Jasper has a reputation as an attractive location set amid scenic countryside. The city also appeals to visitors for its historic attractions and close proximity to a network of underground caves.
Start your trip by delving into Jasper’s history at the museums and attractions of the historic district. Tour the Jasper City Mill, a reconstruction of the old watermill that once stood near the Patoka River. Visit Lemmon Church and sit on pews that date back to the church’s founding in 1860. Go to the Providence Home to see the Geode Grotto for religious shrines made of the crystal-centered hollow rocks. Baseball fans will want to investigate the collections of sporting memorabilia at the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame.
Check out the old-fashioned ticket booth and railway memorabilia at the Jasper Train Depot. This is a replica of the original structure that was built in 1906. Then take the Spirit of Jasper train that departs from the depot and travels through the southern Indiana countryside.
If the scenery passing by your car window has given you a taste for the outdoors, get out and explore. Enjoy a stroll along the 2.1-mile (3.4-kilometer) paved Jasper River Walk next to the Patoka River. Go to Patoka Lake where you can swim, water ski, fish and hike. Rent a houseboat or stay overnight in a campsite. Try to photograph bald eagles and ospreys that nest by the lake.
Travel 39 miles (63 kilometers) east of the city to Marengo Cave. Here you can go on walking tours of underground caverns filled with curtains of stalactites and stalagmites and other rock formations.
Once you are back in Jasper, see what performances are scheduled at the 700-seat Jasper Arts Center.
Jasper is about 200 miles (322 kilometers) from St. Louis, Missouri and less than 2 hours by car from Louisville, Kentucky. The state capital of Indianapolis is just 120 miles (193 kilometers) away. Come to Jasper for history, adventure and nature.
