One of the biggest gripes people from Evansville have is that there's nothing to do. As a native myself, I've certainly said that a time or ten. Maybe it's because we're too "inside the box." Meaning we can't step back and see what our city has to offer because we're too close. We're here every day, so the attractions we have are just another part of the landscape, like any random house on the street. Perhaps we should look at it from an outsider's perspective. That's why I went to TripAdvisor.com to see what their users consider to be the best things to do whenever they're in town.

1. LST Memorial

(Townsquare Media)
(Townsquare Media)
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TripAdvisor Rating: 4-1/2 out of 5 circles

TripAdvisor Review: "EvyDel" from St. Louis, Missouri:

Andrew was our tour guide, and he knew his facts. In one hour we had learned so much, he could answer every question, and was so kind and patient with us, he made us laugh a lot too.
Feelings welled up inside standing where the tanks lined up, and where the boys slept, and seeing bullet holes in the frame, and hearing how these survivors in their 70's went to Greece to rescue this LST so we could stand on it and remember the sacrifices made that changed the world. This was a highlight of our vacation, and we cant thank this wonderful city enough for preserving this treasure....WELL DONE!!!

2. Bosse Field

Bosse Field Main Gate
(106-1 KISS-FM)
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TripAdvisor Rating: 5 out of 5

TripAdvisor Review: "Jesse E" from North Lewisburg, Ohio:

Bosse Field is old school baseball at its best. The Evansville Otters of the independent Frontier League provide grass roots professional baseball alive in this 100 year old park. The park is constructed of mainly brick and steel but it is a an architectural work of art I had visited the park in the 1970's when it was the home to a Triple A team but the Otters experience is something special. The effort that the staff of the Otters put out to make the fan experience great is incredible. The players effort on the field is even greater. Nobody seems to take anything for granted at this level and it shows in their actions. Don't expect fancy amenities when you visit. Just savor and enjoy nice folks keeping grass roots baseball alive.

3. Evansville Museum of Arts and Sciences

(Google Maps)
(Google Maps)
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TripAdvisor Rating: 4-1/2 out of 5

TripAdvisor Review: "SCTravelerandskier" from Seneca, South Carolina:

Four of us LOVED this place! We toured the entire museum plus watched a 40 minute planetarium presentation.
Excellent, excellent, excellent!
The museum has great exhibits, including a fun & creative interactive area for natural sciences. A nice children's area too.
The entire museum is open, spacious and very clean with large, clean bathrooms.
The planetarium is GREAT! Several shows available, comfy seating.
Located on the river front in downtown, I recommend this for everyone, of all ages.

4. Mesker Park Zoo and BotanicGarden

Mesker Park Zoo Main Entrance
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TripAdvisor Rating: 4 out of 5

TripAdvisor Review: "Phil F." from Denver, Colorado:

For a city the size of Evansville, located where it is, this zoo is very good! Smaller than St. Louis zoo, but more informative and still with decent exhibits, accessible to kids, and not to crowded on a Sunday morning in mid May. It is hilly so be ready to walk/push those strollers up and down hills. Nice to be able to get reasonably close to animals. You can feed the giraffes (we did and the kids loved it) and peacocks roam pretty freely. There's also the paddle boats, but we didn't do those. We got in free with reciprocity from another zoo membership.

5. Willard Library

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TripAdvisor Rating: 5 out of 5

TripAdvisor Review: "David K." from Gladwin, Michigan:

The third floor of the Willard Library is an excellent resource to find information about genealogy. I found records that I could not find online. The librarians helped me find information about my family history. The resources at Willard Library help me locate the town where my family lived in Germany prior to their migration to the United States in 1837. The Willard Library is a great resource for my family genealogy research when I travel to Evansville, IN.

6. Burdette Park

Burdette Park Pool
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TripAdvisor Rating: 4-1/2 out of 5

TripAdvisor Review: "KidKritic" from Fort Meyers, Florida:

Burdette Water Park is a great family-oriented water park! We try to come here almost every summer for one day of water fun!
My personal three favorite attractions there are the diving boards, the snack bar, and the water slides. If and when you do go to the snack bar, you MUST get the chili cheese dog and the cili cheese fries!! I love Burdette and their staff is amazing in emergencies!
All in all... This park is..... FUN!!

7. Angel Mounds Historic Site

Angel Mounds
Photo: Kat Mykals
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TripAdvisor Rating: 4 out of 5

TripAdvisor Review: "Porthos7" from West Chester, Ohio:

This was an incredible museum focusing on the Indian Mounds that were excavated here. The inside of the museum is contemporary and has many "mock-ups" of Indian life as it may have been with plenty of historical documentation, artifacts, etc to assist in your tour. There are plenty of things to see and learn of both inside and out of the museum. The outside has the "wall" of the fortress, as well as the beautiful Indian Mounds. Go on a day when it's not crowded, stand next to one of the mounds, and just listen - it's very easy to put yourself back "in time" with the feel of the place! Very peacefull!

8. Children's Museum of Evansville (cMoe)

Children's Museum of Evansville (cMoe) Dinosaur
(106-1 KISS-FM)
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TripAdvisor Rating: 4 out of 5

TripAdvisor Review: "Tim D" from Omaha, Nebraska:

My wife and I took our three grandchildren to the Children's Museum of Evansville, twice last week. I cannot say that the nine month old enjoyed much more than watching the activities of her brothers and the other kids, but the four and two year olds had a blast. There are many, many engaging activities that are also very educational. I am an educator, and I was most impressed by the fact that the activities held the interest of my young grandchildren far longer than I might have expected. Definitely worth the time!!

9. Reitz Home Museum

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(Google Maps)
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TripAdvisor Rating: 4-1/2 out of 5

TripAdvisor Review: "TimisTours" from Moweaqua, Illinois:

As a professional tour director we have had the pleasure to tour many mansions all over the United States. I can assure you that this story and home was among the best I've ever been too.
Our guides were Duane and Jackie and both did a marvelous presentation of the Reitz Family history. The price is so reasonable for what the tour entails. Be sure to watch the short video presentation before touring the home. My group loved it!

10. Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve

Wesselman Park Entrance Sign
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TripAdvisor Rating: 4-1/2 out of 5

TripAdvisor Review: "Becky W" from Den Bosch, The Netherlands:

We went to the nature preserve with low expectations, but it turned out great. We had one of the volunteers (Debbie) take us around and show us some of the native plants and insects. She mentioned that Evansville was the only city of its size to have a old growth forest like Wesselman Woods within the city limits. Definitely worth checking out and free!

See? There's plenty to do within the Evansville city limits! No get out there and enjoy it!

[Source: TripAdvisor.com]

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