Discover 10 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Franklin (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Artcraft Theatre, Johnson County Museum of History, and Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Also, be sure to include Greenlawn Cemetery in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Franklin (Indiana).
Table of Contents
Artcraft Theatre
Movie theater in Franklin, Indiana. The Historic Artcraft Theatre is a movie theater in Franklin, Indiana in the United States. The theater operated continuously for 75 years before closing. Today, the theater shows classic movies and hosts concerts.[1]
Address: Franklin, 57 N. Main St
Johnson County Museum of History
Museum in Franklin, Indiana. The Johnson County Museum of History is a local historical museum located in Franklin, Indiana. The museum is run by the Johnson County Historical Society. The museum officially opened in 1931, under the name "Johnson County Museum." It was organized by the local Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Originally located in a small room at the county courthouse, the museum has grown over the years, making it necessary to relocate. In 1963 it moved to the Suckow home, and in 1989 it moved again to its current building.[2]
Address: 135 N Main St, 46131-1720 Franklin
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church is a historic African Methodist Episcopal church and parsonage located at Franklin, Johnson County, Indiana. The church was built in 1911, and is a one-story, front gable frame building with a medium-pitched gable on hip roof. It features a simple two-story square tower topped by a square cupola and a large projecting semi-hexagonal apse. The associated parsonage was built about 1925.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.[3]
Address: 499 W Madison St, 46131 Franklin
Greenlawn Cemetery
Cemetery in Franklin, Indiana. Greenlawn Cemetery is a historic cemetery and national historic district located at Franklin, Johnson County, Indiana. It is a landscape-lawn style cemetery established in 1845, and contains roughly 15,000 burials. Located in the cemetery is a small Gothic Revival style chapel and the Romanesque Revival Main Mausoleum. Notable burials include William W. Wick and Roger D. Branigin.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.[4]
Johnson County Courthouse Square
Courthouse. Johnson County Courthouse Square is a historic courthouse and town square located in Franklin, Johnson County, Indiana. The courthouse was built between 1879 and 1881, and is a two-story, red brick building with elements of Second Empire, Neo-Jacobean, and Romanesque Revival style architecture. It has a low hipped metal roof topped by a central tower and with smaller corner towers topped with pyramidal roofs. It was designed by George W. Bunting, who also designed courthouses at Frankfort and Anderson.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.[5]
Franklin College
Liberal arts college in Franklin, Indiana. Franklin College is a private liberal arts college in Franklin, Indiana. It was founded in 1834 and has a wooded campus spanning 207 acres including athletic fields and a 31-acre biology woodland. The college offers its approximately 1,000 students Bachelor of Arts degrees in 49 majors from 25 academic disciplines, 43 minors, 11 pre-professional programs and five cooperative programs. The college also offers a Master of Science in Athletic Training and a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies. In 1842, the college began admitting women, becoming the first coeducational institution in Indiana and the seventh in the nation. Franklin College has historically maintained an affiliation with the American Baptist Churches USA.[6]
Address: 101 Branigin Blvd, Franklin
Franklin College Library
Shirk Hall is a historic building located on the campus of Franklin College in Franklin, Johnson County, Indiana. It was built in 1903 and is a one-story, Classical Revival style brick building on a raised basement. It is topped by a cross-gabled roof and copper dome on an octagonal base. The front entrance features engaged Ionic order columns. The building housed the school library until 1964. The building is now home to the college's media school, The Pulliam School of Journalism.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.[7]
Old Main
Franklin College-Old Main is a historic academic building located on the campus of Franklin College in Franklin, Johnson County, Indiana. The building consists of three sections: the north wing constructed in 1847, the south wing constructed in 1855, and the middle section connecting the two wings in 1888 The wings are each three stories tall, while the middle section is four stories and topped by a bell tower and observatory. The building is in a Late Victorian / Gothic style.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.[8]
Herriott House
Herriott House, also known as the Brown-Richey House, is a historic home located in Franklin, Johnson County, Indiana. The house was built between 1860 and 1865, and is a two-story, rectangular, Italianate style brick dwelling with a hipped roof. It features an elaborate wooden front porch added between 1876 and 1884 and overhanging eaves with decorative brackets.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.[9]
August Zeppenfeld House
August Zeppenfeld House, also known as the Zeppenfeld-Cain House, is a historic home located in Franklin, Johnson County, Indiana. It was built in 1872, and is a two-story, rectangular, three bay, Italianate style brick dwelling with a one-story frame wing. One-story frame additions were made to the house about 1910, 1935, and the 1960s. It features a low hipped roof and arches openings.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.[10]