- Q: Why is New Harmony, Indiana a great place to visit?
- A: New Harmony is considered one of the best places to visit in southern Indiana, offering a great destination for families, couples, or anyone looking for a day trip or weekend getaway.
- Q: What can visitors explore in New Harmony?
- A: Visitors can explore the town's rich history through several historic sites, art galleries, local shops, and more, making it a unique spot in the Hoosier State.
- Q: Is New Harmony suitable for a day trip or weekend getaway?
- A: Yes, New Harmony is ideal for both day trips and weekend getaways, offering a relaxing and culturally rich experience for all kinds of visitors.
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1. The Atheneum, New Harmony, Indiana
Since it was built in 1979, The Atheneum near the banks of Indiana’s Wabash River is a place in New Harmony that has drawn second looks with its steel frame, glass, and white porcelain panels. The building was the first major commissioned work of Richard Meier, a now internationally acclaimed architect. Constructed as the town’s visitors center and the recipient of several architecture awards, The Atheneum is designed to guide guests down a specific route, featuring overlapping grids that offers views of the surrounding countryside and buildings. The spacious rooftop deck overlooks the town, as well as the Wabash River.
401 Arthur St, New Harmony, IN 47631, Phone: 812-682-4488
2. Cathedral Labyrinth
The Cathedral Labyrinth was built by the Robert Lee Blaffer Foundation as an outdoor site that provides a place for people to walk through and meditate on a single-path labyrinth built to model those of ancient times. This particular labyrinth in New Harmony is designed based on the original twelfth-century labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral near the city of Paris in France, with the Chartres origin symbolized by the rose found in the center of the labyrinth. The Cathedral Labyrinth is typically open to the public seven days a week, from seven in the morning until eleven at night.
301 North St, New Harmony, IN 47631, Phone: 812-682-3050
3. Firehouse Antiques
Housed inside of the first Firehouse of the town of New Harmony, which dates back to the year 1899, Firehouse Antiques is owned and operated by Cindy and Jeff Smotherman. The vintage decor and antiques shop specializes in furniture made in the United States, kitchenware, glassware, Americana, Indiana quilts, textiles, advertising, vintage books, store counters, holiday collectibles, postcards from the 1900s, farmhouse primitives, and much more. Generally open every day of the week except for Tuesday, Firehouse Antiques also does Moving Sales, Estate Tag Sales, and buys vintage items and antiques, ranging from just a single piece to entire estates.
608 S Main St, New Harmony, IN 47631, Phone: 812-781-1390
4. New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art
The New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art has become a fixture of the town’s Main Street, providing an exhibition space for artists in the Midwest region of the United States, as well as a place for the public to view an array of contemporary art. The art gallery also has a gift shop where local artists can sell their photography, jewelry, pottery, sculpture, drawings, paintings, and other types of artwork. The New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art was established in 1975 as part of the revitalization project Historic New Harmony and today acts as a not-for-profit gallery hosting seven exhibitions each year.
506 Main St, New Harmony, IN 47631, Phone: 812-682-3156
5. New Harmony Soap Company
The New Harmony Soap Company believes that not only is it important what people put into their bodies, but also what they put onto their bodies is important as well. The company aims to provide what people need to feed their skin “a healthier diet,” selling soap and other products in shops located in the town of New Harmony and in Nashville, Indiana, as well as through the New Harmony Soap Company online shop. The company makes handmade, natural soaps, body care products, and lotions infused with nutrients from herbs and plants formulated to optimize skin absorption.
512 Main St, New Harmony, IN 47631, Phone: 812-682-0515
6. Roofless Church
The Roofless Church has a unique and fascinating utopian history, having played host to not one, but two “utopian type” communal societies in New Harmony, boasting two different visions during the town’s first few decades. The roofless, open-air interdenominational “church” is a plaza-like area around a city block in size. The unique compound was commissioned by the spouse of a descendent of New Harmony’s founder, Robert Owen, who envisioned a church in which the “only roof large enough to encompass a world of worshippers was the sky,” leading to what is now known as the “Roofless Church.
420 North St, New Harmony, IN 47631, Phone: 812-682-3050
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