Life of Lincoln Painting on Display in Indy

Spencer County artist Thomas Kennedy created this montage painting of Abraham Lincoln's life, which is now on display at the Statehouse in Indianapolis. The painting was done in honor of Lincoln's 200th Birthday in 2009.

Lincoln lived in Spencer County from Age 7 to 21 and scenes from that era of his life are included in this work of art.

Several sites in Spencer County offer opportunities to learn more about Lincoln's Life on the Indiana frontier including:
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
Lincoln State Park & Col. Jones Home
Lincoln Amphitheatre
Lincoln Pioneer Village
Buffalo Run Farm

Santa Claus, Indiana, is "Quirky."

Santa Claus, Indiana, is one of the top 10 Quirkiest Places to Spend Christmas, according to VirtualTourist.com. Our unique town came in at #2 on the list!

An excerpt from the site reads, "Yes, there is a Santa Claus and it's in Indiana. St. Nick's namesake town plays it to the hilt with a "Santa's Candy Castle" and twenty-two foot high statue of the man himself. Parents who are wondering where to send those letters to Santa can rejoice; the town post office anticipates the deluge each year and even has a special post mark to commemorate the holiday."

VirtualTourist.com is one of the largest online travel research sites and travel communities in the world. This list is based on expert insight and feedback from travelers on the website. Other "quirky" places include the Gingerbread Factory in Leavenworth, Washington; Winterfest in Solvang, California; and Candy Cane Lane in Ravenna, Washington.

Santa Claus, Indiana, is home to the world's first theme park, Holiday World & Splashin Safari, the world famous Santa Claus Post Office, the Santa Claus Museum and Santa's Candy Castle.

Happy Holidays from the Spencer County Visitors Bureau!

To view the website click here.

Give a gift & support Lincoln State Park

The Friends of Lincoln State Park is selling prints of a painting by local artist Jerry Baum of the historic Huffman Bridge that spans the Anderson River between Spencer and Perry Counties. Prints are $35 each with proceeds benefitting the activities and projects of the Friends of Lincoln State Park.

Legend has it that young Abraham Lincoln was returning from a trip to the Huffman Mill in 1830 when he would have been around 21 years old and just before the Lincoln family left Spencer County for Illinois. He stopped to let his oxen take a drink about 8 miles from his home. The story claims that the yoke of the oxen broke and fell into the water, making it impossible for Lincoln to finish the trip. Lincoln was forced to spend the night at a two-story cabin in the area in order for a new yoke to be fashioned the next morning. That cabin has been reassembled and preserved and is now located at Buffalo Run Grill & Gifts. It is thought that the cabin may have been an inn.

Click here for more information on purchasing prints as holiday gifts and supporting the Friends of Lincoln State Park.

Order your Holiday Gifts from Santa Claus, Ind.

Santa's Candy Castle has been a Christmas tradition since 1935! The castle recently launched its new website and re-introduced its historic shipping program - just in time for the Christmas shopping season!

You can now browse Santa's Candy Castle's confections & gifts on their website. And just as you could 70 years ago, you can have these gifts shipped direct to your friends and family with the famous Santa Claus, Indiana postmark, to arrive just in time for Christmas.

Trim the Tree, Lincoln-Style!

This year's White House Christmas Tree has a little Lincoln to go along with all the lights and tinsel!

An ornament representing Abraham Lincoln's life in Indiana is prominently displayed on this year's official White House Christmas Tree. The ornament, representing Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, located in Spencer County, Ind., is one of 391 on the tree, which celebrates the theme "Holiday in the National Parks."

It was designed by Spencer County artist, Tom Kennedy, who donated his time and talents to create the ornament for the park. Kennedy recently completed a mural, titled The Life of Lincoln.

Visit The White House, http://www.whitehouse.gov/holiday/2007/ website to learn more about the all the ornaments on this very special tree.

Santa Claus gets Festive!

