Northern Hamilton County is a area of Central Indiana comprised of four largely rural communities full of scenic drives and agricultural heritage.

Towns

Northern Hamilton County is comprised of Arcadia, Atlanta, Cicero (Indiana) and Sheridan. Each town has some notable attractions worth the drive. Hamilton County is located just north of Indianapolis.

Get in

By car

Cicero is north of Noblesville, the Hamilton County seat, on State Road 19, followed by Arcadia and Atlanta. All are within 10 minutes of each other off of SR19. Sheridan is in the northwest corner of Hamilton County, off State Road 38, a few minutes north of Zionsville.

By Plane

In addition to the Col. Weir Cook Indianapolis International Airport, located off of I-70 in Indianapolis, smaller planes can schedule a landing at one of two airports in Hamilton County and nearby Boone County, located just west of Hamilton County. Both offer aircraft charter, sales, rental, catering, flight school and more.

• Metropolitan Airport 10401 Willow View Rd., Fishers. +1 317-849-0840. [1]
• Indianapolis Executive Airport 11329 East SR 32, Zionsville. +1 317-769-3288. [2]
• Sheridan Airport 27045 Jerkwater Road, Sheridan. +1 317-758-4161. [3]

Get around

The region is connected by a series of State Roads and highways. General speed is between 55-70 on interstates and highways, and generally 35 on other roads unless otherwise posted.

• Hamilton County Convention and Visitors Bureau, 37 East Main Street, ☏ +1 317-848-3181, toll-free: +1-800-776-8687. Carmel (Indiana). Not-for-profit tourism organization that promotes and encourages the development of Hamilton County tourism, conventions, festivals and other special events. Staff are very helpful and welcome visitors who need information. Visit 8GreatTowns.com for a full event calendar and interactive map of destinations, golfing, restaurants, shopping and places to stay. 

• Fishers Visitor Center 11601 Municipal Drive. +1 317-660-4030. Open Sat., 10AM to 6PM
• Carmel Visitor Center 35 E. Main St. +1 317-848-3181 x103. Open M-F, 9AM to 5PM; Sat., 10AM to 6PM and for special events.

See

Museums

• Sheridan Historical Society, 308 S. Main St (Sheridan). The museum collections document the Native American, rural and industrial history of Sheridan. A new museum is being planned in conjunction with Boxley Cabin. Volunteers chronicle family histories of more than 500 families and can provide genealogy research upon request. 

Built circa 1828, the log cabin home of George Boxley.

• Boxley Pioneer Veterans Park (Sheridan) +1 317-758-5054. Built circa 1828, the log cabin home of George Boxley, an anti-slavery activist has been recently restored. Additional archeological excavations for pioneer artifacts are still underway on the property around the cabin. By appointment or call for hours.
• Arcadia Heritage Depot, 107 W. South Street (Arcadia), ☏ +1 317-984-3436. Listed on the Indiana Register of Historic Sites and Structures, the Depot was originally built in 1869. It now is home to town artifacts including the ticket booth for the old opera house, WWII memorabilia, and authentic “Arcadia Glass.” It is open Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1 to 5PM 

Landmarks and Arts

• Arcadia Arts Initiative, ☏ +1 317-984-3512. This cooperative currently features downtown Arcadia artists at the Tabby Tree Weaver, Heritage Art Center and Hedgehog Music Showcase but has recently put out a call to other artisans in the hopes of growing an arts community in downtown Arcadia. In partnership with other Hamilton County merchants and artists, the initiative also hosts a variety of events each year. 

• Arcadia Arts Academy, 123 West Main Street, ☏ +1 317-984-5045. Arcadia. Intimate New York style dance studio focusing on ballroom, Latin, ballet, jazz, hiphop and modern dance in a private or group setting. 

• Downtown Arcadia Arts, ☏ +1 317-984-5475. Downtown Arcadia The Arcadia Arts Initiative, a project of Arcadia Community Together, brings teaching of the arts to the downtown district. Member artists offer learning classes in art forms such as spinning, weaving and yarn dyeing; soap, lotion and candle making; oil painting; scrap booking and other paper arts; and stringed musical instruments. Come by and learn an art form today. 

