Lebanon, Indiana, is a friendly city with a big heart.

It’s been hours since I turned onto I-65. I’m going south, headed back from a fishing retreat in Michigan. Dusk is coming on, and there’s been little to see on the drive other than farmland and windmills towering like giant sentries. As I turn around the final bend, I see a bright splash of color bridging over the interstate—the decorative Lebanon bridge on Exit 139. This is my exit. I’m finally home.

Lebanon is a growing city nestled comfortably in the countryside, about halfway between Downtown Indianapolis and Purdue University. With lush fields, sparse forests, and farmland along every road, there’s no doubt of Lebanon’s farm-town roots. But our rural city never feels too remote. 

Within the city limits, you’ll find lively small businesses, residential areas, and a newly renovated downtown square where the Boone County Courthouse sits. And thanks to the nearby interstate access, Lebanon’s only about a 20-30 minute commute to Indianapolis, Lafayette, or the Indianapolis International Airport.

This strategic location and hometown feel makes Lebanon a hidden gem amongst the northern suburbs of Indianapolis. After a decade of living here, the consensus from our visiting friends and family has been that Lebanon embodies what small-town America was meant to be. Between all the attractions, culture, and opportunities Lebanon has to offer, I’m inclined to agree.

What makes Lebanon a great place to raise a family?

People choose to live in Lebanon because it’s the ideal family-friendly city. New neighborhoods are constantly being built around town. We have well-rated schools with talented teachers, and there are plenty of parks and playgrounds for the kids in our community. 

In fact, Lebanon has over 100 acres of public parks to explore, including an all-inclusive, ADA compliant playground at Memorial Park. And if you live in town, all of these spaces are easily within biking distance, giving you convenient access to quality schools and fun things to do. 

The Lebanon Community School Corporation is even expanding to accommodate the city’s ever-growing population. Both our middle school and two of our elementary schools are undergoing renovations, and a brand-new elementary school is being constructed to replace older infrastructure with a bigger, more modern facility. 

Lebanon also offers a wide range of housing options to fit your lifestyle. You can always find an apartment near downtown square to stay in the center of the action. But if you’re looking for a quieter place to live, I recommend finding a house in the rural country just outside of town.

Boone County farmland is beautiful, and some properties even maintain parts of old-growth forests. It’s not uncommon to see rope swings suspended from towering oaks and maple trees out in the country, and both mornings and evenings offer dazzling displays of sunrises and sunsets over vast fields of crops that rival watching the sunset over water.

Experience Hoosier Hospitality—Lebanon-style.

Lebanon is called “The Friendly City” for a reason. Our community hosts a staggering amount of events throughout the year, and the neighbors I meet are always warm and welcoming—with Hoosier Hospitality embedded in all they do. 

I remember one time at the RC park down in Abner-Longley Park. My son and I happened upon it while we were exploring, and we realized it was a veritable off-road playground for remote-controlled trucks. We were immediately welcomed in as new-comers and invited to attend a beginner’s competition.

Since then, we’ve purchased an RC truck for ourselves and competed in a few local competitions. At the last event we attended—The Operation 11 Charlie Fun Run—my son was given a free t-shirt and RC truck body. The turnout at these competitions is always great, attracting people from all across the state. But at the end of the day, the memories we’ve made are even greater.

While you’re in town, Lebanon offers a variety of other events to entertain the entire family. The city hosts annual parades on Christmas and the 4th of July. From June to August, the weekly Lebanon City Market offers live music and vendors selling homegrown produce on the courthouse plaza. Lebanon has also started a weekly Winter Market from January to March inside the local Four Finger Distillery.

Other fun community events include local art exhibitions, a civil war reenactment and Colonial Market, the “Battle of the BBQ,” Halloween Trunk or Treats, Augtoberfest, Lebanon’s Fall Fest, car and motorcycle drive-ins, and an annual Kiwanis Fishing Derby and Pancake Supper.

The Courthouse Square is a lively place with a unique history.

