Things to do – Original
From history to agriculture, with museums and racetracks; Washington County is a unique area that offers a little bit of everything!
Agriculture
Cornucopia Farm
Cornucopia Farm is located 10 miles east of Salem and nine miles west of Scottsburg, Indiana making this farm a quick drive for anyone living in the metropolitan areas including: Cincinnati; Indianapolis; and Louisville!
Consisting of corn and soybean mazes, a petting farm, and pumpkin patches, Cornucopia Farm offers something for everyone. With sweet treats, delicious burgers, and more available at the Café no one in the family goes hungry!
Museums
John Hay Center
The John Hay Center is a museum complex located in Salem, Indiana. This center houses the birthplace of John Milton Hay, the Stevens Memorial Museum, a pioneer village, and The Depot railroad museum.
Piper Flight Center Museum
The Piper Flight Center Museum is located at the Salem Municipal Airport in Salem, Indiana. The museum contains three vintage Piper aircrafts, a flight simulator, and a display room with several display cases containing numerous Piper artifacts dating back to the early beginning of Piper Aircraft Corporation.
No Admission Fee – Call the museum for a visitation appointment.
Salem Depot Railroad Museum
An up-to-date railroad museum, The Depot transforms the great moments of a past era of railroad history into a reality to be remembered and enjoyed by countless visitors.
January to March – Saturdays 1:00 to 4:00pm
April to December – Tuesdays and Saturdays 1:00pm to 5:00pm
*Group tours can be arranged at any time.
The gift shop is open during normal operating hours and offer many unusual gifts with a railroad theme.
Stevens Memorial Museum & Genealogy Library
The Museum is the centerpiece of the John Hay Center. The main exhibit area includes: special sections devoted to early lawyers: a dentist’s office; and one of the town’s earliest and most popular confectionaries.
In addition to thousands of items related to southern Indiana history, the museum contains an extensive genealogy and historical library which draw researchers from all over the United States.
Motorsports
Salem Speedway
Salem Speedway
For over 65 years Salem Speedway has enjoyed the recognition of being one of the most unique and renowned racetracks in America. The .555-mile oval that features imposing 33-degree banks was built strictly for speed. High-powered sprint cars accelerate down the straights at speeds reaching nearly 140 miles per hour.
Salem is a track steeped in history with many of the giants in auto racing having competed on the treacherous “hills” at some point in their careers, Names such as Ruttman, Carter, Sweikert, O’Connor, Jones, Foyt. Unse, Andretti, Vogler, Allison, Parsons, and Waltrip, just to name a few!
With a strong racing history, it is not surprising that Salem has developed a strong racing heritage and tradition that continues today with some of the top names in open-wheel and stock car competition visiting the famed high bans each racing season to challenge the demanding oval.
In recent years drivers such as Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman, Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, Ken Schrader, and Joey Logano tested their skills on the Salem oval with varying degrees of success.
Situated in the scenic hills of southern Indiana, the Salem Speedway roars to life with upwards of 12-15 “Special Events” per year. With a season stretching from April to November, each event is “Special” in its own right with sanctioning bodies such as ARCA, the Must-See Racing Xtreme Sprints, the Ken-Ten Pro Late Model Series, and the Top Speed Modified Tour helping bring the finest in professional automobile racing to the world-famous facility.