A Day Trip Itinerary to Terre Haute

Updated January 2026

Terre Haute, Indiana, makes a great Indiana road trip – it’s located just off of the Historic National Road (or US Route 40). You can easily make a day trip out of it from Indianapolis or Illinois, as it’s close to the Indiana-Illinois border. Terre Haute is the county seat for Vigo County and is known as the “Queen City of the Wabash” since it is one of the largest cities along the Wabash River.

I was able to pack six amazing stops + one partial “trail” into my day trip to Terre Haute. This is one unique, eclectic itinerary mixed with stops for a variety of interests.

Driving distance from these nearby locations:

Hendricks County, IN – 1 hour
Indianapolis, IN – 1 hour and 15 minutes
Effingham, IL – 1 hour and 5 minutes
Lafayette, IN – 1 hour and 45 minutes
Evansville, IN – 2 hours
St. Louis, MO – 2 hours and 30 minutes

1. First stop: a flight at Corsair Café & Coffee

Our day in Terre Haute started at the Terre Haute Regional Airport. I was seeking a flight and brunch, but not the kind of flight you usually take to the airport. I was here for the Corsair Café coffee flights! This pilot-and-plane-themed cafe is located in the terminal and is open to the public. It makes perfect sense that Corsair serves coffee flights, but they are also known for their hearty breakfast and lunch items.

While you sit on chairs with propellers for legs, you can watch planes flying in and out from the large windows of the cafe, or outside to dine on their patio. Inside the cafe is an aviation shop where you can purchase pilot and aircraft supplies, headsets, toys, apparel, and more.

2. Explore the Terre Haute Coke Bottle Trail

The Terre Haute Regional Airport is also one of the stops for the Coke Bottle Scavenger Trail. Check out my article, “The Coca-Cola Bottle Trail in Terre Haute, Indiana,” and find a trail map to locate all 39 Coke bottle sculptures.

3. Candles Holocaust Museum & Education Center

The Candles Holocaust Museum is one of two amazing museums I visited in Terre Haute. It had been on my bucket list for a while after hearing Holocaust survivor Eva Mozes Kor’s story. After the Holocaust, Eva married and moved to Terre Haute. She founded the Candles Holocaust Museum and Education Center to prevent prejudice and educate others about the Holocaust.

In 2003, as a result of a hate crime, the museum was lost to a fire. Eva rebuilt Candles and reopened it in 2005. Visiting is a somber, insightful, and unforgettable experience.

4. Vigo County Historical Museum

The Vigo County Historical Museum, located downtown, is a 34,000-square-foot museum and is highly recommended. It has three levels of historical artifacts and local history. It is also one of the stops on the Coke Bottle Trail; a bottle sculpture is located in front of the building.

The first level has exhibits of Terre Haute’s Coca-Cola bottling history, a replica of downtown Terre Haute from the good old days, a gift shop, and the Apgar Soda Shop. The soda shop features ice cream treats and, of course, Cokes for purchase – a surprising feature to find in a history museum.

Don’t skip the second level because it’s a gold mine! It’s full of local Vigo County artifacts and history. The third level is dedicated to event space, archives, and the Education and Research Center. There are great views of downtown from this floor, including the old Clabber Girl building across the street (now closed and under new ownership).

5. Refuel with some coffee from Federal Coffee

After visiting the history museum, I headed just a few blocks downtown to Federal Coffee + Fine Foods for a caffeine boost before the next exploration. Federal is locally owned and makes handcrafted coffee and espresso drinks. Two bonuses in my book. Third bonus – they are located in a historic building, the former Federal bakery (hence, the name). They are also known for their fine food and non-coffee drinks.

6. Tour Saint Mary-of-the-Woods

The last stop before dinner was a visit to “The Woods,” also known as Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. It’s a community of Roman Catholic women dedicated to serving their community through prayer, education, service, and advocacy. The Woods is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and open to the public for self-guided tours (download the tour guide here).

The self-guided tour includes The Shrine of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, the Church of the Immaculate Conception, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Providence, the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, the Log Cabin Chapel, the Saint Anne Shell Chapel, the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, and more. Some of these places are magnificent to see in person!

Visiting the Woods is free. The White Violet Center for Eco-Justice is the only site that requires admission for a tour. The alpaca farm offers a private 45-minute tour for a fee (must be scheduled in advance). Throughout the property, trails are available for walking and biking.

7. Dinner at an authentic Irish pub

When I eyed Sonka Irish Pub in Terre Haute, I knew I had to add this to the itinerary. I could eat plates of their sea-salt Irish chips and their famous onion dip for a “girl dinner” every night! It’s served with each of their entrees. And you can’t go wrong with any type of “fish” or “chips” from an Irish pub. Am I right?

Places to stay in Terre Haute

Need a place to stay overnight while visiting Terre Haute? Check out these affordable suggestions!

SpringHills Suites – Free parking/wifi, indoor pool, suites, 3-floors.
Drury Inn – Indoor pool, free park/wifi, free breakfast/dinner/drinks, Veteran’s discount, suites, and pet-friendly.
Terre Haute VRBOs – Convenient for families and offer kitchen and several-bedroom options.

Nearby things to do:

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