NEWS

New Ways to Explore Historic Madison

Working with Historic Madison, Inc., local students helped develop two new visitor guides highlighting the city’s historic downtown.

Madison downtown

Madison's Treasures

Historic Madison, Inc., (HMI) recently unveiled two new guides to help visitors explore the city, on the Ohio River in southern Jefferson County.

The new “Madison’s Treasures” walking tour app focuses on the art, architecture and culture of downtown Madison and the surrounding area. The app highlights 53 sites with brief written and audio history, plus current and historic photos. HMI expects to expand the app — partially funded through a Historic Preservation Education Grant from Indiana Landmarks and Indiana Humanities – with additional stops and new tours.

Eighth-grade social studies students from Southwestern Junior High did much of the site research as a year-long class project guided by HMI staff. The students also helped produce the new “Madison’s Treasures Family Fun Guide,” a scavenger hunt of sites throughout the downtown area. Kid-friendly activities including word searches and mazes round out the activity booklet and reinforce themes of preservation and local history.

Downtown Madison

Both the smart-phone tour and the Family Fun Guide complement several walking and biking routes around the city — including the River Walk and the Heritage Trail linking downtown to the hilltop area above Madison. The guides provide a fun and interactive way for visitors and locals to learn more about the places in the National Historic Landmark town.

The smart-phone tour is available through the PocketSights app, available for iPhone and Android devices. Copies of the Family Fun Guide are available at the city’s visitor center, Madison City Hall, and at HMI’s office and museum sites. For more information contact HMI at 812-265-2967 or rhonda@historicmadisoninc.com.

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