Crown Hill Cemetery

Lots of people who don't live in the Midwest will tell you that it's mostly flat and featureless. No need to argue; just take them on a walk through Indianapolis's Crown Hill Cemetery. Crown Hill was founded during the Civil War on an imposing rise northwest of the town limits of the time. Tour guide Tom Davis says that people who take the tour are often most surprised at the height of the crowning hill (hence the name) of the nearly 600-acre wooded cemetery. It's no mountain, but this 125-foot hill will have you puffing by the time you climb it to view Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley's tomb at the apex and the amazing view of the Indy skyline in the distance. And by that time you will also have encountered a number of other Hoosier high points along the way, including presidents, local dignitaries, entertainers, artists and ordinary people with extraordinary stories. Visitors are welcome to explore any time for free, but $5 guided tours are offered every other week during the summer. Topics vary; we took the Dillinger & Other Notables Tour, which calls at the gravesite of notorious bank robber John Dillinger. One fun bit of trivia: Cemetery workers often find mementos like cash, bullets, even love letters at Dillinger's grave. Who knew?