Larger-than-life legends and folklore of the Hoosier state are explored in The History Museum’s new exhibit, Indiana Lore. Shown in conjunction with the Indiana Historical Society, the exhibit is on view June 3, 2023 – May 12, 2024.

Through historic photos and original art by the BrainTwins, Indianapolis-based artists, Indiana Lore traces the roots of Indiana’s tall tales, from the green-eyed ghost of a bulldog guarding a grave at Terre Haute’s Highland Lawn Cemetery to the Grey Lady who lurks in the children’s book section of Evansville’s Willard Library. Other tall tales explored include the palm reader at the Tuckaway House in Indianapolis, Churubusco’s Beast of Busco, and the supernatural spirits surround the Avon Bridge in Hendricks County.

These mysterious and mesmerizing campfire stories spark our imaginations and illuminate another side of Hoosier history. Each story highlights a different region in Indiana and covers distinct themes surrounding houses and buildings, bridges and railways, parks and cemeteries, and seemingly impossible creatures!  

Local stories from the St. Joseph River Valley are also featured in Indiana Lore, like that of Hazel McNalley, accused of murdering her children, who she claimed had been only dolls. Also included in the exhibit is the bizarre tale of La Porte County’s Belle Gunness, said to have advertised far and wide for would-be husbands, only to have them mysteriously disappear once they (and their fortunes) arrived at her farm.