Across Indiana.

Finding the true essence of the Hoosier state

Been to Brown County? Done the Dunes? Checked out The Children's Museum? Crossed enough covered bridges? Stopped at the Speedway? There's still plenty you haven't seen in Indiana.

Just ask the people who create the weekly public-television

Now in its eighth season, "Across Indiana" is a weekly televised magazine focusing on the people, places and passions of Indiana. Its mix of history, culture, art and humor has earned five, Emmy Awards for best magazine-format program and another dozen or so Emmys for individual stories. It airs on eight Indiana public TV stations.

Michael Atwood is the show's executive producer and host. A graduate of Lawrence Central High School and Indiana University, Atwood has worked since 1987 for WFYI-TV, the PBS affiliate in Indianapolis. He produced nightly coverage of the Indiana General Assembly but found his true calling creating a number of documentaries focusing on Indiana's history and heritage. Those projects evolved into the half-hour, weekly "Across Indiana" series.

With the help of Atwood and producers J. Robert Cook, Todd Gould and Dave Stoelk, we've compiled a collection of favorite and off-the-beaten-path places that have been featured on their program. Tour some of these spots and you'll take in the true essence and flavor of the Hoosier state.

The Concrete Lady, Jeffersonville - This family-run business is the country's second-largest supplier of concrete statuary, or lawn ornaments. Its products include concrete deer, gnomes, mushrooms and Madonnas. The identity of the Concrete Lady was not revealed by the family. 812/282-7742

Mounds State Park, Anderson - Prehistoric Indians created the mounds not as an ancient burial ground (as many historians first thought) but as a giant "clock" that predicted the coming seasons. Similar earthy "clocks" with the exact alignment were built by other tribes throughout North America. Park rangers give guided history tours of the park. (Also check out Angel Mounds, a 500-acre Mississippian Indian settlement near Evansville. It features 11 platform mounds along with exhibits and trails.)

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Museum, South Bend - Part of the Northern Indiana Center for History, this is the main repository of artifacts related to the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, subject of the movie "A League of Their Own" (which was filmed in southern Indiana). Displays retrace the colorful history of what the press dubbed "the Dames of the Diamond," the women who took to the field during the World War II years when most Major League players were being drafted.

Indiana Historic Radio Museum, Ligonier - Today, the radios of yesteryear are all but forgotten, tossed away in the attic or in an old bar. You might find one in an antique store or flea market, or you could head out to the only Hoosier museum dedicated to the history of radio. Its more than 400 antique radios include a swastika-bearing set intentionally designed to have a limited reception so Germany's Nazi party could better control the listening habits of the citizenry. 219/894-9000

Howard Steamboat Museum, Jeffersonville - Located in the former home of the Howard family, owner of Howard Boatyards. The 1894 Victorian mansion features original furnishings, intricate carvings, chandeliers, models, tools, photos and paintings. 812/283-3728

The Wabash Light, Wabash - In March 1880, the Brush Co. of Cleveland was in a race with Thomas Edison to be the first to light an entire city using electricity. The company chose Wabash as the site of the first public display of its arc lighting system. Because the town's courthouse was high on a hill in the center of town, Charles Brush reasoned that it would be easy to light the entire town from a single light source. Ten thousand spectators from around the Midwest came to watch as nearly blinding, bright blue light emanated from the top of the hill and Wabash became the first city in the world to be lighted by electricity. Photographs, newspaper articles and one of the actual arc lamps are on display at the courthouse. 219/563-0661

Aquatics Technology, Terre Haute - Morgan Lidster, a biology graduate of Indiana University, started an unlikely business in his hometown. Aquatics Technology farms coral and marine life for use in aquariums. He has built several live, functioning reefs in a warehouse. In fact, Lidster bills his business as Indiana's largest (and only) reef display. 812/235-7235

Undertakers Museum, Simpson Funeral Home, Newburgh - Not so very long ago, words like "cooling board" and "cleansing table" were as much a part of the rural vernacular as "corn" and "soybeans." Life and death were more closely related. Families held funerals at home and everyone had a hand in the final details. That time is still being preserved at this museum. 812/853-5177

Limberlost Historic Site, Geneva - The log home of Gene Stratton-Porter, photographer, naturalist and author of numerous books on life in Indiana during the first quarter of this century. Displays include a moth collection. 219/368-7428

RV Hall of Fame Museum, Elkhart - If you're at home in a house trailer, you'll be right at home in this place. It showcases the history of the recreational vehicle and manufactured housing industries that are so prominent in northern Indiana. 800/378-8694

The Shoe Tree, Milltown - People come here and toss their old shoes up in what is now known as the "Shoe Tree." Maxine, of Maxine's Market, can tell you all about it. 812/633-4251

Fort Wayne Firefighters Museum and Cafe, Fort Wayne - In 1893, after a devastating fire that destroyed much of the downtown district, the city of Fort Wayne assembled an elite group of firefighters, trained to protect and serve its citizens. They were the heroes of Fire House No. 3, known by the press as the "Knights of the Nozzle." The firehouse is now home to a museum and cafe that pay tribute to the city's firefighters. 219/426-0051

Fire Engine Museum, New Albany-Fred Conway has a firefighting museum in the lobby of his business, Discount Labels. 812/945-2617

Old Ben, Kokomo - At one time, Ben was the world's biggest steer. In his heyday, he weighed 4,720 pounds, stood 6-foot-4-inches tall and was almost 17 feet from nose to tail. Now he's stuffed for posterity in a special exhibit at Highland Park in Kokomo.

