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<\/p>\nPrioritize the fun things to do in Richmond if you plan to visit East Central Indiana.<\/p>\n
This city, after all, is not only the seat of Wayne County but also a part of the vibrant Dayton, Ohio metropolitan area. <\/p>\n
Richmond\u2019s name likewise aptly suggests a fertile resource for visitors to enjoy.<\/p>\n
Incorporated in 1818, Richmond was first called Smithville but was renamed supposedly because of the fertile local soil.<\/p>\n
Various other factors contributed to the early development of Richmond, but one of the most significant was the Cumberland (or National) Road.<\/p>\n
This national road bisects the city east to west and has been pivotal to growing Richmond as a manufacturing center with a fertile land resource.<\/p>\n
Additionally, the East Fork Whitewater River runs across the city, nourishing the lush greeneries along its banks.<\/p>\n
Today, agricultural marketing and processing remain important economic drivers for Richmond.<\/p>\n
There are other anchors to the development of this city as an exciting travel destination.<\/p>\n
Learn more about these in the following list of best things to do in Richmond.<\/p>\n
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Kenneth Keifer \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n
This Richmond point of interest is man-made and formed through a diversion of the course of a stream to a rocky ledge.<\/p>\n
Timothy Thistlethwaite and his brother-in-law Joseph Ratliff accomplished this feat in 1854 to form the falls, whose current was tapped to run several mills.<\/p>\n
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Ty B Wilson \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n
With the mills now gone, the Thistlethwaite Falls has become a tourist draw where you can wade its shallow waters and explore nearby creeks.<\/p>\n
Just a short walk on Waterfall Road will also lead you to the nearby 104-acre Springwood Park with a 30-acre lake.<\/p>\n
The park\u2019s facilities include nature trails, picnic areas, restrooms, a playground, and sports fields.<\/p>\n
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Kenneth Keifer \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n
This museum on North A Street is composed of eight buildings where the displays focus on Wayne County and world culture.<\/p>\n
Described as a \u201cminiature Smithsonian,\u201d the museum holds many important artifacts on the history of Wayne County.<\/p>\n
These collections cover the county\u2019s early pioneer years through the Industrial Revolution and into the modern era.<\/p>\n
The museum also displays the cultural objects collected by the museum\u2019s founder, Julia Meek Gaar, during her worldwide travels.<\/p>\n
An Egyptian mummy is one of these, which has a counterpart in the Joseph Moore Museum in Earlham College and Richmond.<\/p>\n
Because of these two Egyptian artifacts, the city has earned the moniker “Mummy Capital of Indiana.”<\/p>\n
Approximately four blocks along Fort Wayne Avenue and North E Street comprise this charming commercial district established in 1902.<\/p>\n
During its early years, the Historic Depot District was a hub for the transport of goods, especially for moving commodities via the Underground Railroad.<\/p>\n
Commercial establishments, galleries, pubs, and restaurants took over the district following its revitalization in more contemporary times.<\/p>\n
The Historic Depot District, however, retains its vintage feel courtesy of the beautiful architecture of its commercial buildings.<\/p>\n
Such ambiance injects a quaint flavor to the franchise restaurants and big chain stores in the district.<\/p>\n
Richmond visitors are more likely to drift more to the shops and restaurants homegrown in Richmond City.<\/p>\n
This museum is located at the campus of the Earlham College on National Road West.<\/p>\n
The Joseph Moore Museum will mainly inspire your interest in science and the natural world.<\/p>\n
Ta\u2019an, the Egyptian mummy that was purchased in 1889 for the Earlham College collection, will likely pique your curiosity too.<\/p>\n
The museum\u2019s Pleistocene Giants<\/em> exhibit is another crowd-drawer in this museum, with its display of the college\u2019s favorite specimens of giant slot and giant beaver.<\/p>\n You can also tour the museum\u2019s Ralph Teetor Planetarium for free, which is also open to group tours.<\/p>\n Deansfa<\/a>, CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/p>\n Established in 1885, this park is Richmond city\u2019s most popular and the largest at 194 acres.<\/p>\n The Glen Miller Park spreads on East Main Street, and here, you can relax watching ducks and geese swim at its centerpiece pond, where fishing is allowed.<\/p>\n Deansfa<\/a>, CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/p>\n Various sports amenities have been developed in this park, including tennis courts, a disc golf course, and a practice golf layout.<\/p>\n Kids love this park, as it provides an ADA-accessible playground, a splash pad, and an 11,000-square-foot skating area.