Top 15 Attractions and Activities in Evansville, IN

Southern Indiana’s largest city is on an oxbow in the Ohio River, looking across the water to Kentucky.

Home to three NYSE companies, Evansville serves as a regional hub for commerce, manufacturing, and higher education, as well as cultural offerings, including prominent performing arts venues and museums.

Downtown Evansville is steeped in history, retaining numerous early 20th-century buildings, and is bordered by the refined Riverside District and Bally’s Evansville, recognized as Indiana’s inaugural casino.

Evansville is also marked by its significant contributions to the United States’ war efforts, most notably through a large WWII-era tank landing ship that is typically docked on the riverfront.

1. Downtown Evansville

Over the past couple of decades, significant investment has transformed Evansville’s central commercial district.

Currently, this area is a green, pedestrian-friendly locale filled with cultural attractions, diverse dining options, and stunning historical architecture showcasing a variety of styles.

A prominent entertainment landmark is the Victory Theatre, which opened in 1921 and houses the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra.

Many attractions on this list are located downtown, alongside unique shops and independent restaurants catering to diverse tastes.

Ensure you explore the Riverside Historic District to admire the exquisite architecture predominantly developed in the late 19th century.

The riverfront west of downtown now features modern hotels and casinos, as well as waterfront parks ideal for enjoying sunsets or the renowned fireworks display on July 4th.

2. Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Science

At the point where downtown Evansville meets the Ohio riverbank lies one of Indiana’s most significant cultural institutions.

Founded in 1904, this museum has gathered an extensive collection of over 30,000 artifacts, covering a wide range of subjects including fine arts, decorative arts, history, anthropology, and natural history.

Among its notable exhibits is a selection of European and American paintings from the 16th to the 20th centuries, an interactive reconstruction of a 19th-century rivertown, and the Humankind Gallery, which provides insights into indigenous cultures across Asia, Africa, and South America.

The remarkable Koch Immersive Theater features a 40-foot dome and a 10,000-watt digital sound system. Additionally, the Evansville Transportation Center on the museum campus showcases the history of transportation in Southern Indiana, complete with remarkable railroad artifacts.

3. USS LST Ship Memorial

During World War II, industrial production surged in Evansville, particularly along the riverfront, which featured a 45-acre shipyard responsible for constructing sizable tank landing ships (LSTs).

Essential to the war effort, these amphibious vessels enabled the direct delivery of tanks, trucks, jeeps, and troops onto beaches during invasions.

Consequently, it is fitting that Evansville is home to the only operational LST still afloat in US waters, preserving its WWII configuration, and which participated in the landings at Sicily and Normandy.

This ship is docked on the riverside, conveniently linked to downtown Evansville by the Pigeon Creek Greenway Passage, offering six tours daily when docked in the city.

4. Angel Mounds State Historic Site

Located by the Ohio River southeast of Evansville, this site represents a Middle Mississippian town that flourished between 1000 and 1450 C.E.

Here, a large permanent community thrived through the cultivation and storage of corn, leaving behind twelve earthen mounds once topped with ceremonial structures.

The site was excavated in the mid-20th century by Indiana archaeologist Glenn Albert Black (1900-1964), who uncovered over 2.5 million artifacts.

His research served as the foundation for the captivating displays in the interpretive center, where you can also view reconstructions of Mississippian buildings.

Additionally, there are 500 acres of open land without archaeological purposes, featuring a nature preserve, walking/biking trails, and an 18-hole disc golf course.

5. Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden

This zoo, situated on Evansville’s northwest side, is open year-round and has been in operation since 1928. Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden was among the first zoological attractions in the United States to utilize moats as enclosures rather than cages.

Home to approximately 200 species of animals, a highlight is the Amazonia exhibit.

Opened in 2008, this living indoor rainforest habitat is home to Amazonian species such as jaguars, capybaras, squirrel monkeys, black howler monkeys, and Cuvier’s dwarf caimans.

Elsewhere in the zoo, visitors can enjoy zebras, giraffes, lemurs, clouded leopards, Mexican gray wolves, and red pandas. The grounds also feature beautiful gardens, and in February, Amazonia hosts the Orchid Escape event, showcasing a vibrant array of blooming orchids.

6. Bosse Field

Of the ballparks still in regular operation across the United States, Bosse Field ranks as one of the oldest, surpassed only by Fenway Park and Wrigley Field.

Opened in 1915, Bosse Field was the first municipally owned sports stadium in the country and is named after then-mayor Benjamin Bosse (1875-1922).

Throughout its more than 100-year history, the stadium has served as the home field for several professional teams, with the Evansville Otters being the main tenant since 1995, competing in the Midwestern Conference of the Frontier League.

This historic ballpark was featured in the film A League of Their Own (1992), and attending a game here is a must for any baseball enthusiast.

7. Children’s Museum of Evansville

Aimed at children up to the age of 12, this interactive museum is located in one of the most exquisite buildings downtown.

The facility occupies the former public library, an elegant Art Deco structure built in 1931, and the Children’s Museum opened its doors in 2006.

