Short answer
Good places to paint plein air in Indiana include Mount Baldy Dune and Beach, Indiana Dunes, Clifty Falls, Clifty Falls State Park, Brown County State Park Overlooks, T. C. Steele State Historic Site, Hoosier Group Home and Gardens, Washington Park Beach, Michigan City, Cataract Falls, Cagles Mill, Shades State Park, Sugar Creek Sandstone Canyons and Nashville Village, Brown County Artists Colony. PleinScout lists 42 spots in Indiana, each with parking, shade, restrooms and when the light is best. Always check current hours, fees and rules before you go.
These are places painters set up in Indiana, grouped by subject. Each one notes the things that decide whether a session works: where to park, whether there's shade, a restroom nearby, and when the light is best. The full map, with directions and spots added by local painters, is in the free PleinScout app.
Coast, beaches and harbors
Mount Baldy Dune and Beach, Indiana Dunes
A big, migrating sand dune with Lake Michigan beach below it. Paint the pale sand against the blue water and the Chicago skyline that shows on clear days.
Michigan City · Best light: golden hour · Parking: lot · Shade: none · Restrooms: yes · National park entrance fee may apply; check current prices. · Moderate
Washington Park Beach, Michigan City
A city beach beside the harbour on Lake Michigan, with the lighthouse and pier nearby. Good for sunsets over the water and beach scenes.
Michigan City · Best light: sunset · Parking: paid · Shade: none · Restrooms: yes · Seasonal parking or beach fee; check current prices. · Easy
Lakes, rivers and waterfalls
Pokagon State Park, Lake James
A lakeside state park with an inn, beaches and a toboggan run. Paint the lake and woodland.
Angola · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Indiana state park entry fee applies per vehicle; check current prices. · Easy
Brookville Lake Dam and Overlook
A big reservoir surrounded by rolling hills, with a dam overlook. Paint the lake and ridges.
Brookville · Best light: golden hour · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Day-use fee may apply at some areas; check current prices. · Easy
Cataract Falls, Cagles Mill
Indiana's largest waterfall by volume, with upper and lower falls on Mill Creek. Paint the wide cascades and covered bridge nearby.
Cloverdale · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Day-use fee may apply; check current prices. · Easy
Johnny Appleseed Park and the St. Joseph River
A riverfront park on the St. Joseph River, with lawn and trees. A simple place to paint river and bank scenes.
Fort Wayne · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Clifty Falls, Clifty Falls State Park
A deep Ohio River hills canyon with tall waterfalls over layered rock, best after rain. Take the short trail to Clifty Falls and paint the cascade and rock walls.
Madison · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: yes · Indiana state park entry fee applies per vehicle; check current prices. · Moderate
Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge
A big wetland and woodland refuge with wildlife and long views. Paint ponds, marsh and birds.
Seymour · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
McCormick's Creek, Canyon and Waterfall
Indiana's oldest state park has a limestone canyon, a creek and a waterfall over mossy rock. Paint the cascade and the rock walls.
Spencer · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: yes · Indiana state park entry fee applies per vehicle; check current prices. · Moderate
Mountains, canyons and overlooks
Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve
An old-growth urban forest with large trees, trails and a nature center. Paint trunks and shadows.
Evansville · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: yes · Entry fee may apply; check current prices. · Easy
Brown County State Park Overlooks
Indiana's biggest state park is steep, forested ridge country, and it drew the Hoosier Group painters a century ago. Park at one of the overlooks and paint the layered hills, which are strongest in the first half of October.
Nashville · Best light: golden hour · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Indiana state park entry fee applies per vehicle; check current prices. · Easy
Shades State Park, Sugar Creek Sandstone Canyons
Sandstone bluffs and ravines above Sugar Creek, with quiet trails and hemlock-shaded canyons. Paint the rock walls and the creek.
Waveland · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: yes · Indiana state park entry fee applies per vehicle; check current prices. · Moderate
Towns, historic sites and gardens
Tippecanoe Battlefield Park
A battlefield park with a monument and meadows. Paint grassy slopes and monument.
Battle Ground · Best light: golden hour · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
T. C. Steele State Historic Site, Hoosier Group Home and Gardens
This was the home and studio of Hoosier Group painter T. C. Steele, set on a ridge with hill views and garden terraces. Paint the house, the gardens and the landscape he painted himself.
Belmont · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Grounds and trails may be free while the house and studio have an admission charge; check current prices and hours. · Easy
Bridgeton Covered Bridge and Mill Falls
The rebuilt red bridge over Big Raccoon Creek sits beside a mill and a small waterfall. A favourite stop for covered bridge painters.
Bridgeton · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Free · Easy
Cannelton Cotton Mill and the Ohio River
A big 1850s stone mill with towers above the Ohio River town. Paint the stone and the river in front.
Cannelton · Best light: golden hour · Parking: street · Shade: some · Restrooms: no · Free · Easy
Corydon Capitol State Historic Site
A small limestone capitol that served as Indiana's first state capital, in a leafy square. Paint the stone building and trees.
Corydon · Best light: morning · Parking: street · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Wabash and Erie Canal Park, Delphi
A restored stretch of canal with a replica boat and towpath. Paint canal reflections.
Delphi · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Admission may apply; check prices. · Easy
Angel Mounds State Historic Site
Earthen mounds from a Mississippian town on the Ohio River, with open sky and grass. Paint the mounds and long horizons.
