|
|
 |
| Attractions |
|
|
| GrouseLand |
The home of William Henry Harrison and his family from 1804-1812 when Harrison, later the ninth U.S. President, was governor of the Indiana Territory. Harrison was born in Virginia and had a successful military career prior to entering politics in 1795. During Harrison’s governorship of the Territory, Grouseland was a focal point of political and social life. The magnificent Mansion, built in 1803-1804, is one of the oldest structures in Indiana. It was here that Harrison met with many important people of the day. Little Turtle the powerful Miami Chief, Meriweather Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and Aaron Burr were all visitors. It was at Grouseland during the summers of 1810-1811 that Governor Harrison met with great Shawnee Chief Tecumseh in the Walnut Grove at the front door of Grouseland. Their failure to come to an agreement led to the Battle of Tippecanoe and the beginning of the War of 1812 in the west. The Francis Vigo Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution was responsible for saving Grouseland in 1908. The Mansion is now managed by the Grouseland Foundation.
Hours:
March-December 9am - 4pm
January-February 11 am - 4 pm
Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Years Day.
Admission Fee:
$5.00/adult $3.00/high school & college
$2.00/students, under age 5 free
$4.00 Seniors
Contact:
Address: 3 West Scott Street
Phone: (812) 882-2096
Group tours call: 1-800-886-6443
The Old French House
This home of French fur trader and Indian interpreter Michell Brouillet was built about 1806. This house is an excellent example of French Creole architecture, and is furnished much as it would have been when Brouillet lived there with his large family. The loft features an exhibit on fur trade. The French House now sits in the heart of what was once a Piankeshaw Indian village called Chippecoke.
Admission Fee:
$1.00/adults $.50/students
Contact:
Address: 1st & Seminary Streets
Phone: (812) 882-7886
Group tours call: 1-800-886-6443
|
|
| Vincennes State Historic Sites |
From 1800 to 1813, while Vincennes was the capital of the Indiana Territory, the Territorial Legislature met in a variety of locations. One of the buildings from which the Territory was governed has been preserved here; considered the oldest major government building in the Midwest, it is now used to interpret early government in the Territory. Next to the capitol building is the Elihu Stout Print Shop, a replica of the building where Eilhu Stout printed the law of the Territory was well as the Territory`s first newspaper, the Indiana Gazette. The site also includes the Maurice Thompson birthplace, the small frame house where the author of Alice of Old Vincennes was born; and the Log Cabin Visitor`s Center, where visitors may view a videotape on Vincennes History.
Hours:
Open Year-Round:
Monday thru Saturday 9 am - 5 pm
Closed Sunday
Admission Fee:
$3.50 Adult $3.00 Senior and $1.50 student
Contact:
Address: 1 West Harrison Street (begin tours at Log Cabin)
Phone: (812) 882-7422
Group tours call: 1-800-886-6443
George Rogers Clark Memorial
Site of an extremely important battle that occurred during the revolutionary war. Led by George Rogers Clark and a small army of american frontiersmen and french inhabitants, they captured Fort Sackville from the british, which aided the United States in laying claim to the vast region that later became the old northwest territory. Today, located on National Park Service grounds of the George Rogers Clark National Historic Park, a massive granite and marble memorial, more than 80 feet high stands on the fort sackville site. Inside is a bronze statue of George Rogers Clark, huge murals around the rotunda and Clark`s words carved into the Indiana limestone. His statement best captures the essence of his contribution to american history, "great things have been effected by a few men well conducted".
The City of Vincennes is one of only 3 communities in the entire state of Indiana with a National Park inside our City limits.
The George Rogers Clark Memorial is closed for repairs until August, 2009. Call 812-882-1776 for more information.
Admission Fee:
Ages 16 and over $3.00, Ages Under 16 - free
|
|
| The Old Cathedral |
The Cathedral was built in 1826 and stands on the site of three previous churches. It was still under construction when Abraham Lincoln passed near the site during his move to Illinois in 1830. The first was a crude log structure built in 1749 where the first catholic parish in Indiana was formed. Four bishops are buried in the crypt of the current cathedral. The adjoining cemetery is the final resting place of over 4,000 early citizens of Vincennes.
Hours:
Self-guided tours daily 8 am to 4 pm
(tours during mass are not offered, however visitors are welcome to join us for services)
Monday - Wednesday 8 Am
Thursday - Friday 12 Noon
Saturday 5:15 pm
Sunday 8 am and 10:30 am
Admission Fee:
Donations are requestd for tours
$.50 per adult & $.25 per student
Contact:
Guided tours by arrangement by phoning (800) 886-6443
The Old Cathedral Library & Museum
Across the courtyard from the cathedral is the oldest library in Indiana and contains 10,000 rare volumes dating back to 1319. In the museum are displays of historic and church artifacts and books. The library contains documents of importance to the history of the catholic church in america as well as to the old northwest. It contains works on science, math, geography, literature and philosophy as well.
