knox county indiana tourism

Vincennes / Knox County Convention & Visitors Bureau

Relive the Story of Vincennes and Knox County with a glimpse of history at every turn. Founded in 1732 by Sieur de Vincennes, Francois Marie Bissot, Vincennes is Indiana’s first city. Visit the largest federal monument west of Washington D.C. also the site of an important U.S. victory with the capture of Fort Sackville. Step into a presidential mansion completed in 1804 and the original Indiana Territorial Capitol. Explore one of the most exceptional and wideranging collections of U.S. military history and laugh at the ageless humor of Red Skelton. We are more than just history and invite you to stop in our charming restaurants and antique stores. Our thriving Agri-Tourism and farm markets offer an array of fresh produce. It’s all here waiting for you!

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Starke County Tourism

Introducing the Starke County Tourism Board

Jerry Gurrado – President

Deb Mix – Vice President

Mark Rippy – Treasurer

JoAnne Bailey – Secretary

Shannon Hoekman – Executive Director

Many volunteers work with the executive board to make plans and create events. We are grateful to them all for all the hours of work it takes to make things happen in our community. Thank you.

• Restaurants
• Campgrounds
• Starke County Event Calendar

2020 Visitor Guide can be found  here.

Learn about the places that make Starke County a wonderful place to live and visit. There are many hidden gems that we will guide you to. If you are planning a trip, set aside time to check out what is here.

This section is dedicated to Starke County Tourism. The Chamber of Commerce Executive Director is charged with running the department so by adding a tourism area to our Chamber page we are able to provide amazing coverage of Starke County. The businesses on this Tourism page may or may not be members of the Chamber of Commerce. Here we are showing what is available within all of Starke County, Indiana. This page is a work in progress, over time there will be more information added to the Tourism page. If you have additions please send us photos and information to have them added to our website.

This page is a work in progress, over time there will be more information added to the Tourism page. If you have additions please send us photos and information to have them added to our website.

Geodes & Gemstones is located at 300 N Hwy 35, Knox, IN 46534

They offer classes as well as a retail store specializing in fossils, minerals, rocks and jewelry making items.

Walk, Bike or Run on the Erie Trail! Starke County welcomes its residents and visitors to come enjoy the trail. Visit https://www.prairietrailsclub.org for more information!

The Erie Trail is a free access, public greenway in southern Starke County with more than nine miles of paved trail eastward from North Judson to US 35 near Bass Lake. In Monterey to the east in Pulaski County is a shorter paved trail. The non-motorized route is for hiking and bicycling. An equestrian trail shares the corridor from Starke County 100 W to US 35. On the rail-banked right-of-way of the former Erie Lackawanna Railroad, the Erie Trail has great views of the Kankakee sand country. You will see rich Indiana farmland, as well as natural groves of oak savannah, wildflowers, prairies and marshlands. The level rail bed allows easy hiking and cycling. The Erie Trail is part of the American Discovery Trail (ADT) that extends from Delaware to California. The trail is also part of USBR 35 that extends from Ontario to near New Orleans. Four routes for share-the-road status and better connectivity to the Erie Trail, the ADT, and USBR 35 have been approved by the Starke County Commissioners.

Plan Your Trip to Knox: Best of Knox Tourism

Explore Knox

Essential knox.

• Christos Family Dining
• Bass Lake Pub Ristorante
• Fingerhut Bakery
• Mexico Lindo
• Country Kettle Restaurant

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IDDC Releases 2021 Contribution of Travel & Tourism to the Indiana Economy

INDIANAPOLIS (March 2, 2023) – A new study released by  Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch  with the Indiana Destination Development Corporation  shows the Indiana tourism industry's rebound fueling is a stronger economy.

"Following the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic aftermath, we have seen Indiana's economy show great, especially when we look at it through the lens of tourism," said Lt. Gov. Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. "This research shows a promising future for Indiana's tourism industry after rebounding tremendously following the pandemic."

Here are some of the highlights of the report :

• Total Indiana visitor volume grew 16% in 2021 to 77.3 million person-trips;
• Overnight leisure travel grew by 36% over 2020;
• Visitor spending grew by 28.4% to $13B;
• Spending per visitor rose to $170;
• Visitor spending added $8.5B to the state's gross domestic product;
• Out of each dollar spent, $0.65 stays in Indiana;
• Tourism generated $1.4B in state and local taxes;
• Indiana tourism supported nearly180,000 full-time jobs; and
• Hoosier households saved an average of $526 in state and local taxes as a direct impact of tourism.

"The tourism industry in Indiana has continued to develop a very strong foundation for Hoosiers," said IDDC Secretary and CEO, Elaine Bedel. "Using this research, we can get a good idea of where we are heading in the years to come, and the future looks bright for Indiana tourism."

The study was commissioned by the Indiana Destination Development Corporation and conducted by Rockport Analytics, an independent market research and consulting company specializing in economic impact and feasibility studies for the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. The methodology employed by this study is in accordance with industry best practices and aligns economic impact data at the state and local level with rigorous methodological standards that are recognized as the highest in the industry.

The study used data on Indiana visitor spending derived from multiple sources including Longwoods International, Reach Market Planning and the U.S. Commerce Department's National Travel & Tourism Office. It was then reconciled with Bureau of Labor Statistics reported employment data, Indiana Department of Revenue reported tax receipts and secondary sources such as Smith Travel Research.

A link to the report can be found at  VisitIndiana.com .

Justus O'Neil