Company digs, the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum makes a logical first stop. The National Auto & Truck Museum, the International Monster Truck Museum & Hall of Fame, and the Early Ford V-8 Foundation Museum offer even more car exhibits to ogle.

Not into autos? Beeline over to the Garrett Museum of Art in the historic Garrett State Bank building to admire works by local, regional, and national creators. Toward the eastern DeKalb County border, you can shop the sweet-and-sour wares of Sechler’s Pickles at its home factory in St. Joe. Back in Auburn, stretch your legs before the long ride home with a stroll through Eckhart Park, a peaceful 10-acre sanctuary populated with a nature trail, disc golf facilities, sand volleyball courts, and a playground for the kids. Or try your luck navigating Indiana’s largest seasonal corn maze at North Folks Farms.

The Scenic Route

From U.S. 31 north, take S.R. 32 east through Westfield, Noblesville, and Anderson, then pick up S.R. 9 north. Continue through Alexandria, Summitville, and Huntington. Near Huntington, take U.S. 24 east, then connect to I-69 for nearly 30 miles into Auburn.

Oldenburg

It’s not every day a tiny southeastern Indiana town earns James Beard recognition, but little Oldenburg (pop. 647) gets to claim the significant accolade. The prestigious national culinary foundation bestowed “American Classic” status on the humble Wagner’s Village Inn in 2023 for its peppery fried chicken cooked the old-school way—with lard in cast-iron skillets that have been in service for years.

The ubiquitous family-style chicken dinners are just one reason to road trip, though. Framed by a picture-postcard skyline of church steeples, the “Village of Spires” makes a visually stunning first impression on the approach from State Road 229. The Old World flavor hasn’t changed much since the town was settled by German immigrants in the early 1800s. Street signs still boast bilingual names, and sauerkraut and schnitzel are mainstays on local restaurant menus. A strong Catholic influence is alive and well, too, thanks to the steadying continued presence of the Holy Family Church established in 1837 and the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception affiliated with the Sisters of St. Francis (tours of the convent and campus are available).

A few miles south down the road, the city of Batesville transforms into “Booville” for the month of October with ongoing Halloween-themed activities and events. Pop into the Bierhaus at the half-timbered Sherman Hotel and raise a hefty stein of suds in front of the handsome hammered-copper bar. Family-owned Vogt Farm also gets into the seasonal spirit with pumpkin picking and pony rides on the weekends, and Ertel Cellars Winery and Bistro’s 20th annual fall festival (this year, October 2 and 3) features live music and dancing under a big-top tent.

To the north of Oldenburg, where State Road 229 intersects with U.S. 52, the charmingly preserved village of Metamora hosts Canal Days the first weekend in October, livening up the quaint 1800s-era Whitewater Canal State Historic Site with vendor booths hawking arts, crafts, handmade wares, and collectible items.

The Scenic Route

From I-74 east, exit at S.R. 9 toward Shelbyville and continue south through Shelbyville and Hope. Near Schaefer Lake, take S.R. 46 east through Greensburg, continuing to Batesville, then follow S.R. 229 north into Oldenburg.

Wander

If the point of a scenic drive is to skip the interstate in favor of winding roads that showcase small-town charm, Indiana offers half a dozen routes that allow travelers to detour off the beaten path and downshift to a more leisurely speed.

Lincoln Highway
Reaching across the northern portion of the Hoosier state, the Indiana Lincoln Highway links major hubs like Fort Wayne and South Bend. The byway was created as a coast-to-coast highway, ultimately connecting Indiana to San Francisco and New York. Along the drive, watch for the ebbs and flow of the Wabash River and keep an eye out for the route’s concrete markers laid by Boy Scouts of America in 1928. Other sites of historical significance include the only brick portion of the Lincoln Highway left in Indiana—it’s marked Old 33—just outside Ligonier.

Historic National Road
Spanning from Terre Haute to Richmond, the Indiana Historic National Road is a 156‑mile segment of the original National Road (U.S. 40). The byway was designated an All‑American Road in 2000 for its extraordinary scenic, cultural, and historic features. Cities along the byway are known for their pre‑Civil War buildings and Victorian neighborhoods. Also worth checking out are the many historic sites, including the Madonna of the Trail monument at the entrance to Richmond’s Glen Miller Park, one of only 12 national monuments honoring pioneer women.

Whitewater Canal Scenic Byway
Created in the 1830s to connect Indiana’s fertile Whitewater Valley to bustling communities in Ohio, like Cincinnati, and along the Mississippi River, the Whitewater Canal Scenic Byway is a 78‑mile route in southeastern Indiana. It follows the historic Whitewater Canal through rolling farmland, steep hills, and small towns. It was designated a National Scenic Byway in 2021 and is known for its natural archways formed by ancient trees and numerous scenic overlooks.

Hoosier Hills Scenic Byway
The newest byway, Hoosier Hills is a state-designated scenic route in south-central Indiana connecting the Historic National Road (U.S. 40) in Hendricks County to the Historic Pathways (U.S. 50) in Jackson County. It passes through Morgan and Brown counties, full of rolling hills and dense hardwood forests. Nashville, for example, has been dubbed Indiana’s “Little Smokies” for its spectacular views—like the striking Hesitation Point.

Indiana’s Historic Pathways
First recognized as a state byway in 2004, Indiana’s Historic Pathways is a 250‑mile National Scenic Byway that winds through the hills, farmlands, and river valleys of Southern Indiana. It was created to connect U.S. 150 and U.S. 50, routes that were among the first and most important east‑west land corridors in Southern Indiana, linking major cities like Cincinnati, Louisville, and New Orleans. Between exploring Devonian era fossil beds at the Falls of the Ohio State Park and taking in the massive free-spanning dome at West Baden Springs Hotel in French Lick, there is so much to see and do on this byway.

Historic Michigan Road Byway
This historic scenic byway pursues the original route of one of the state’s earliest and most important transportation corridors, the Michigan Road, which followed old Native American trails and animal paths. The 270-mile road was built in the 1830s to connect Madison on the Ohio River up to Michigan City on Lake Michigan, passing through Indianapolis along the way.  —Michelle Mastro