The Christmas in Santa Claus Festival is this weekend, Dec. 8-9! Wondering what to do at the festival? Here are a few suggestions to get you started. Also, be sure to check out the complete event schedule.

Christmas in Santa Claus Festival

Top 10

1. Start the day with a tasty pancake breakfast with Santa

2. Stamp the Picture Postmark your Christmas Cards at the Santa Claus Post Office

3. Shop for gifts at the Holiday Craft Show

4. Listen to the Sounds of the Season during Holiday Concerts at Santa's Lodge

5. Wave as Santa passes by in the Christmas Parade

6. Meet Mrs. Claus at Santa's Candy Castle

7. Write a letter to Santa at The Santa Claus Museum

8. Sip hot cocoa at The Silent Night Cafe

9. Pose for a photo with the Santa Statue at Santa Claus Town Hall

10. Drive through the twinkling Festival of Lights tour in Christmas Lake Village

Bicentennial Lincoln Journey Begins

Spencer County, where Abraham Lincoln spent most of his youth, will celebrate his 200th Birthday by recreating Lincoln's 1828 flatboat trip from Rockport, Ind. to New Orleans, LA.

The project, called Lincoln's Journey of Remembrance, has garnered lots of national press, including a story in the USA Today newspaper, the Evansville Courier & Press, and Tribune Star in Terre Haute.

Last week the boat arrived in Rockport, Ind., where it was off-loaded from a semi trailor with the help of a 120 ton crane!

After undergoing some modifications this winter and spring, the boat will be ready to launch in September, 2008.

During the 26-day Lincoln's Journey of Remembrance we'll be stopping in 8 states and 18 cities educating people about Lincoln's life in Indiana along the way.

Visit LincolnsJourney.org to keep up-to-date on this exciting project!!

Santa Claus, Ind. in the News!

As you can imagine, our festive little town of Santa Claus gets quite a bit of attention this time of year.

Over the weekend, we were featured in the Indianapolis Star!

Check out the story on The Star's website: http://http//www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071125/LIVING03/711250340/-1/LOCAL17

Make plans now to attend our Christmas in Santa Claus Festival, Dec. 8-9 to come see what it's all about! Call 888-444-9252 for more info!

Smile for the Camera!

Each fall we can't wait to hear Holiday World's announcement for new attractions in the upcoming year. Kima Bay will be the new addition to Splashin' Safari. With seven water slides and more than 100 water-play elements this monkey-themed attraction is sure to be more fun than, well, you guessed it......a barrel of monkeys!

At the visitors bureau, we're also happy use this announcement as an opportunity to talk about how Holiday World's growth impacts the growth of our county's tourism industry as a whole.

Myself and Spencer County Tourism Commission President Dave Lovell were both interviewed by Evansville television news crews following the announcement of the new Kima Bay. Check out our photos below! We were definately ready for our close-ups, but it was a hot one today, so I hope you can't see the sweat beading up on our faces!!

Spencer County Tourism Commission President Dave Lovell talks to WFIE Channel 14

Me talking to FOX Channel 7

Dale Fall Festival is September 6!

The Dale Fall Festival, September 6-9, is the first of more than 20 fabulious fall events taking place on weekends in Spencer County through the end of October.

At the Dale Fall Fest, you won't want to miss my favorite event.......Hog Wrestling! But if you'd rather eat a hog than wrestle one, be sure to pick up one of the festival's famous pork chop dinners. YUMMM!

You can also enjoy rides, games, live music and a variety of tasty treats! I'd recommend the Taffy and Lemon Shake Ups!

For a complete list of fall events, visit www.LegendaryPlaces.org/fall

Watch us on YouTube!

After watching this week's YouTube.com presidential debate on CNN I decided this website is definitely influencing millions of people and Spencer County needs to be represented!

So I posted a promotional video about our area, including our Abraham Lincoln and Santa Claus sites on YouTube.

