I'm a bit ashamed to admit I have never spent an extended amount of time in Vincennes. We spent a good part of a day there and could have spent even more time, so we will have to plan a return trip!
We started the day at the Red Skelton Museum. In all honestly, I wasn't incredibly familiar with Red Skelton but learned so much during our visit:
- Comedian, naturally, from Vincennes
- Started with traveling groups and eventually landed a television show that aired for 20 years!
The museum is dedicated to showcasing his life and how he impacted the country with his humor and humanitarian efforts.
He created some beloved television characters that many grew up with and the museum did a wonderful job of showcasing this information in a fun, hands-on way which was especially helpful with my 8 year old daughter!
We then ventured to downtown Vincennes to eat at Pea-Fections.
A delicious, local establishment that dishes up a variety of dishes in a welcoming, charming atmosphere.
Per usual, I ate mine too quick and forgot to take a picture but you get the idea from the other plates (including our mouthwatering dessert!).
After lunch we made our way to the Indiana Military Museum.
I had heard of this before and knew its collection was quite large, but nothing prepared me for what we experienced.
The history in this place was amazing. Of course, the local elements were fascinating, but they even have some national artifacts that really make it fascinating ... Dwight D. Eisenhower's uniform!
Even the grounds feature artifacts, a mock bunker and a reenactment facility.
Over the next year or so this place will be transformed as they put some state grant money to use and move their collection to a larger facility (on site). It will be a whole new experience very soon - one you won't want to miss.
Before we left Vincennes, I knew I wanted to visit the George Rogers Clark Memorial. The day couldn't have been more beautiful to walk around the monument and visit.
George Rogers Clark was a remarkable leader in the Revolutionary War. He is best known for capturing Fort Sackville (on the site of the memorial) in February 1779. Visitors can learn more about the monument inside with the help of a short audio tour.
All in all a successful trip to Vincennes and one I'm so happy we made the time to do! If you want more information on all there is to do in Vincennes, be sure to Visit Knox County!
