Chances are pretty good that when you hear about Hendricks County, Indiana, you're familiar with many of our main attractions.
Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in Brownsburg is home to U.S. Nationals and many other motorsports events on the oval track and the drag strip. The Mayberry Cafe in Danville has gained national fame. But are you familiar with some of our best-kept secrets?
1. Amo
I'm starting my list by naming the entire Town of Amo, Indiana as one of our best-kept secrets. With just over 400 people, it is full of hidden gems.
Tucked into the back of the Amo General Store, Amo Pizza is one of those places that doesn't look like much, but holy smokes, their pizza is GOOD and absolutely loaded with toppings! For a sweet dessert after your meal, go right next door to The Cup and The Cone.
Now with a full belly, it's time to walk around town and discover the Vandalia Trail, the Amo Interurban Museum and enjoy this quiet, scenic town without breaking the bank.
2. Avon Gardens
Spread out over 5 acres, Avon Gardens offer the opportunity to purchase trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals. And you can also tour their gorgeous display gardens to spark your imagination and wow your eyes.
A gazebo located within the display gardens is a popular place for weddings, family gatherings, baby showers, retirement parties and more. This attraction has been highlighted in regional and even Midwest magazines as one of the best garden destinations around. If you have never been, you should add it to your list to visit soon.
3. Burnett Woods
Burnett Woods in Avon is such a well-kept secret that many Hendricks County locals don't even know it exists! It's an 80-acre Indiana State Dedicated Nature Preserve that is owned and maintained by the Central Indiana Land Trust and boasts two trail loops of different lengths.
Packed with black walnut, oak, hickory, maple and tulip poplar trees, which provide lots of shade in the summer, Burnett Woods also sports beautiful color in the fall. Native wildflowers -- such as wild geranium, woodland phlox, prairie trillium and toad-shade trillium -- and shrubs provide a different kind of beauty in the spring, and a couple of small, slow-moving creeks pass through the property.
4. Copper Top Customs
Hardly a traditional antique shop, Copper Top Customs in Clayton is a treasure trove of antiques and vintage items. Inventory changes regularly, making each trip a new experience to find hidden gems and unique gifts.
Formerly a chicken processing plant, the building now occupied by Copper Top Customs maintains a lot of the town's history, minus the chickens. Inside the beautiful store with a majestic copper ceiling, shoppers will find furniture, clothing, jewelry, foods, art and much more.
5. Free Indoor Play Places
If you need a break from the elements, Hendricks County offers a number of different options for indoor activities. One of the best-kept secrets, though, is that a few of them are free!
The indoor play places throughout Hendricks County are great places to explore and burn off some energy. The Center at the Well in Brownsburg, The Center at Northview in Danville and The Treehouse in Plainfield are all free and open to the public!
6. McCloud Nature Park
Despite opening in 2003, McCloud Nature Park outside of North Salem, somehow remains one of Hendricks County's best-kept secrets.
This 232-acre property has a ton of stuff for families to enjoy -- a historic truss bridge that's more than 100 years old, a huge boardwalk and observation deck that overlooks a wetland habitat, more than 7 miles of trails, Big Walnut Creek, a live observable honeybee habitat, a Nature Center, a swing set, a nature play area, all sorts of family programming and camps and much more.
Best of all, it's absolutely free to explore!
7. Nehemiah Ranch
As its slogan aptly states, Nehemiah Ranch is a little piece of heaven in a chaotic world. An unassuming 34-acre slice of natural beauty in Avon that's named for a Biblical verse, Nehemiah 4:14, this best-kept secret is a faith-based ranch that emphasizes and facilitates family time.
There is a neat barn at Nehemiah Ranch that serves as the central gathering place there, and it's a perfect location for a wedding, a birthday party, a graduation party, a family gathering, a company outing or any other activity where you want to bring people together.
A great spot for outdoor recreation year-round -- including a new U-Pick sunflower field coming in the summer of 2025 -- Nehemiah Ranch is especially popular during their Fall Harvest Days in October.
8. Oinking Acres
Did you know that Hendricks County is home to one of the largest farm animal rescue and sanctuaries in the area? Not many people do! It's tucked away on the outskirts of Brownsburg, but Oinking Acres Farm Rescue and Sanctuary has developed into a Hendricks County icon in the animal world.
Oinking Acres opened in 2017 and has become a much needed and loved animal rescue. While they focus on rescuing, rehabilitating and finding a new home for each and every animal that joins the Oinking Acres family, the farm itself also has become a bit of a destination for animal lovers and agritourists who want to experience an authentic farm experience.
9. Outdoor Public Art
There's outdoor public art in Hendricks County?! YES! And lots of it with more to come soon as a countywide mural project will kick off this summer!
Once I learned to slow my frantic pace of life down and look for it, all sorts of artistic treasures started appearing on my radar. Hunting them down makes for a great family field trip all around the county.
10. Trak 36
One of Hendricks County's best-kept secrets is located on the east side of Avon Town Hall Park, just past the shelters, near the maintenance barn. There you will find Trak 36 -- the only free and public track for radio-controlled vehicles in the county!
Operated by Avon Parks & Recreation, this outdoor RC track opened in 2016 and is available for public use from dawn to dusk daily. Users find the track both fun and challenging, and they also get to meet fellow RC enthusiasts such as the fine folks of the Hoosier RC Racers Club.