Admission Fee:
Adults $1.00 - over 12 $.50
Contact:
Guided tours by appointment only. Phone (800) 886-6443
Contact museum at (812) 882-7016 for information on the use of the collections for research
|
|
| The Indiana Military Museum |
Has one of the best overall collections of military memorabillia in the United States, with displays of vintage vehicles, weaponry, uniforms and artifacts from the civil war through desert storm. Outdoor displays feature tanks, artillery, helicopters and the indoor museum displays uniforms, flags, battlefield relics, captured enemy souvineers and world war ii toys, homefront items and vehicles. The museum features a variety of specific topics including George Field Army Air Corps Base, the Uss Vincennes, the Memphis Belle, Prisoners of War, Pearl Harbor, D-Day, Pegasus Bridge, 509th Bomb Group and USMA Class Of 1915
Admission Fees:
Adults $2.00 and students $1.00
Contact:
Guided tours by appointment only
Phone (800) 886-6443
The USS Vincennes Monument
Located at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial Bridge on Vigo Street, commemorates the four naval ships named for our community. The first launched in 1826, was the flagship of a U.S. South Seas Exploring Expedition. The second USS. Vincennes, a heavy cruiser, saw action at Midway and sank at Guadalcanal in 1942. The Third was a light cruiser launched in 1943. The latest USS Vincennes was a guided missile cruiser and was decommissioned in 2005.
|
|
| Lincoln Memorial Bridge |
Located at the western end of Vigo Street and crosses the Wabash River into Illinois. The bridge was dedicated on September 3, 1933, the sesquicentennial of the Treaty of Paris ending the Revolutionary War and marks the spot where Abraham Lincoln`s family crossed the Wabash River in 1830. It was dedicated by the governors of Indiana and Illinois. On the Illinois side of the bridge is a statue of Lincoln donated by the Illinois Daughters of the American Revolution. The Lincoln Memorial Bridge also marks the fording place of great herds of buffalo, which, hundreds of years ago, carved the Buffalo Trace on their way from the Great Plains across present day Indiana to the bluegrass regions of Kentucky. Two Native American figures important to the history of the Old Northwest, Tecumseh and his brother the Prophet, guard the eastern entrance to the bridge.
Vincennes University
Older than the State of Indiana, is the birthplace of one of the first two-year colleges in the nation. Founded as Jefferson Academy in 1801, it was originally named in honor of Thomas Jefferson, who at the time was serving his first year as President of the United States. Indiana Territory Governor William Henry Harrison was Jefferson Academy`s founder and its first chairman of the board. By his election as the ninth President of the United States in 1840, Harrison joined Jefferson as the only two U.S. Presidents to found universities (Jefferson founded the University of Virginia is 1819). Today Vincennes University is on the frontier of modern technology, earning Yahoo Internet Life`s ranking among the Top Ten Most-Wired Two-Year Colleges in the Nation. Students from all 92 counties, 31 states and 36 foreign countries come to V.U. to enroll in more than 150 academic transfer and occupational programs. Vincennes University`s 100-acre campus includes modern facilities, including six residence halls, located just a short stroll from sites where American History was made.
|
|
| Indian Mounds |
Two large mounds stand on the heights overlooking Vincennes to the south and about a mile apart. Originally they were named Upper Sugarloaf and Lower Sugarloaf, from their resemblance to large conical loaves of sugar used in pioneer times. The Upper Sugarloaf has been renamed Son of Tabac Mound in honor of a local Piankeshaw Indian chief. The Buffalo Trace road from Louisville passed near the mound and early travelers climbed to its top for a view - or `prospect,` as they called it - of Vincennes on the prairie below. In 1872 a 46 feet deep shaft through the center of the mound revealed layers of bone fragments, ashes and clay. In 1897 the Lower Sugarloaf, now called Pyramid Mound, was dug into.
Windy Knoll Winery & Vineyard
A new winery is up and running and open for business right here in our town. It is owned by Rick & Gwen Lesser and is located at 845 N. Atkinson Rd. They have taken a lot of time with each batch of wine to insure that the highest quality is produced and striving to craft a full body wine, robust with the qualities of each particular grape. They offer eight different "dry" wines and eight "semi and sweet" wines, the majority of the grapes being grown here in Knox County. Open Monday through Sunday, 2:00 - 7:00 P.M., you may call 812-726-1600 for more information on this delightful new Winery & Vineyard.
The Farmers Market Of Historic Vincennes
Located on the Old State Bank lot at 2nd and Busseron, the Market is open on Saturday and Wednesday Mornings from 7:30 A.M. to noon. You can purchase anything from home grown produce to fresh flowers to fresh baked goods, and much more. There are cooking demonstrations, live entertainment, along with guides to good health. Everyone is welcome!
The McGrady-Brockman House
A recently opened Regional Genealogical/Historical Center, located at 614 N. Seventh Street, Vincennes, just across the street from the Knox County Public Library. The Center is open On Monday 12:00 Noon - 4:00 P.M. and from 5:00 P.M. to 9:00 pm. On Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday the Center will be open from 8:30 A.M. to Noon and 1:00 P.M. to 5:30 P. M. The Center will be closed on Thursday. For further information call (812) 886-4380.
Tim`s Greenhouse,
Open 9-5
|
|
|
|
