Boone County lies northwest of Indianapolis. The Big 4 Trail runs through Zionsville, Whitestown, Lebanon, and Thorntown, connecting several towns in the county along a route for walking, running, and cycling. This gives you a range of options for planning your trip: bike trails and parks, historic buildings and collections, or seasonal events and markets.
Bike Trails and Parks for Active Days
The Big 4 Trail runs through the four towns mentioned and is suitable as a multi-use path for walking, running, and cycling. In Lebanon, Stone Eater Bike Park offers five miles of all-weather, purpose-built cross-country trails. It also features a children's trail, a pump track, a jump park, and a skills practice area. The park serves year-round as a venue for professional races, training, and special events. If you want to compare different types of cycling, you’ll find both longer cross-country trails and facilities for other riding skills here.
Starkey Nature Park lies in a wooded valley along Eagle Creek and covers 80 acres. Hiking trails, nature exploration, and photography are among its attractions. The park connects to the Big 4 Rail Trail and, from there, to most of Zionsville’s trail network. Creekside Nature Park is also located along Eagle Creek: its 18 acres include streamside woods and 0.6 miles of ADA-accessible trails. A kayak and canoe launch, along with opportunities for fishing, wildlife watching, picnicking, and walking, round out the offerings. This makes it easy to choose between trails, water activities, and nature watching.
History, Art, and Events
In Thorntown, the Heritage Museum is housed in a residence built between 1863 and 1867 according to Thorntown’s original settlement plan. The collection features artifacts and photographs relating to the history of Indigenous people, pioneers, agriculture, commerce, education, and community life. Visits are available during the regular season on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; tours at other times can be requested through the library.
The Boone County Courthouse in Lebanon was built in 1911 in the Classical Revival style. Its defining features include a monumental limestone façade, tall columns, an art-glass dome, and a clock tower. The Munce Art Center focuses on art from the local and regional community, as well as exhibitions. It also offers classes, summer camps for children ages four to 17, and workshops for professional artists; program dates vary.
Recurring festivals also offer a range of experiences. The Whitestown Viking Fest is held annually at Anson Acres Park and features Viking reenactments, Viking villages, arts and crafts, live entertainment, food, mead, and interactive competitions. The Zionsville Fall Festival is held every September; its program includes rides and games, a parade, a car show, festival food, and other attractions. Exact event dates vary from year to year.
Agriculture, Markets, and Seasonal Offerings
Seasonal offerings at Dull’s Tree Farm include cutting your own Christmas tree and wagon rides to the tree fields; dates vary each year. Educational farm tours teach children through play. At Heavenly Acres Farm & Learning Center, you can arrange customized tours and activities featuring farm experiences, crafts, and animal encounters; tours require an appointment. The farm store offers fresh eggs, seasonal farm produce, and soft, hypoallergenic alpaca yarn, though availability may vary by season.
The summer markets listed for 2026 in Boone County include the Jamestown Farmers’ Market, the Lebanon City Market, the Whitestown Farmers Market, and the Zionsville Farmers Market. Farmers' markets offer local produce, homemade baked goods, and live music, as well as products from local growers and artisans; dates and vendors vary by season. Check the latest information before a future visit. At Traders Point Creamery, offerings include pasteurized, non-homogenized milk and raw, aged cheeses; product availability may vary.
These themes offer different ways to plan your stay without prescribing a fixed itinerary.
Discover more destinations: Zionsville, Whitestown, Adams County, Newton County, Fayette, Johnson, Starke County, Vigo.
For the broader travel overview: Indiana.
