INDIANAPOLIS – On Thursday Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and the IndianaOffice of Tourism Development (IOTD) announced the winners for the 2018 Best of Indiana people’s choice campaign.
- Best State Park: Turkey Run State Park, Marshall
- Best Museum: The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
- Best Burger: Brew Burger, Jasper
“With all the terrific choices that Hoosiers were able to pick from, I am not sure how they were able to narrow it down to the winners in each category,” Crouch said. “Our state parks are gorgeous, we have fabulous local restaurants and great museums to visit. Now that the ‘Best of’ has been selected, visitors and residents alike can enjoy the greatest burger, museum and state park Indiana has to offer.”
Best of Indiana – State Parks and Recreation Areas
Turkey Run State Park is famous for its canyons and natural trails. Voted number one by Hoosiers, visitors to Parke County have the chance to explore sandstone gorges and scenic views along Sugar Creek.
Nicknamed the “Little Smokies”, Brown County State Park is Indiana’s largest state park. It encompasses nearly 16,000-acres of rugged hills, ridges and ravines. It’s considered a hot spot for leaf landscapes, mountain biking and horseback riding in Indiana.
Indiana’s first state park, McCormick’s Creek State Park in Spencer, topped the list at number three. Visitors can explore limestone canyons, diverse forest trees and scenic waterfalls.
The New York Times called it one of the “Ten Coolest Museums in the World”, and Hoosiers say it’s their top choice. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis topped the list for Best of Indiana – Museums. Explore five floors of fun and excitement at the world’s largest children’s museum. From the Dinosphere to Beyond Spaceship Earth and the new Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience.
Named after Hoosier astronaut Gus Grissom, the Grissom Air Museum in Peru was second on the list. Visitors can get an up-close look at aircraft from World War II to present day, jump into a cockpit and climb up inside a security tower.
Topping the list at number three, was Indiana’s first Smithsonian Institute affiliate, Conner Prairie. It’s an interactive museum in Fishers where visitors can immerse themselves in the stories of Indianathrough hands-on experiences and programs both indoors and outdoors.
In Jasper, locals say an all-day café, which uses local products and places an emphasis on a family-friendly environment, is the place with the best burger. The Brew Burger at Brew is an 8-ounce hamburger and includes smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, coffee BBQ sauce, and is topped with a brioche bun and perfectly crispy onion ring.
Hoosiers voted two burgers from the Fort Wayne area as their second and third favorites around the state. The PB Burger at Bravas is crafted with homemade peanut butter, bacon, pickled peppers, mayo, white cheddar smothered over a patty on a pretzel bun. The Big Buster at Don Hall’s Hollywood Drive-In is a double decker with cheese, shredded lettuce and their special sauce.
Nominees for all three categories were recommended by members of Indiana’s travel, tourism and hospitality industry. To see all of the best of Indiana winners through the years, click here.
| Visit Indiana is turning up the heat for the winter. Follow us onInstagram November 1-12 for our 12 Days of Giveaways. Our partners around the state have teamed up to give away fabulous holiday family getaways and look for our grand prize giveaway on VisitIndiana.com.
On November 13, Hoosiers can begin voting for Indiana’s Top 10 Instagrammable places. There are 50 places on the list. There’s also new features on the voting page: a leader board, countdown clock and a feature to add a daily reminder to vote. The winner will be announced in January. |