Hoosier State historians should head to Vincennes, settled by the French and the former capitol of the territory prior to statehood. The William Henry Harrison Mansion Museum, 3 W. Scott St. (tel. 812/886-0400; www.grouselandfoundation.org), is also known as Grouseland for the abundance of the game birds on the property (no, it's not a play on "Graceland"). The Georgian-style home, a registered National Historic Landmark, overlooks the Wabash River and belonged to William Henry Harrison, the first governor of Indiana and the ninth president of the United States. He is also the man responsible for quashing the dreams of the famous Shawnee chief Tecumseh, who tried in vain to defend Shawnee land against white settlers. You can visit the Tippecanoe Battlefield and Museum, 200 Battle Ground Ave. (tel. 765/476-8411; www.tcha.mus.in.us/battlefield.htm), where Harrison and band of 1,000 American soldiers overpowered Tecumseh's people, forcing them to relinquish their grip on the land they'd called home for hundreds of years and flee to Canada.
Another great stop on the trail of Indiana's history is the Lincoln Museum, 200 E. Berry St., Fort Wayne (tel. 260/455-3864; www.thelincolnmuseum.org). The museum holds the largest private collection of materials dedicated to the 16th president, and includes signed copies of the Emancipation Proclamation. In Lincoln City, the National Park Service now oversees the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial (tel. 812/937-4541; www.nps.gov/libo), the farm where Lincoln lived until age 21. Still a working farm, visitors get to see the surroundings the shaped one of the most influential presidents in United States history, including the trail of 12 stones (each from a significant place in Lincoln's life) that leads from the Cabin Site Memorial to the grave of Lincoln's mom, Nancy Hanks.
If you're crazy for cars, head to South Bend and the Studebaker National Museum, 201 S. Chapin St. (tel. 574/235-9714; www.studebakermusuem.org). Also in town is the 38,000-square-foot South Bend Chocolate Company, 3300 Sample St. (tel. 800/301-4961; www.sbchocolate.com), which has homemade chocolate, a collection of rare chocolate molds, a 1,600-year-old chocolate pot, and offers a factory tour.
