Discover Roanoke

Roanoke offers several different ways to shape a trip: wildlife viewing, historic sites, events, and farm-to-table cuisine. If you’re looking for a hotel, these themes can help you tailor your stay to your interests. Options range from a safari bus tour and historic canal structures to festivals featuring music or automotive history.

Nature and Wildlife Viewing

LC Nature Park is home to the only free-roaming herd of bison and elk in Indiana. Electric safari bus tours combine wildlife viewing with information about the animals, their habitats, and the park’s history. So the tour isn’t just about watching the animals: the explanations also offer insight into the connections the park highlights. LC Nature Park is open on Saturdays without a reservation or admission ticket. Since tour times may change, check the park’s schedule before your visit.

History at Historic Structures and in the Museum

Wabash & Erie Canal Lock 4, also called Dickey Lock, has had several names over the years: the wooden lock was built as Lock 1 in 1834–1835 and later renumbered Lock 4. Visitors exploring the structure will encounter both its original number and its later designation.

The historic Kiilhsoohkwa (Kilsoquah) marker is located on the grounds of Glenwood Cemetery in the 1000 block of North Main Street in Roanoke. It commemorates a flag of significance to American history and Miami Indian tradition. The Roanoke Area Heritage Center & Historical Museum was founded by local residents in 1993 to promote local history. Exhibits include a World War II glider pilot, an Indy 500 driver, and Kil-So-Quah. Together, the lock, marker, and museum offer different perspectives on history: from a structure and a memorial site to the people and topics represented.

Events with a Range of Themes

The Roanoke Fall Festival has been bringing the community together since 1953. The program includes live music, festival food, a demolition derby, a tractor pull, and scholarship competitions; individual events may vary from year to year. Rolling Into Roanoke is a fundraiser held in downtown Roanoke and at the nearby park. It features themed vehicle displays, automotive history and preservation, and family entertainment. The events have different focuses: the Fall Festival brings together several types of activities, while Rolling Into Roanoke puts automotive history and its preservation in the spotlight. If an event is the reason for your trip, check the dates before making plans.

Cuisine and Architectural Setting

Joseph Decuis serves upscale farm-to-table dishes made with ingredients from its own farm, located a few miles away. The building also shapes the setting: the main dining room is in a former bank building whose vault has been converted into a wine cellar. The ingredients’ origins and the vault’s repurposing thus tell two different stories about the restaurant—its cuisine and the space where the main dining room is located.

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