By Alex Bradford Cobb | Published: 7-14-26 | Last updated: 7-14-26
Richmond, Indiana has more going on than most people expect. It’s the eastern gateway to the Historic National Road, the Birthplace of American Recorded Music, and home to two Egyptian mummies — which gives it more mummies per capita than any city in North America. It also has a 15,000-square-foot fudge shop with three dinosaurs outside, which is where we come in.
Here’s a practical weekend guide — Saturday and Sunday, indoors and out, with honest notes on what’s worth your time.
Uranus Fudge Factory & General Store Richmond: 6400 National Rd. E, Richmond, IN 47374 | I-70 Exit 156B | Open daily 9 AM – 8 PM (EST)
Saturday Morning
Start at Uranus — 6400 National Rd. E
The Richmond Uranus is the largest of our three locations — 15,000 square feet right on the Historic National Road at I-70 Exit 156B. There’s a biplane suspended from the ceiling, a mini golf course and playground with a two-story slide out back, hot dogs and ice cream in a separate building, and a gift shop that has caused more double-takes per square foot than anything else in Wayne County.
The fudge is made fresh daily in our on-site kitchen in 19 flavors. Ask for Zachary if he’s working.
The three dinosaurs in the parking lot — a brachiosaurus, a spinosaurus, and a T. rex — all have anatomically incorrect pronated wrists. Real dinosaurs couldn’t do that. Ours do it anyway.
Open daily 9 AM – 8 PM (EST) | 6400 National Rd. E, Richmond, IN 47374 | I-70 Exit 156B
On June 30th, a large RV pulled in and two full families came inside and bought chocolate and fudge and smiled a lot.
Gennett Walk of Fame & the Depot District
A short drive north from Uranus, the Gennett Walk of Fame is one of the most historically significant spots in American music and one of the most undervisited. Gennett Records, based here in Richmond, was where Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Jelly Roll Morton, and dozens of others cut some of the earliest jazz and blues recordings ever made in the 1920s. Richmond is the Birthplace of American Recorded Music, and the Gennett Walk of Fame in the Depot District is where you understand why.
The plaques are free and outdoors. The Depot District surrounding them — formerly an industrial area, now a walkable neighborhood of local coffee shops, restaurants, boutiques, a brewery, and an ice cream parlor — is worth a full morning on its own.
Saturday Afternoon
Wayne County Historical Museum
Don’t let “regional history museum” put you off. The Wayne County Historical Museum contains an 1880 dollhouse with period furnishings, 19 vintage cars including a 1922 Pilot Speedster, and a 3,000-year-old Egyptian mummy purchased in Cairo by museum founder Julia Gaar in 1929. Richmond has more mummies per capita than any other city in North America — two Egyptian mummies on permanent display, which is an unusual distinction for a mid-sized Midwest city.
The Gennett Records exhibit here is the best complement to the Walk of Fame — it gives context for what the label meant and why the recordings made here mattered so much to American music.
Tuesday – Friday
9:30 am – 4:00 pm
Saturday
Noon – 4:00 pm
Closed Sundays, Mondays, and Major Holidays
1150 North A Street
Richmond, Indiana 47374
Richmond Art Museum
Free admission, housed in a well-maintained building in downtown Richmond, with a permanent collection spanning several centuries and rotating exhibitions that consistently punch above their weight for a regional institution. Indiana Impressionist paintings are a highlight. Worth an hour on a Saturday afternoon, especially if the weather turns.
350 Hub Etchison Pkwy, Richmond, IN 47374 | 10 am – 5 pm, Closed on Sundays and Mondays
Saturday Evening
The Depot District for Dinner
The Depot District is Richmond’s most walkable neighborhood and the right place to end Saturday. Options include the New Boswell Tap Room — a large taproom with an attached Italian Market and a changing menu of sandwiches and pizza — plus additional local restaurants and bars along the strip.
E Street Pub is a solid choice for a nice dinner date.
Richmond Civic Theatre
If something’s playing during your visit, the Civic Theatre is a beautifully restored building in downtown Richmond and consistently well-reviewed for its productions. Worth checking the schedule at https://gorct.org/ before your trip.
Sunday Morning
Joseph Moore Museum of Natural History — Earlham College
The second Egyptian mummy. Lady Ta’an has been at Earlham College since 1889 and is part of a natural history collection that Joseph Moore spent decades building to make his lessons tangible. The museum is on the Earlham College campus at 801 National Road West and is considerably more impressive than its location would suggest.
Ancient mysteries, prehistoric giants, and the kind of collection that makes you spend more time than you planned. Regular admission to the JMM is free. Planetarium shows and live animal demonstrations are given upon request. Simply ask the museum host at the front desk!
| Museum hours | |
|---|---|
| Sunday | 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
| Thursday | 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
| Friday | 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
| Saturday | 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
Hayes Arboretum
A 355-acre nature preserve on the west side of Richmond with self-guided trails through old-growth forest, a restored native prairie, and a wildlife area. The giant tree stump near the entrance has become a photo landmark. Free to visit, excellent for a Sunday morning walk before heading out.