The museum encompasses various experiential zones, including Live Well, which promotes healthy dietary choices, and Work Smart, featuring stations designed to stimulate children’s curiosity in mechanics and engineering.

Quack Factory houses Moe, the museum’s signature, climbable 20-foot duck, while Fantastic Plastic highlights Evansville’s plastics industry alongside a recycling segment.

8. Evansville African American Museum

Situated east of downtown is a pivotal museum dedicated to the history and traditions of African American families and organizations in the city.

Notably, it is located in the last remaining building of Lincoln Gardens, the second public housing project established under FDR’s New Deal in 1938.

Inside, visitors can experience what life was like in the 1930s through a preserved section of an original apartment, while the rest of the building functions as a modern museum.

The museum provides insights into the surrounding Baptist town, a thriving African American community, and highlights key historical figures and milestones over the past century in Evansville, alongside temporary exhibits and local artist showcases.

9. Reitz Home Museum

Located in the Riverside Historic District, this magnificent residence exemplifies French Second Empire architecture and was constructed in 1871 for “Lumber Baron” John Augustus Reitz (1815-1891).

The house has undergone a meticulous restoration; in addition to original period furnishings, the interiors boast hand-painted ceiling frescoes, molded plaster friezes, patterned parquet floors, and silk damask walls.

The Reitz Home was entrusted to a Catholic organization in the 1930s, eventually serving as the residence for Evansville’s bishop before being donated to a preservation society in 1974.

Since then, tours have been conducted, and the house is regarded as one of the best-preserved Victorian residences in the nation.

10. Willard Library

An impressive architectural landmark in downtown Evansville, Willard Library is the oldest operating library in Indiana. The grand structure, which opened in 1885, is designed in the Gothic Revival style, featuring contrasting red brick, white stone, and terra cotta.

As an independent private institution, the library’s benefactor Willard Carpenter aimed to “improve the moral and intellectual culture of the inhabitants of Evansville”, establishing access free of charge and ensuring inclusivity regardless of race, class, or gender.

Willard Library is recognized for its extensive collections in genealogy and local history, housed on the second floor, and it is rumored to be haunted by the “Lady in Grey.”

11. Evansville Wartime Museum

Evansville played a crucial role in manufacturing during World War II, with several factories repurposed for the production of weaponry, munitions, and vehicles.

The city also emerged as a center for the P-47 Thunderbolt fighter aircraft, rolling out 6,242 units, nearly half of the national production during the conflict.

Adjacent to the Evansville Regional Airport, the museum is situated in a hangar commemorating the city’s remarkable industrial output during the war.

Among the highlights at the Evansville Wartime Museum is Tarheel Hal, an authentic P-47 built just down the street, along with factory machinery used during production.

12. Burdette Park

This expansive wooded park, adjacent to the USI campus, was established in the 1920s and developed during the Great Depression through public works initiatives such as the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

In the early 1960s, Burdette Park opened its aquatic center to the public, which remains one of the largest outdoor pool complexes in the Midwest.

An ideal spot for summer recreation, the Aquatic Center features an Olympic-sized pool, a family pool equipped with two slides, a children’s pool, and a spray park. Burdette Park also provides several day shelters available for rental, as well as fully furnished chalets for overnight accommodations.

13. Pigeon Creek Greenway Passage

Pigeon Creek, which meets the Ohio River in Evansville, once served as the southern terminus of the Wabash and Erie Canal, a critical route linking the Great Lakes to New Orleans.

The creek’s banks host a ten-foot-wide paved trail designed for biking, walking, and jogging.

The Pigeon Creek Greenway Passage connects parks, natural areas, residential neighborhoods, business districts, and attractions such as the USS LST Ship Memorial and the Evansville Museum.

At the time of writing, the passage spans just under seven miles, with plans for it to form part of a larger 42-mile trail system encompassing the city.

14. Ford Center

This striking arena is a notable feature of downtown Evansville, constructed as part of a revitalization effort in the early 2010s.

Characterized by a modern design utilizing metal and glass, the Ford Center is anchored by a base of Indiana limestone, harmonizing with the area’s historic architecture.

Replacing the former Roberts Municipal Stadium, the venue hosts concerts, conventions, and WWE events, and it is also home to the University of Evansville Purple Aces basketball team (NCAA Division I) and the professional Evansville Thunderbolts of the SPHL.

Notable performers in recent years include Blake Shelton, Kid Rock, Disturbed, and George Strait.

15. West Side Nut Club Fall Festival

Each October, approximately 200,000 visitors converge on Franklin Street on Evansville’s West Side for one of the largest street festivals in the United States.

With origins dating back to 1921, the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival significantly expanded in the post-war years, featuring ever-greater carnival rides and renowned entertainers.

Commencing on a Sunday and continuing throughout the week, the festival showcases over 130 food booths, talent contests, a wealth of free live entertainment, and carnival attractions, culminating in a grand parade on Saturday.

Fried foods dominate the offerings, presenting an opportunity to try the local specialty, fried brain sandwiches, for those willing to explore adventurous culinary experiences.