Evansville · Best light: sunset · Parking: lot · Shade: none · Restrooms: yes · Admission may be charged; check current prices. · Easy
Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory
An indoor tropical, desert and showhouse conservatory in the heart of the city. Paint plants and glasshouse interiors in any weather.
Fort Wayne · Best light: morning · Parking: paid · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Admission charge; check current prices. · Easy
Marquette Park Aquatorium and Lake Michigan Beach, Gary
A 1920s lakeside pavilion on Lake Michigan beach in Marquette Park, with a lagoon and dune landscaping behind. Paint the pavilion against the lake and sky.
Gary · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Free · Easy
Bowsher Ford Covered Bridge
A remote covered bridge in farm country far from the busy bridges. Quiet for painting bridge and creek.
Howard · Best light: morning · Parking: street · Shade: some · Restrooms: no · Free · Easy
Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis
A large Victorian cemetery on a hill, with sculpture, mature trees and a Gothic gate. Paint quietly and respectfully from paths.
Indianapolis · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Gardens
A glass conservatory and sunken garden in a city park, with pagoda and formal beds. Paint plants and the garden axes.
Indianapolis · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Indiana World War Memorial Plaza
A formal plaza with an obelisk, fountains and a Greek-style memorial. Paint the axis from the plaza steps.
Indianapolis · Best light: morning · Parking: paid · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Lockerbie Square Historic District
Brick sidewalks and 1800s cottages in a quiet downtown pocket. Sketch the houses and streetscapes.
Indianapolis · Best light: afternoon · Parking: street · Shade: some · Restrooms: no · Free · Easy
Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument on Monument Circle
The tall monument at the centre of the downtown circle is ringed by civic buildings. Sketch the monument and the streetscape from the steps.
Indianapolis · Best light: afternoon · Parking: paid · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial and Living Farm
A park on the land where Abraham Lincoln grew up, with a living historical farm. Paint the log cabin, fields and forest.
Lincoln City · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Entrance fee may apply; check current prices. · Easy
Lanier Mansion State Historic Site, Madison
A grand Greek Revival house with a columned portico on the Ohio River. Paint the facade from the lawn and the garden terraces.
Madison · Best light: afternoon · Parking: street · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Madison Main Street Historic District
A large historic river-town district with Federal and Greek Revival buildings stepping down to the Ohio River. Sketch the brick streetscapes and courthouse.
Madison · Best light: afternoon · Parking: street · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Mansfield Covered Bridge, Big Raccoon Creek
A long Burr arch bridge over Big Raccoon Creek, beside the old mill village. A classic subject for a morning painting.
Mansfield · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Free · Easy
Jackson Covered Bridge, Sugar Creek
A Sugar Creek covered bridge in farm country west of Turkey Run. A quiet spot to paint a wooden bridge and the creek bank.
Marshall · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: no · Free · Easy
Narrows Covered Bridge, Sugar Creek, Turkey Run
A red covered bridge over Sugar Creek on the edge of Turkey Run State Park. Paint the bridge with the creek and canopy of trees.
Marshall · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: lots · Restrooms: yes · State park entry fee may apply for access via Turkey Run; check current prices. · Easy
Duck Creek Aqueduct and Whitewater Canal, Metamora
A wooden canal aqueduct and a restored 1800s canal town with a working grist mill. Paint the mill, aqueduct and canal reflections.
Metamora · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Spring Mill State Park, Pioneer Village and Gristmill
A restored 1800s village with a limestone gristmill beside a mill pond. Paint the stone mill, wood buildings and the mill pond reflection.
Mitchell · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Indiana state park entry fee applies per vehicle; check current prices. Pioneer village may have a separate charge. · Easy
Nashville Village, Brown County Artists Colony
Nashville has been an artists' colony since the early 1900s and still has galleries along its small streets. Sketch the log and clapboard shopfronts and the porches from the sidewalk.
Nashville · Best light: afternoon · Parking: street · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site
A Second Empire mansion on a quiet street, with towers and ornate trim. Paint the facade from the sidewalk.
New Albany · Best light: afternoon · Parking: street · Shade: some · Restrooms: no · Free · Easy
Roofless Church, New Harmony
A modern open-air church with a shell-shaped dome, set in a utopian village full of historic buildings. Paint the architecture and the gardens.
New Harmony · Best light: morning · Parking: street · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Notre Dame Basilica of the Sacred Heart and Grotto
A Gothic Revival church on the campus quad, with the Grotto a short walk away. Paint the spire and facade from the lawn and the lake path.
Notre Dame · Best light: afternoon · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
Beeson Covered Bridge at Billie Creek Village
A small covered bridge inside Billie Creek Village, a recreated 1800s village. Paint the bridge with the village buildings and fields.
Rockville · Best light: morning · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Admission to Billie Creek Village may apply; check current prices and hours. · Easy
Neet Covered Bridge, Parke County
A covered bridge over a quiet creek on a country road, with fields on either side. A good place to sketch away from crowds.
Rockville · Best light: morning · Parking: street · Shade: some · Restrooms: no · Free · Easy
West Baden Springs Hotel and Dome
A restored 1902 hotel with one of the world's largest free-span domes, with formal gardens around. Paint the facade and gardens.
West Baden Springs · Best light: afternoon · Parking: lot · Shade: some · Restrooms: yes · Free · Easy
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Find more spots in Indiana
Painters add new spots to PleinScout every week, with photos, parking and the light. Get the free app to see them on the map, or find a paint-out near you.
Hours, fees and rules change. Always check with the park or venue before you go.