Best Things to Do in Story Indiana

by SAP BW Consulting, Inc. December 25, 2022

Story, A Quaint Village You Will Want to Visit

Story Inn. Ten miles of country roads lead to this escape outside Nashville. Stay in one of 18 rooms in the renovated buildings—mill, general store, cottages—that made up the village of Story in the 1800s. storyinn.com For more information browncounty.com Popular in Brown County, Indiana.

Live Music and Entertainment

Story, Indiana, also happens to be the home of live entertainment in Brown County, Indiana. While a beautiful little village in it's own right, it is also home to many aspiring bands, comedians and actors. Check the Story Inn main website to see what's playing.

Some Recent Story Inn Entertainment Examples

Live Piano

Live Karaoke - Always a favorite

New Years Eve Celebration - Book Early

Wedding Venue

Victorian Candlelight Dinner Series

Annual Wine Festival

Horseback Riding Destination

For those horseback riders who want to explore Brown County State Park, a stop off at the Story Inn, where you'll find plenty of places to park your horses, as well as good food and drink in this world renown restaurant.

World Famous Restaurant and Entertainment Venue

That's right. World renown. It made the papers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, (where this author was working at the time) as 'THE Restaurant' to visit, in Brown County, indeed, in the Mid-West. That wasn't a piece of advice one expected to read in a Saudi Arabian Newspaper. It has great recipes which change frequently!

Hiking Trails Galore

Located adjacent to the Brown County State Park, and the Ten O'Clock Treaty Memorial, the Story Inn serves as a convenient stopping point for both hikers, campers and trail riders. There are miles and miles of horse bike riding trails, hiking paths, creeks, ponds, lakes and puddles to explore. All starting from Story, Indiana.

Story Creek

While most visitors to the Story Inn, located in Southern Brown County, don't pay much attention to this tiny little 'stream', which the locals refer to as a creek, it hides a deep, foreboding secret. You see, when the Spring rains come, it likes to pretend it is the Nile River. Then it, along with Salt Creek, and all the other small ditches, streams, creeks and even rivers, all join forces and flood everything, everywhere. While this brings much needed silt to the farmers fields, it also brings Nature's wrath to bear on every man-made structure in the area, including the homes of Story, Indiana. So be forewarned.

Brown County Has Much More Than Just the Story Inn

While the Story Inn offers a world-class restaurant, haunted hotel rooms (or so I hear) in a two century old building, a bar built in an old saw mill, and an outdoor barbeque, live entertainment and access to many great outdoor activities, it just happens to be located in one of the most beautiful Mid-Western counties - Brown County, Indiana.

My Favorite Places to Visit Recommendations

Let me give you a run down of some of my favorite recommendations for those visiting Brown County for the first time or even for those who have been here many times and just may have missed some of the highlights.

Brown County State Park

Covering most of Southern Brown County, the Brown County State Park is one of the largest state parks in Indiana, and has miles and miles of unspoilt vistas of the hills and valleys. But Brown County State Park is also an educational institution, offering multiple classes and outdoor activities throughout the year aimed at educating the public, especially the youngsters, about the vast variety of wildlife in the park and surrounding areas.

Brown County State Park is Home to Thousands of White Tail Deer

Even if all you do is visit Story, Indiana and eat at the Story Inn, just getting there means you're probably going to encounter dozens if not hundreds of members of the local White Tail Deer Population. These aren't just people's pets. They actually live in the Brown County State Park, and come out for breakfast and lunch in the local farmer's corn fields and everybody's else's gardens. Then they retreat back into the Brown County State Park for the evening, or should it be hunting season, to the edge of the park to laugh at the hunters (aren't they going to be surprised during the next hunting season where hunters can actually hunt in the park).

Enjoy the Natural Beauty of Story, Indiana

While Story, Indiana may look like just another never changing village passed over by history, for those with long memories, the changes that Story has undergone over the years and continues to undergo, have been dramatic.

Story Used to Have a Working Sawmill

What is now a nice bar in the middle of nowhere was once a working sawmill. That's right, there was a tractor that was connected by a long endless leather belt that spun a giant saw blade which was used to convert many trees into hardwood lumber, which was sold and shipped around the world. It also created a lot of noise and saw dust. Story, founded in 1851 as a lumber town, by George Story, once had, in addition to the working sawmill, a church, grain mill, blacksmith shop, two general stores, a post office, butcher shop and some very nice homes. The great depression spelled doom for most of these businesses as did the purchase of much of the land for the creation of Brown County State Park.

Story Has a Famous Statue

At some point in time, the saw mill ceased to spin and someone got the bright idea to erect a statue in Story, Indiana. Today, we have a beautiful wooden statue located just in front of the Story Inn. Not what you expect to find in a town of 13 people (12 once I moved away to join the United States Air Force). But this is just one of the reasons Story makes my favorites list.

Stonehead - Just Can't Keep Its Head About It

Whether you walk, drive, fly (yes, I have flown in), or bicycle to, through or over Story, you should consider heading North up 135 South, and when you get to the 90 degree left turn at Stone Head, look over on your right. you'll see what is most probably a headless statue.

Carved by Henry Cross, it was a mile marker carved in 1851. It was stolen in 1974, recovered and subsequently beheaded by parties unknown. The head remains missing.

Stonehead was Once a Thriving small Village

While not much remains of Stonehead, it once had a post office (1890-1891), and until not all that long ago, had a well stocked general store, including gas pumps, a fish'n'bait tackle store and even a smokehouse. Stonehead is just one of the many small villages that were, until fairly recently, located throughout Brown County. Now it's part of the local history and one of the many, small important historic sites that dot Brown County. If you look just to the left of the house behind the statue, you might just see the beaver's dam, which is in the pond beside the house. The reason it is of interest is there were no beavers in Brown County until very recently.

Camp Roberts

After passing by the headless Stonehead mile marker, and climbing the Seelmar Hill, you will run into the tiny 'dot on a map' unincorporated community of Camp Roberts. While it has quite a number of residents for yet another 'dot on the map' village, it did, in fact, once have a store with gas pumps, and a large junkyard. Like the sands of time, those too, have disappeared. But the most interesting aspect of the place is the road, more specifically, the riff raffs, which flood every time it rains hard. They also freeze up and make excellent test of driver's skill levels.

Mountain Biking Mecca

While 135 South, as well as many other roads throughout the area, made a nice backdrop for the movie 'Breaking Away', as an experienced bicyclist, my recommendation is for most bicyclist to stick to mountain bikes on Brown County roads. They have too much loose gravel, are poorly maintained and are extremely curvy. But you do you.

Walk it Off on the Salt Creek Trail

The Story Inn is definitely not on anybody's weight loss plan. That's why when you get done enjoying a hearty meal of fine cuisine, we recommend you take a stroll along one of the many lofty tree lined trails located throughout Brown County. For example, the paved salt creek trail that starts out from Nashville and is slowly being extending all the way to the Brown County State Park covered bridge entrance located on the northside of the park.

Take in Some Scenic Vistas

One of the least appreciated small town views is the scenic vista you can see when you come into Nashville, Indiana from 46 South. When it is Christmas time and the lights are on, even though the town is empty, it shimmers, and makes for a spectacular view.

Staying Overnight at Story Inn

If you've been following along with this little story, and actually walked the Salt Creek Trail, maybe taken in a round of Golf at the Salt Creek Golf Retreat, then it's time to head back to your room at the Story Inn. Say high to the cat.

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Best Things to Do in Story Indiana

Story, A Quaint Village You Will Want to Visit

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