Indiana Beach
Massive amusement park & family resort
Nestled on the long shorelines of Lake Shafer and Lake Freeman, Monticello, Indiana has been the epicenter of bustling summer resort fun since the 1920s when the Tippecanoe River was dammed, creating twin lakes and one of the state's most popular parks for coasters and more, Indiana Beach Amusement Resort.
The park boasts six roller coasters including the recently built 96-foot tall Steel Hawg, the state's first custom steel inverting coaster, which has a 120-degree first drop along with multiple inversions.
Other attractions include restaurants, a water park with six of the Midwest's fastest slides, the Giant Gondola Wheel and one of the longest Action Rivers in the Midwest, boardwalk shopping, cottages, motels, camping, Dr. Frankenstein's Haunted Castle and water shows, high divers and fireworks.
There's also rides aboard the Shafer Queen, a two story paddlewheel boat, that offers a 30-minute and 75-minute sightseeing excursion.
But despite the emphasis on family fun, the roller coasters are fast and furious (the Cornball Express was voted the #1 Wooden Coaster in the World by ThemeParkCritic.com), so thrill seekers can have some fun too.