’s official nickname is the Hoosier State, but it’s also known as the Hospitality State and the Crossroads of America. The Home of the Hoosiers is famous for its love of basketball, iconic pork tenderloin sandwiches, and prominent American historical figures.

The Hoosier State gets its nickname from a poem by John Finley titled “The Hoosier Nest.” Indiana is known for its hospitality, but that’s not all—this Midwestern state has several other claims to fame, from basketball and racecars to the biggest children’s museum in the world!

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What is Indiana famous for?

Love of basketball

Indiana residents are often diagnosed with a condition called “Hoosier Hysteria,” a deep-rooted passion for basketball. Its occurrence can be traced back to the creator of modern basketball himself,

Dr. James Naismith

As he saw how quickly the sport took hold in Indiana, he wrote, “While the game was invented in Massachusetts, basketball really had its origin in Indiana, which remains the center of the sport.”

The Hoosier love of basketball can be seen at all levels, from elementary schools to the NBA. Indiana is where some of basketball’s legends made their names—Larry Bird, Bob Knight, Oscar Robertson, Tony Hinkle, and John Wooden all rose to fame in the Hoosier State!

If you want to get the full Hoosier Hysteria experience, you’ll want to check out an

Indiana Pacers

Indiana Hoosiers

game during your stay.

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Famous Americans

You may not think of Indiana as a star-studded state, but it is the birthplace or home of several prominent figures in American history. Let’s start with the White House: President Abraham Lincoln was born in Indiana, as well as Vice President Dan Quayle. Apple orchards planted by the real pioneer Johnny Appleseed are still flourishing today across the state!

The Hoosier State was also home to these cultural and historical influences: singer Adam Lambert, songwriter Albert Von Tilzer, actor Brendan Fraser, television host David Letterman, television host Jane Pauley, American gangster John Dillinger, and author Kurt Vonnegut.

University of Notre Dame

The

University of Notre Dame

is located in Notre Dame, Indiana. This prestigious, private Catholic research university was founded in 1842 by Edward Sorin, a French priest. It has been named one of the top universities in the nation and is organized into seven colleges and schools.

Not only does the campus draw top scholars, but it’s also home to the

Fighting Irish athletic teams

. Notre Dame is especially known for their football team, which has had 7 Heisman Trophy winners, 62 members of the College Football Hall of Fame, 11 National Championship wins, and 13 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Pork tenderloin sandwiches

American cuisine can thank Indiana for the contribution of signature pork tenderloin sandwich. It can be traced back to a diner called

Nick’s Kitchen

, which opened in Huntington, Indiana in 1908.

Nick Freienstein, the son of German immigrants, created his pork tenderloin sandwich as a variation of the famous Viennese wiener schnitzel.

One of the defining features of this sandwich is how large the tenderloin is compared to the bun—the bun doesn’t cover it! Nick’s Kitchen may be the best spot for an authentic pork tenderloin sandwich, but you can find one just about anywhere in the state since Indiana is the fifth-largest state in the U.S. for pork production.

Want to take a look at some of Indiana’s most famous cities and what they’re known for? Here we go!

MORE: The best places to live in Indiana

What is Indianapolis famous for?

Replaced Corydon as state capital: 1821

First Indianapolis 500: 1911

First major company to distribute sliced bread: 1921, Taggart Baking Company launched Wonder Bread

Indianapolis 500

The

Indianapolis 500

, or Indy 500, is the largest single-day event for sports in the world! It is held at the

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

, which is about seven miles northwest of downtown Indianapolis, every May.

You’ll have to spend time in the Snake Pit, the center of the racetrack, to get the full experience.

There are over 300,000 visitors every year during the Indy 500 alone. The first Indy 500 was held in 1911, just two years after the opening of the speedway. There’s also a

museum

on-site full of racing memorabilia, collectibles, and trophies to tell the history of automobiles and racing.