• Nickel Plate Arts Trail. Extending 30 miles from Fishers to Tipton, the Historic Nickel Plate Arts Trail runs through Fishers, Noblesville, Cicero, Arcadia, Atlanta, and Tipton. The first of eight Indiana artisan trails adopted by the state, the Trail is accessible by rail through the Indiana Transportation Museum or automobile on Allisonville Road and State Road 19 as well as by river. The trail focuses on the more traditional forms of the arts and encompasses food, culture, and community heritage. 

Do

Festivals

• Atlanta New Earth Festival (Late September) Main Street. +1 765-292-2626. This weekend-long event features arts, antiques, crafts and collectibles. Hundreds of vendors line the main street selling everything. Woodcrafts, t-shirts, racing memorabilia, even knives. The Indiana Transportation Museum offers a train shuttle from Noblesville at Forest Park.
• Sheridan Harvest Moon Festival (First weekend in October), ☏ +1 317-758-5293. X 134. This annual event is held in Biddle Memorial Park (at the junction of State Roads 38 and 47) A classic car and motorcycle show is the centerpiece to the festival but it also has music, food, crafts booths, carnival rides and a pumpkin throwing contest. 

• Lights Over Morse Lake (4th of July). The town of Cicero partners with the Indiana Transportation Museum to provide a transportation train to and from this annual festival. Activities include music, kids’ carnival and, of course, fireworks. This is a great small-town way to celebrate Independence Day. If you want to spend the night, riding the train connects you to Fishers hotels. 

• Arcadia May Festival (May) Sponsored by the Arcadia Arts Initiative, May Festival is a festival of arts and crafts, food and special events. Experience the joy of traditional crafts like painting, weaving, and woodworking against the scenic, rural landscape of Arcadia. The Indiana Transportation Museum also runs a train to and from the event.

Music

• Atlanta Music Showcase, 135 W. Main St (Atlanta), ☏ +1 765-292-2312. Open Wednesdays and Saturdays only. Wednesday is Jam Night and Saturday offers live entertainment, which ranges from Big Band and Dixieland to blues and jazz. 

• Hedgehog Music Showcase, 101 W. Main St (Arcadia), ☏ +1 317-984-3560. Located in a 115-year-old historic brick building, this music venue offers jazz, bluegrass and other genres of music. Open Fridays and Saturdays. No alcohol or smoking. 

Family Friendly

• Weekends in October Pumpkin Train (Indiana Transportation Museum excursion) 825 Park Dr. in Forest Park +1 317-773-6000. The train excursion includes a visit to an area pumpkin patch, straw bale maze, petting zoo, face painting and more autumn related activities. The highlight is the ride on the train, which leaves from the Noblesville train station. Reservations are STRONGLY recommended.

Outdoors

• Biddle Memorial Park (Sheridan) At the intersection of State Roads 38 and 47
• Community Park Stringtown Pike (Cicero) +1 317-984-3475. Park includes four picnic shelters, walking paths, basketball, skateboard ramp, tennis courts and playground.
• Morse Reservoir (Cicero) This man-made lake, located between Cicero and Noblesville has 1,500 acres for boating and water activities and 35 miles of shoreline. More than 95% of the shoreline is residential, but recreational boating is allowed. Launch your boat from the Carrigan Road Bridge marina. Morse Lake Park, by the dam on the east side of the lake, allows supervised swimming in the lake and year-round picnicking as well as fishing.
• Red Bridge Park (Cicero) State Road 19, north of 236th Street, +1 317-984-3475. On the western edge of Morse Reservoir, the park has a boat dock rentals as well as a pool and community shelter building. Fishing is allowed within the park with the proper permits, but you can’t swim in the lake or launch your boat here.

Golf

• Bear Slide Golf Club, 6770 E. 231st Street (Cicero), ☏ +1 317-984-3837. Golf Digest gives this course 4 ½ stars for its Scottish links style front nine, with a traditional back nine. I’m not a golfer, but I know Scots invented the game and let Mother Nature “design” the early courses. Area hotels offer a “Stay and Play” package for this course. 

Learn More

• Hamilton North Chamber of Commerce, 70 N. Byron St, ☏ +1 317-984-4079. Serving Cicero and neighboring towns of Arcadia and Atlanta, the Chamber can provide information about area businesses and upcoming events. The Chamber of Commerce also is home to a Visitor Information Welcome Center, open 9AM to 3PM, Mondays through Fridays. 