<\/p>\n Visitors of this park can also enjoy its nature and picnic areas, floral garden, and open-air and enclosed shelters.<\/p>\n Deansfa<\/a>, CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/p>\n The Hayes Arboretum, accessible from Elks Road, is a 466-acre private property classified as a forest.<\/p>\n This project of the S.W. Hayes Research Foundation provides educational activities and recreational experiences focusing on nature.<\/p>\n Hayes Arboretum boasts 3 percent of Indiana\u2019s old-growth forest, as well as vast reforested woodlands.<\/p>\n Arboretum visitors can enjoy an auto tour of this expansive private forest and its Nature Center converted from an 1833 dairy barn.<\/p>\n The Hayes Arboretum also has 16 miles of trails, 7.5 miles dedicated to mountain biking.<\/p>\n Notably, this biking trail has been named one of the top 10 in Indiana.<\/p>\n This museum is located on North 8thStreet and displays Model T Ford automobiles manufactured from 1908 to 1927.<\/p>\n The museum\u2019s collection includes one of the first Model T Ford manufactured and one of its last.<\/p>\n The Model T Ford Museum also features memorabilia related to the car model, a vintage garage, a working machine shop, a showroom, and a Pietenpol airplane.<\/p>\n Visitors can also check out for souvenirs at the museum\u2019s gift and bookshop, as well as browse at the Bruce McCalley Memorial Library and Research Center.<\/p>\n The Model T Ford Club of America, founded in 1965, established this museum to educate the public on the history and evolution of the pioneering automobile Model T Ford.<\/p>\n This facility for dirt bike enthusiasts is located at the 30-acre Freeman Park along New Paris Pike.<\/p>\n The City Bike Park, formerly called the Rose City BMX Track, is designed with two lanes and runs at approximately 1,180 feet in length.<\/p>\n The right lane is for beginner or intermediate bikers, whether adult or kids, who want to improve their dirt-track riding skills.<\/p>\n The left lane is for the skilled riders who have already mastered their manuals and can execute jumping routines on the track\u2019s berms.<\/p>\n Aside from this bikers\u2019 facility, its mother, Freeman Park, offers a basketball court, a soccer field, and a picnic area.<\/p>\n Cathy Cline<\/a>, CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/p>\n Richmond is home to the historic warehouse and administration building of Starr Piano Company, which also produced phonographs and records.<\/p>\n This company, which operated from the late 1890s up to the mid-1900s, is the parent company of the Gennett recording studio.<\/p>\n Part of Starr Piano\u2019s brick industrial building in Richmond\u2019s South 1st Street has been preserved and is now a feature of the city\u2019s scenic Whitewater Gorge Park.<\/p>\n The preserved two-story, five-sided structure now also houses the Gennett Records Walk of Fame.<\/p>\n Cathy Cline<\/a>, CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/p>\n Initiated in 2007, it honors the artists of Gennett Records with significant contributions to American music history.<\/p>\n Louis Armstrong and Gene Autry notably led those inducted to the Gennett Records Walk of Fame.<\/p>\n Other Hall of Fame inductees include musicians who popularized distinctly American musical genres of country, jazz, blues, gospel, and popular music.<\/p>\n Spoken word and the music of Native Americans and other ethnicities are also honored in the Gennett Records Walk of Fame.<\/p>\n This 405-acre reservoir, which provides 60 percent of Richmond\u2019s water supply, forms a 177-acre lake open for boating and fishing.<\/p>\n The most popular fish species caught at the Middlefork Reservoir are Common carp, Largemouth bass, and Channel catfish.<\/p>\n You can access the reservoir via Sylvan Nook Drive, off US 27 North, and upon entry, you can easily find the boat launch and boat rentals.<\/p>\n There are also recreational facilities on the reservoir\u2019s scenic grounds, such as indoor and outdoor picnic areas and a dynamic playground.<\/p>\n Richmond\u2019s lone dog park, Hill\u2019s Bark Park, is also located at the Middlefork Reservoir.<\/p>\n If you are among the 15 million US horseshoe pitching aficionados, Clear Creek Park is one destination you\u2019d want to go to.<\/p>\n The horseshoe courts of this park are the domain of the Rose City Horseshoe League, which holds weekly meets aside from competitions during summer and fall.<\/p>\n There are also other sports and recreational facilities at this 49-acre park on West Main Street.<\/p>\n Those for sports include a stadium, baseball\/softball diamonds, and playing courts for basketball and tennis.<\/p>\n Non-players visiting Clear Creek Park can hang out at its playground, concessions, and picnic areas.<\/p>\n The Highland Lake Golf Course features a well-maintained 18-hole championship layout with large, fast greens promising a wonderful round.<\/p>\n Located on Highland Road, this golf course plays at 6,981 yards from its farthest tee placements.<\/p>\n Regulation play is at par of 72 in this course which has a 71.5 rating and a 118 slope rating on Bluegrass.