You can check it out at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_lTZ4Zlrts

YouTube automatically pulls up related videos and there are many posted by visitors to Holiday World.

Be sure to post your comments about our video!

Thanks to Your Votes........We Won!

Thanks to everyone who voted for Holiday World in The Great Indiana Getaway Contest! The Spencer County destination was chosen as Indiana's No. 1 getaway in the online poll sponsored by state tourism. More than 92,000 votes were cast. Coming in second was nearby French Lick & West Baden followed by Indiana Beach in third.

Now you can register to win one of these three trips! And we know you really just want the Holiday World one! So just log onto http://www.visitindiana.com/ for contest details.

Along with Holiday World, Spencer County is home to many unique attractions including Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, Lincoln Pioneer Village, Buffalo Run, The Santa Claus Museum, Santa's Candy Castle, and much more!

Pick Us as Your Favorite Getaway & Win!

A trip to Spencer County's Holiday World & Splashin' Safari is one of 12 being voted on by travelers state-wide as part of The Great Indiana Getaway.

We need your votes.......and fast! Voting ends Friday, July 13!

The three trips receiving the most votes will be given away as part of The Great Indiana Getaway.

To cast your vote and register to win log on to http://greatgetaway.visitindiana.com/

The Great Indiana Getaway is coordinated by the Indiana Office of Tourism Development.

Win Holiday World Tickets at Our Grand Opening!

The public is invited to attend a grand opening celebration and open house Monday, May 14, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the new offices of the Spencer County Visitors Bureau, operated by the Spencer County Tourism Commission.

The new office and tourist information center is located at 39 N. Kringle Place in Santa Claus, Ind. The office space is being donated for the next 7 years by Philip Koch, owner of the Kringle Place Shopping Center and Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort. Furniture for the new office was donated by DMI and Jasper Desk.

Refreshments for the Open House will be donated by St. Nick’s Restaurant in Santa’s Lodge. Drawings will be held for door prizes, including 2 tickets to Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, as well as items donated by other area attractions.

The event will kick off the first-ever Spencer County Tourism Week, established by a resolution recently adopted by the Spencer County Board of Commissioners. It coincides with Visit Indiana Week and National Tourism Week.

For more information call 1-888-4449252 or email tourinfo@psci.net

New Hotel Now Open!

Comfort Inn & Suites, located at the intersection of US 231 and Highway 66 in Rockport, is now open for business!

The property features 53 rooms, an indoor pool with whirlpool, exercise room, meeting room and business center.

Reservations can be made by calling 1-877-424-6423 or online by clicking here.

We're in the top 10.......twice!

Looking for something fun to do with your family this summer? Spencer County has two of the top 10 things to see and do in Indiana, according to Chris Cox, a travel writer with The South Bend Tribune.

Holiday World & Splashin' Safari topped the list at number 1 and at number 3 was Abraham Lincoln's boyhood home.

To check out the complete article, click here to go to The South Bend Tribune website.

New Lodging, Attractions in 2007!

This year will bring exciting new choices for visitors to Spencer County from additional lodging to new attractions. Visitors will have a new lodging option with the opening of the Comfort Inn & Suites at the intersections of US 231 & Highway 66 in Rockport. The 53 room facility located in Southern Spencer County also features an indoor pool with whirlpool, exercise room, meeting room and business center. The new hotel will open for business between late February and mid-March. Reservations may be made by calling 812-649-2979.

New Lodging also will be available in the northern end of Spencer County with the addition of 29 rental RV's at Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort. This brings the total number of rental units at the resort more than 200 rental RVs & Cabins, in addition to its 200 RV campsites. Also new this season is the Baby Blitzen addition to the 3,400 square foot Blitzen Bay swimming pool. Reservations may be made online at http://www.lakerudolph.com or by calling 1-877-4RUDOLPH.

Along with having more places to stay while visiting Spencer County, people also will have more to see and do!

