Mounds State Park

In 117 acres of Mounds State Park several mounds and mounds of earth embankments are obtained, which were created in part over 2000 years ago. Opened in 1930 State Park is located at Anderson in Madison County in the U.S. state of Indiana and is accessible via Interstate 69.

The oldest of the 10 mounds have been dated to 160 years before our era, and associated structures as the Adena culture and the Hopewell culture. The amount of earthworks reached between a few tens of centimeters to several meters. The largest and best preserved Mound is the Great Mound with a circumference of 400 meters. The mounds were used by the Adena for both ceremonies and celebrations as well as for astronomical purposes, such as observing the solstice, equinox and other sky events. With the help of the Mounds seasons could be divided and sky positions of the hundred brightest stars, the planets and the Moon are determined. The Hopewell use some of the Mounds later as a grave mound.

Beginning of the 19th century, the German immigrant family Bronnen mountain settled in the area. They worked 250 acres of land and organized horse races at today's Mounds Road. Frederick Bronneberg Jr. Built in the 1840's a two-storey farm building, where he used all materials from the area. To this end, the wood of the native tulip tree was as much as selbsgebrannte brick or limestone for the foundation of a quarry at White River, which flows in the western part of the state parks.

The Indiana Union Traction Company bought in 1897 a part of the country and operating in the southern section with the " Mounds Park " an amusement park with roller coaster, carousel, roller skating, shooting and boat trips on the adjacent White River. The restaurant with a dance hall was in the 1920s, the Roaring Twenties, the scene of several dance marathons. With the Great Depression, the business collapsed and the Madison County Historical Society acquired the land in order to transfer it to the state of Indiana, of the Mounds State Park opened in October 1930. Among the hiking trails of varying difficulty and a nature trail has been established. Picnic areas, fishing, a swimming pool and camping round off the leisure activities. The visitor center was a long time in the former farm house of Bronnen Mountain and is housed in a new building only since 2003. In 2009, over 390,000 visitors were counted.

Since 1973, the Mounds State Park is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.