Wilbur Wright Birthplace and Museum, Millville - Some 130 years ago, Milton and Sarah Wright gave birth to their third son, Wilbur, in a country home outside of Millville. Once Milton gave Wilbur and his brother, Orville, a string toy that had a propeller that twirled and flew from the top of the toy when the string was pulled. This gadget sparked the boys' imaginations and led them to fascinating discoveries as well as a place in the history books. Tour the boyhood home and see a full-size replica of the original Wright flyer that took to the air in 1903. 765/332-2495

Berne Swiss Days, Berne - This yearly festival in July celebrates the town's Swiss heritage. Festivities include yodeling, an accordion band, food and crafts. 219/589-8080

Eggbasket of the Midwest, Mentone - For more than 100 years, Mentone has been a major chicken- and egg-producing town. They celebrate their fine feathered heritage each year with the Mentone Egg Festival, featuring the talents of the Henhouse Five, a group of ladies who dress as chickens, dance and sing.

U.S. Merchant Marine Museum, Anderson - George Canaday served in the Merchant Marines during World War II. Tens of thousands of Merchant Marines lost their lives delivering precious supplies to Allied armies overseas, and Canaday decided to honor his fallen shipmates with this museum. 765/643-7447

The World's Heaviest Man, Bremen - The Marshall County Convention and Visitors Bureau put out a brochure titled "Enjoy the Wonders of Marshall County." Listed under attractions for Bremen is the following entry: "The world's heaviest man died here. Ask about the casket preparation for the world's heaviest man." 219/936-9000, 800/626-5353

Paramount Theatre, Anderson - This restored "atmospheric" theater sits under an artificial, starlit night sky, complete with drifting clouds and constellations projected onto the dome-shaped ceiling. The rest of the interior is reminiscent of an ancient Spanish villa. 800/523-4658

Whitewater Valley Railroad, Connersville - The days of early train travel are gone, but certainly not forgotten in Connersville. This is a 16-mile trek from Connersville to Metamora aboard 1920s passenger cars. 765/825-2054

International Circus Hall of Fame, Peru - The Hoosier state has a rich circus legacy. It was a Terre Haute native named William Cameron Coop who devised a way to put this kind of nomadic show on rails and tour major metro areas, an idea P.T. Barnum quickly adopted. And nowhere is Indiana's circus legacy more evident than in the tiny town of Peru, which calls itself the "Circus Capital of the World." Back in 1891, Peru native and circus promoter Ben Wallace bought 2,500 acres of land just outside city limits to create the largest circus winter quarters in the world, hosting P.T. Barnum, Ringling Brothers, Hagenbeck-Wallace and numerous other circuses. The International Circus Hall of Fame is open May through October and features circus wagons and other memorabilia, as well as an occasional circus performance. 765/472-7553

The Mayberry Cafe, Danville - Andy Griffith fans will love this place, named in honor of one of its owners' favorite TV show. Decorated with memorabilia from "The Andy Griffith Show," the Mayberry Cafe last year was visited by Jim Nabors, who played Gomer Pyle on the show. 317/745-4067

Tibetan Cultural Center, Bloomington - During a visit in July 1996, His Holiness the Dalai Lama laid the cornerstone here for a Buddhist temple dedicated to compassion and peace. The Tibetan Cultural Center was established here through the efforts of the Dalai Lama's brother, who settled in Bloomington to teach at Indiana University. 812/334-7046

Windmill Museum, Kendallville - This museum pays homage to the history of the piece of farm equipment that some say opened up the West (without windmills to pump water, farming in the West would have been impossible). The Flint & Walling Co. of Kendallville was one of the leading manufacturers of farm windmills, and at one point in history there were more than three dozen windmill manufacturers within an 80-mile radius.

Charlie Williams' "Pumpkin Fantasyland," Ligonier - No Hoosier October would be complete without a trip to Ligonier to check out Charlie Williams' unusual hobby, on public display for nearly two decades. He's a pumpkin artist, carving a variety of national celebrities out of pumpkins. From Bill Clinton to Dolly Parton (check out the gourds on her!), Charlie carves, tells stories, gives tours and invites you to try some of his homemade pumpkin pie ice cream. Open only in October. 219/894-4498

Zaharako's Confectionery, Columbus - This ice-cream parlor has been in the same location since 1900. It includes an onyx soda fountain from the St. Louis World's Fair, a Tiffany-style lamp and a 1908 German orchestrion. 812/379-9329

Trump's Texaco Museum, Knightstown - Proprietor Bruce Trump pays tribute to his family's legacy as Texaco service station owners with a full-size re-creation of a 1950s Texaco gas station. It includes an enormous collection of "petroliana" (gas station memorabilia) from all over the world.

Kesling's Llama and Alpaca Farm, near Kokomo - These are the famous "Across Indiana" square-dancing llamas. 765/453-7070

Big Whoppers Liar's Contest, New Harmony - This contest for the world's biggest liars is held at Murphy Auditorium every year the third Saturday in September, attracting 300 to 400 people. While in town, tour the historic village of New Harmony. Founded by a religious group in 1814, "Harmonie" was the Hoosier state's first experiment with a utopian community. Ten years later, Scottish industrialist Robert Owen took over the town, renaming it New Harmony, a second utopian community that welcomed some of the country's leading minds in search of intellectual pursuits. New Harmony was home to the first free public school system in the country, the nation's first day-care center, kindergarten, trade school and women's club. The country's first free public library still stands, as well as American's first dramatic club and theater. 800/231-2168

The Summer House, North Manchester - For a breath of fresh air, visit the Hippensteels and their authentically restored, 19th century summer house, surrounded by a two-acre rainbow of herb and flower gardens created in 19th century style. The family gives guided tours by appointment and conducts small workshops on how to landscape and cultivate similar gardens in your own yard. Open April through October. 219/982-4707