<\/p>\n Opened in 1972, this golf facility provides pull carts, motorized carts, rental clubs, and a wide selection of accessories at its Pro Shop.<\/p>\n Golfers can sharpen their game in Highland Lake\u2019s three-practice greens and driving range.<\/p>\n A family-owned and operated enterprise, this RV campground on Middleboro Pike has been in operation for more than 50 years.<\/p>\n It has therefore fine-tuned the facilities and activities that Indiana travelers and visitors require.<\/p>\n At Grandpa’s Farm Campground & RV Park, you can choose from tent and RV sites in open or wooded areas, as well as several picks along the Whitewater River.<\/p>\n The campground provides full hook-ups for water, electric power, and sewer.<\/p>\n Each site has a fire ring and picnic table, and wireless Internet and a dump station are also available.<\/p>\n There is also a heated swimming pool in this campground, and the nearby river offers you the opportunity for fishing.<\/p>\n The campground\u2019s area is likewise geared for fun activities like basketball, volleyball, shuffleboard, horseshoe pitching, Frisbee, and hiking.<\/p>\n This unique park is located on the corner of Bridge Avenue and Sim Hodgin Avenue.<\/p>\n Its main attraction is a pile of fossiliferous rock brought to the site by workers of the Indiana Department of Transportation from a road cut near the city limits.<\/p>\n Impressions of prehistoric marine creatures are embedded on these rocks, indicating the \u201cRichmondian Age\u201d dating back to 440 million years ago.<\/p>\n After a peek at these fossils, you can turn to the nearby Bicentennial Park on the eastern banks of the Whitewater River.<\/p>\n There are picnic areas in this scenic river valley area.<\/p>\n This art center, formerly known as the Art Association of Richmond, was founded in 1898 and takes pride as the second oldest in Indiana.<\/p>\n Richmond Art Museum (RAM) immediately impresses its visitors with RAM\u2019s permanent exhibit of 19th and 20th Century artworks.<\/p>\n One much-anticipated project of RAM is its annual hosting of the Secret Garden Tour, focusing on artworks in local public spaces.<\/p>\n RAM, located on Hub Etchison Parkway, is also remarkable for its various child-centered projects to stimulate the creative minds of the young.<\/p>\n These activities include an annual high school art competition and a festival of films produced by high-schoolers.<\/p>\n Be sure to prepare for a full day\u2019s schedule if you\u2019re visiting Richmond, as this city brims with points of interest that you wouldn\u2019t want to miss.<\/p>\n The parks of this city are expansive and loaded with facilities that can cater to any hobby or interest.<\/p>\n The cultural attractions in Richmond are likewise varied, as shown by its museums and art center revolving around diverse themes. <\/p>\n With a well-laid-out list of things to do in Richmond, you can be sure that there won\u2019t be a dull moment in your visit to this city.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Prioritize the fun things to do in Richmond if you plan to visit East Central Indiana. This city, after all, is not only the seat of Wayne County but also a part of the vibrant Dayton, Ohio metropolitan area. Richmond\u2019s name likewise aptly suggests a fertile resource for visitors to enjoy. Incorporated in 1818, Richmond […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":78677,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1306,514,2359,1200,1199,45],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travellens.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78667"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travellens.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travellens.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travellens.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travellens.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78667"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.travellens.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78667\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78676,"href":"https:\/\/www.travellens.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78667\/revisions\/78676"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travellens.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travellens.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travellens.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travellens.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Have Fun at the Glen Miller Park<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nEnjoy Nature at the Hayes Arboretum<\/h2>\n
Check Out the Model T Ford Museum<\/h2>\n
Choose Your Lane at the City Bike Park<\/h2>\n
Tour the Starr Piano Historic Landmarks<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nGo Paddling\/Fishing at the Middlefork Reservoir<\/h2>\n
Play Horseshoe at Clear Creek Park<\/h2>\n
Tee Off at the Highland Lake Golf Course<\/h2>\n
Park Your RV at Grandpa’s Farm Campground<\/h2>\n
Peek on Unearthed Rocks at Richmond Fossil Park<\/h2>\n
Visit the Richmond Art Museum<\/h2>\n
Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n