801 Elks Rd, Richmond, IN 47374 | Weekdays 9am-5pm, Closed on Weekends
Sunday Afternoon
Antique Alley — US-40 Through Wayne County
Wayne County is home to one of the largest concentrations of antique dealers in the Midwest — 40-plus miles of US-40 known as Antique Alley, with over 1,200 dealers and shops between Richmond and Knightstown. Even if antiquing isn’t usually your thing, this is the stretch that converts people. The density of genuinely interesting old stuff is hard to walk past.
Richmond is the eastern anchor of Antique Alley. Start in town and work west toward Centerville and Cambridge City if you have the afternoon.
Thistlethwaite Falls Trail
A half-mile scenic trail along the Whitewater River that connects to the Cardinal Greenway — Indiana’s 62-mile rail-trail system. The falls are small but genuinely beautiful, the trail is easy enough for all ages, and the river views are the best free scenery in Richmond. Good for a Sunday afternoon before heading out.
65 Waterfall Rd, Richmond, IN 47374
Glen Miller Park & the Rose Garden
A 194-acre park on the east side of Richmond with the Indiana Rose Garden — ranked among the top three in the state. Peak bloom is late May through June, but the park is worth visiting any time for the walking paths, fishing, and the Madonna of the Trail Monument: an 18-foot tribute to pioneer women, one of only 12 identical statues placed along the National Old Trails Road from Maryland to California. Dedicated in 1928 and genuinely moving.
2200 E Main St, Richmond, IN 47374 | Open from 6am-11pm
Before You Leave: Back to Uranus for the Road
Stock up on fudge and road snacks before you head out. The Beef Jerky doesn’t need refrigeration, the popcorn handles a warm car, and a box of fudge is the right souvenir for everyone who didn’t make the trip with you.
6400 National Rd. E | Open daily 9 AM – 8 PM (EST)
Practical Notes
Getting here: Richmond is at I-70 Exit 156B in eastern Indiana, about 70 miles east of Indianapolis and 35 miles west of Dayton, Ohio.
For events: The Visit Richmond Indiana tourism bureau at visitrichmond.org maintains a current events calendar — worth checking before your trip for festivals, car shows, and seasonal programming.
Cruzin’ The Glen — an annual vintage car show at Glen Miller Park (June 2026 date: Saturday, June 13). Free for spectators, well-attended, and a good reason to plan your weekend around if cars are your thing.
The Richmond Farmers Market — Only Open
| Friday | 9 AM–2 PM |
| Saturday | 9 AM–2 PM |
| Sunday | 9 AM–2 PM |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Richmond Indiana known for? Richmond is known as the Birthplace of American Recorded Music — home to Gennett Records, where Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton made some of the earliest jazz recordings in the 1920s. It’s also known for Antique Alley, Glen Miller Park and the Indiana Rose Garden, its two Egyptian mummies, and its location as the eastern gateway to the Historic National Road.
What is there to do in Richmond Indiana this weekend? The Gennett Walk of Fame and Depot District, Wayne County Historical Museum, Richmond Art Museum, Joseph Moore Museum, Hayes Arboretum, Antique Alley, Thistlethwaite Falls Trail, Glen Miller Park — and Uranus Fudge Factory at 6400 National Rd. E for fudge, mini golf, and dinosaurs.
How far is Richmond Indiana from Indianapolis? About 70 miles east on I-70, roughly an hour’s drive.
How far is Richmond Indiana from Dayton Ohio? About 35 miles west of Dayton — roughly 40 minutes on I-70.
Is Richmond Indiana worth visiting for a weekend? Yes. The Gennett Walk of Fame alone justifies the trip if you care about music history, and the combination of the Wayne County Historical Museum, Antique Alley, the Depot District, and Uranus fills a full weekend without any stretching.
Where is Uranus in Richmond Indiana? 6400 National Rd. E, Richmond, IN 47374 — right on the Historic National Road at I-70 Exit 156B. The largest Uranus location at 15,000 square feet. Open daily 9 AM – 8 PM (EST).
Does Richmond Indiana have good restaurants? Yes — the Depot District has the best concentration of local dining, including the New Boswell Tap Room. I enjoy the Twist India restaurant downtown.
For more on the Historic National Road through Indiana, see Driving the Historic National Road Through Indiana: Where to Stop. For the original Richmond attractions guide, see Things to Do in Richmond, Indiana: A Local’s Honest List.
Alex Bradford Cobb is a strapping young man who works for the Mayor in a semi-legal indentured servitude arrangement, similar to how Dubai was built, and possibly the pyramids. What works, works, and there’s no need to reinvent the wheel.