Indianapolis Children’s Museum

Indianapolis gets to boast another “largest in the world” title for the

Indianapolis Children’s Museum

—it’s over 400,000 square feet! The museum is full of interactive exhibits and attractions for all to enjoy and welcomes over a million visitors each year.

The Indianapolis Children’s Museum is particularly famous for its exhibits of dinosaurs and rare fossils. If you’re a Harry Potter fan, the museum is home to a skull from Dracorex hogwartsia—J.K. Rowling gave permission for the dinosaur to be named “Dragon King of Hogwarts.” You can also immerse yourself in the complete

Dinosphere exhibit

Indianapolis Cultural Trail

Not all of Indianapolis’ famous sites are accessible by vehicle. You’ll have to blend in with the locals and rent a bike to ride along the

Indianapolis Cultural Trail

, an eight-mile trail that runs through downtown Indianapolis.

Six cultural districts of Indianapolis are connected by the Cultural Trail. The path highlights the city’s architecture, artwork, public spaces, restaurants, and more. Hoosiers especially recommend seeing the

Downtown Canal Walk

Georgia Street

, and

Lugar Plaza

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What is Fort Wayne famous for?

First telegraph line connecting to Toledo: 1848

First railway locomotive brought to Fort Wayne: 1854

First-ever professional baseball game: 1871

Historical sites

Fort Wayne was founded in 1794 and is famous for being a major hub on its three rivers: Maumee, St. Joseph, and St. Marys. The second-largest city in Indiana has worked to preserve its history so anyone can learn about its roots—there are several places listed on the

National Register of Historic Places

The

Fort Wayne Museum of Art

has displays of American fine art for all to enjoy. The reconstructed

Old Fort Wayne

will make you feel as though you’ve traveled back to the late 18th century.

The History Center

shares artifacts, documents, and images from Fort Wayne’s history.

The African/African-American Historical Museum is home to the largest public collection of African art in Fort Wayne and preserves these cultures with different programs and collections.

Parks and gardens

Fort Wayne is also well-known for its beautiful parks and gardens that invite visitors to immerse themselves in nature.

The

Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory

is home to over 1,200 plants—over 500 different species and more than 72 kinds of cacti.

Lakeside Park & Rose Garden

is one of the city’s most popular wedding spots with a world-renowned rose garden and beautiful views of the pond.

Eagle Marsh

is a wetland nature preserve in southwest Fort Wayne that stretches across 716 acres. It’s home to over 250 kinds of birds in addition to other animals. There are over 100 different tree species located along the

Native Trees of Indiana River Walk

, a leisurely 1.25-mile trail.

MORE:

A guide to national parks and sites in Indiana

What is Evansville famous for?

Indiana’s first casino: Bally’s Evansville

Earliest artifacts: Date back to 8,000 BCE

First American casualty from World War I: Cpl. James Bethel Gresham

Prehistoric Native American sites

Evansville, Indiana is famous for the nationally recognized

Angel Mounds State Park

. This park is one of the most well-preserved prehistoric Native American sites in the country.

Over 1,000 people of the Mississippian culture built the town between 1000 and 1450 CE, including the mounds of earth that were home to their most important buildings.

Today, the site contains Mississippi building recreations, an interpretive center, a reconstruction of the 1939 Works Progress Administration archaeology laboratory, a nature preserve, hiking and biking trails, and a disk golf course.

Scenes from “A League of Their Own”

Tom Hanks and Geena Davis spent plenty of time in Evansville for the filming of the 1992 hit movie “A League of Their Own.” Baseball scenes in the movie were filmed at

Bosse Field

, the third oldest baseball field in the country that is still in use.

The stadium was the home field for the Racine Belles—but in real life it’s home to the

Evansville Otters

MORE:

Indiana car insurance laws—all you need to know

How to save on car insurance in Indiana

Indiana is famous for basketball, American historical figures, and pork tenderloin sandwiches.

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