Wabash and Erie Canal Park

Wabash and Erie Canal Park is .3 mi. n.w. of jct. N. Washington and W. Monroe sts. at 1030 N. Washington St. This canal-side recreation spot offers a series of well-marked walking and bike trails, playground facilities and seasonal boat rides. There's also a reconstructed pioneer village containing cabins, a log schoolhouse, a blacksmith shop and the 1844 Reed Case House, a Federal-style residence that's furnished in period. Informative plaques describe these structures and their historical significance.

The park's interpretive center, adjacent to the pioneer village, focuses on the history of the canal, a 468-mile man-made waterway used from 1843-76 and which connected Lake Erie in Toledo, Ohio to the Ohio River in Evansville, Ind. Artifacts and interactive exhibits detail the lives of 19th-century Indiana residents as well as the types of vessels that traveled the canal and the mechanisms used to construct and operate it. Visitors may try on costumes indicative of the 1850s and observe a water model exhibit featuring an operational aqueduct, gristmill, lock and reservoir.

Guided tours of the Reed Case House and the pioneer village are available by appointment.

Guided tours are available. Camping is permitted. Picnicking is permitted. Time: Allow 1 hour, 30 minutes minimum.