A seven-story family water slide tops the list of $4.5 million in additions for Holiday World & Splashin' Safari in 2007. A second new ride, the Turkey Whirl, a themed tilt-a-whirl, also will be added this year. The Thanksgiving section will gain a new restaurant too. The Plymouth Rock Cafe will offer cafeteria-style Thanksgiving dinners with outdoor seating for 300. During the 2006 season, more than 1 million people visited Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, which will re-open May 5, 2007. For more information on the upcoming season, visit http://www.holidayworld.com/ or call 1-877-GO-FAMILY.

The Santa Claus Museum is expanding after a successful first year hosting more than 7,000 visitors. An additional 600 square-feet is being added to the Museum to make room for its expanding collections including artifacts from the early beginnings of Santa Claus, Indiana, the Santa Claus Post Office, Santa Claus Land & Holiday World, and the local tradition of responding to letters to Santa. The museum is currently closed while remodeling occurs, but will be reopen in time for the summer tourist season. For more information, visit http://www.santaclausmuseum.org/ or call (812) 937-2687. Donations to assist with renovation costs also can be made online on the museum's website.

Mushie's Memory Lane Muscle & Classic Car Museum in Santa Claus, Ind., will open its doors in May. The collection, owned by Dennis Vaught of Evanston, includes classic and muscle cars, boats and motorcycles, along with other memorabilia. Mushie's will be open at 10:00 a.m. seven days a week. For more information call (812) 547-7232.

Buffalo Run Farm in Lincoln City will complete of the Dennis Hanks School House this spring. It will include bench seats, a schoolmaster's desk and even a dunce stool. It is meant to replicate a blab school like the ones Lincoln attended as a boy in Indiana. At Buffalo Run, located on land once owned by Lincoln's cousin, Dennis Hanks, visitors also can tour the Legendary Lincoln Cabin and an authentic teepee. To learn more, people may call Buffalo Run at 812- 937-2799.

The Rockport Inn Bed & Breakfast is expanding with the addition of McKenzie's Pub in Mid-February. For more information, people may call 812-649-2664.

The new Spencer County Visitors Bureau office, located at 39 N. Kringle Place in Santa Claus, also will be opening soon. A variety of brochures on regional attractions are available here to visitors who also may ask the staff for directions or other information about the area. The Visitors Bureau, operated by the Spencer County Tourism Commission, will be open by mid-April. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Spencer County Visitors Bureau provides travel information to visitors and media about Spencer County, Indiana, the site of Abraham Lincoln's boyhood home, the world famous Santa Claus Post Office, and the world's first theme park, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari. For more information people may visit the Spencer County Visitors Bureau website at http://www.legendaryplaces.org/ or call 1-888-444-9252.

New Lincoln Visitors Guide Available Now

As the nation celebrates Abraham Lincoln's Birthday this month, his boyhood home Spencer County, Indiana, is highlighting its Lincoln-themed attractions in a new visitors guide.

Titled "Visit Lincoln's Indiana Boyhood Home," the brochure invites guests to trace Lincoln’s past in Spencer County, where he spent 14 formative years that transformed a frontier boy into a great man.

In Spencer County visitors can see a working farm and cabins typical of the structures where Lincoln lived, worked and learned. The mighty Ohio River still rolls along our scenic banks where Lincoln ferried passengers out to passing steamboats.

Sites highlighted in the brochure include:

Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
Lincoln Pioneer Village & Museum
Lincoln State Park
Colonel Jones Home
Lincoln Landing
Buffalo Run Farm
Lincoln Ferry Park
Ohio River Scenic Route

Lincoln's boyhood lessons and values are as relevant today as they were nearly 200 years ago. We invite visitors to come here to trace the past of a man whose legacy is still forging the future.

Planning is underway in Spencer county to commemorate the Bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth in February of 2009. A complete listing of special events in available at www.ThinkLincoln.org.

To request a free copy of Spencer County's Lincoln Visitors Guide, visit www.ThinkLincoln.org or call 1-888-444-9252.