Madison IN Indiana
60
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
American Cruise Lines (60 Cruises)
American Melody
8 Cruises
American Symphony
52 Cruises
Frequently Asked Questions
Directly on the Ohio riverbank, a few minutes' walk from downtown. River vessels, including American Cruise Lines ships, tie up at the foot of town: no shuttle is needed to reach the historic district.
Yes, entirely. Everything is reachable on foot, by rental golf cart, or aboard the local shuttle serving the main points of interest. The old district is flat and compact.
Tour the Lanier Mansion and its gardens, wander the historic district looking up at the transoms and ironwork, then walk Main Street for its galleries and antique shops. Finish along the Ohio riverbank, where towboats push their barges past.
Its size. Madison protects one of the largest heritage districts in the United States: about 133 listed city blocks, covering nearly the whole old town. Federal houses, Greek Revival mansions, churches and 19th-century shopfronts follow one another without a modern false note.
The district's masterpiece, overlooking the river since 1844. Local architect Francis Costigan designed it for financier James F. D. Lanier in a confident Greek Revival style: a monumental colonnaded portico facing the Ohio. A National Historic Landmark, it is toured together with its period-inspired gardens.
Two in particular: the Shrewsbury-Windle House, another Costigan success known for its free-standing staircase, and Eleutherian College, one of the first institutions in the country to admit all students regardless of race or sex, from the 1850s onward.
Yes. Eleutherian College attests to the region's early abolitionist commitment: from the 1850s it admitted all students regardless of race or sex, which was exceptional in the United States at the time.
Yes, for a quiet call. The golf carts are fun, the riverbank lets you watch towboats push their barges, and murals celebrating the steamboat era punctuate the walk. There are, however, no attractions or organized entertainment.
Because the Ohio made its fortune in the paddle-steamer era, when the wharves overflowed with goods bound for New Orleans. Wide and calm at this point, the river remains the city's thread, and the steel bridge is a reminder that the far bank is already Kentucky.
The US dollar, cards accepted. The Ohio River navigation season runs from spring to autumn; a map handed out near the landing helps you spot the historic district's notable facades.