• Hamilton County Convention and Visitors Bureau, 37 East Main Street, ☏ +1 317-848-3181, toll-free: +1-800-776-8687. Carmel (Indiana). Not-for-profit tourism organization that promotes and encourages the development of Hamilton County tourism, conventions, festivals and other special events. Staff are very helpful and welcome visitors who need information. Visit 8GreatTowns.com for a full event calendar and interactive map of destinations, golfing, restaurants, shopping and places to stay. 

Buy

Arts and Crafts

• Tabby Tree Weaver, 103 E. Main St (Arcadia), ☏ +1 317-984-5475. Not only does this store sell yarns and knitting supplies – including spinning wheels – but they will teach you how to weave, spin, warp and other crafts. 

Indulge

• Lisa’s Pie Shop, 5995 S. U.S. 31, ☏ +1 317-798-6944. (Atlanta. Lisa Sparks has been making pies for 18 years and, man, are they good. She only takes cash or check if you go to the shop, so be prepared. 23 varieties of pie, plus the best road food; a “pie in a jar” that only costs $3 - $4 (depending on the variety). 

• Uncle Henry’s Candies (Cicero), toll-free: +1-888-757-8099. The original Uncle Henry is long gone, but his nephew Carl Harvey has continued the family candymaking tradition. Choose from chocolate pecan bark, white chocolate bark with M&Ms or peppermint, pecan logs, peanut clusters, or turtles. Carl also offers sugar free turtles, but I recommend the fully loaded caramel, pecan and chocolate version. 

Eat

Moderate

• Alice's Restaurant, 100 W. Main Street, ☏ +1 317-984-5000. Open Tuesday-Friday, 11AM - 9PM; Saturday, 8AM - 9PM and Sunday 9AM - 2PM. Arcadia Homemade, family-style, reasonable priced meals. No meal over $15. Lunch and dinner. 

• 'Jan's Village Pizza - Sheridan 200 S. Main Street, Sheridan +1 317-758-6660 [4] Tired of those national chains cheap, artificial pizza? Try a real mom and pop pizzeria. Jan's Village Pizza guarantees you'll love their pizza - good taste and good quality matter!
• Stuart's Steak House, 406 S. Main Street, ☏ +1 317-758-0406. Open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, 11AM - 10PM; Friday and Saturday, 11AM - 11PM. Sheridan "The best little steakhouse in Indiana." A north west Hamilton County destination dining spot. Great steaks and seafood in a warm, inviting atmosphere. 

• Toucan Annie's Mexican Grill, 10 West Jackson Street. Cicero Toucan Annie's Mexican Grill offers great Mexican fare in a casual family atomsphere. Signature dishes include sizzlin' fajitas, Pollo Fundido and the might Sonoran hot dog. Vegetarian friendly and the only frozen margarita in town. 

Cheap

• Alexander’s on the Water, 369 W. Jackson St (Cicero), ☏ +1 317-984-8173. Open seven days a week during the summer (closed for winter), this old-fashioned ice cream shop offers 16 ice cream flavors for Morse Reservoir boaters. (A full-service shop, which also offers sandwiches, is located in Noblesville.) 

Sweets

• Lisa's Pie Shop, 5995 S. U.S. 31, Atlanta, ☏ +1 317-758-6944. Select from a variety of award winning homemade pies. Other delicious treats available. 

Sleep

• Crop-A-Doodle-Do, 12120 E. 266th St (Arcadia), toll-free: +1-888-317-2767. If you are into scrapbooking, this bed and breakfast is worth a trip. The owners renovated am 1865 country farmhouse on a 100-acre property to include a custom-designed scrapping room and three bedrooms that can accommodate a total of 11 people. It also has a spa room for massage, aromatherapy, mani/pedi and facials. The B&B has been featured in Day Spa Magazine, Ladies Home Journal and by Martha Stewart. 

Connect

For more information about Northern Hamilton County, contact the Hamilton County Convention and Visitors Bureau at +1-800-776-8687 or visit HamiltonCountyTowns.com for a full event calendar and interactive map of destinations, golfing, restaurants, shopping and places to stay.