My favorite place to go for a fun evening in Lebanon is the downtown square around the Boone County Courthouse. The courthouse itself is an impressive structure, surrounded by a grass lawn hedged in by a waist-high curb. Over the years, it’s become a family tradition of ours to eat at one of the restaurants on the square and let the kids romp around in the grass for a while after they’re done.

At the time of its construction in 1910, the courthouse’s columns were some of the United State’s tallest, single-cut limestone columns. Now, the courthouse stands as an iconic landmark of our city’s history. Throughout the year, the translucent dome of the courthouse’s roof even lights up with different colors to celebrate holidays. 

Sitting catty corner to the courthouse is the Lebanon Public Library. Built in 1905, the original Carnegie library building has been expanded. In addition to the typical trappings of a library, it also includes an impressive, top-notch children’s department with fun events and classrooms for adult education. In the winter, it’s one of our favorite local destinations to let our kids burn off some energy indoors.   

Much of our city’s history lives on in the downtown square, including my own family’s history. Thirty years ago, my father and grandfather owned a shoe store on the south side of the square, called Kern Bros. Shoes. Although that location is now gone, I can’t help but remember the way it used to be. Sometimes, I even peer into the windows of the current occupant and imagine the store as it was in my youth. 

Lebanon is home to many vibrant small businesses.

Although my family’s store has left the square, many other attractive businesses now surround downtown Lebanon and its adjacent blocks. If you want to find quality handmade goods, you can always visit shops like Samson Historical or Indiana Gifts. Whenever you’re feeling crafty, you can take classes at The Craft Room or get supplies at Quilts Plus. You can even find fun ways to spend the day at Friendly City Games or Fire + Fern by Ulen Candle Co.

Our downtown square also has some great places to eat if you’re hungry. You can get lunch at Arni’s Pizza, grab a drink at Klooz Brewz, and end your night with dinner at 1830 Chophouse. The square has even more ambiance at night if you go for a late night stroll down Meridian Street. The lights drape over the street, illuminating the outdoor patios and creating a more intimate atmosphere.

Lebanon offers beautiful local parks and attractions.

If you’re looking for something fun to do, Lebanon offers many great attractions you can return to time and again. No matter what season it may be, there’s always an adventure waiting to be had, so long as you’re willing to look for it. 

First, the Seashore Water Park is the perfect place to cool off in the summer. For a small admission fee, your family can splash and play on two large water slides, a lazy river, a wave pool, a kiddie area, and more. 

For the fishermen out there, Hot Pond Park and Conservation Park are two popular fishing spots across the street from each other. When the weather is mild, nothing beats throwing a line in the pond to see what you might hook! The Parks Department is also investing in a variety of projects to enhance the greenspace, including a new fishing pier on Conservation Pond.

What attractions are new to the City of Lebanon?

Lebanon has a lot of new attractions that are sure to bring even more excitement and variety to local life.

One of Lebanon’s most interesting developments is the Big 4 Trail—a new paved path following an old railway. When it’s finally completed, the trail will connect Lebanon with Thorntown, Whitestown, and Zionsville. But for now, you can easily travel from downtown Lebanon to the southside, where the trail skirts past the Lebanon Dog Park, Conservation Pond, and the Boone County 4-H Fairgrounds. 

Another promising development is the new Stone Eater Bike Park just two miles northwest of Lebanon. This new park boasts world-class, 4-season mountain bike trails, giving families and professionals alike a place to stay active. 

If you’re a sports fan, Lebanon recently finished construction on an exciting new venue: The Farmers Bank Fieldhouse. This 200,000 square foot athletic facility has 8 basketball courts, 12 pickleball courts, a turf field, and pitching and hitting tunnels. It’s also home to the Lebanon Leprechauns—a pro basketball team in the Midwest division of the TBL. 

And for industry-minded folks, the LEAP District is becoming a destination for innovative commercial and business development. Eli Lilly recently broke ground on two new facilities that will add up to 1,300 new jobs—on top of the 5,000 jobs supported during their construction. This $13 billion investment is only the first major project to find a home at LEAP in Lebanon. 

Lebanon is a home for all generations.

While there’s clearly a lot happening in Lebanon, that’s not the reason that I love this community. There’s something unique about Lebanon that I’ve never encountered anywhere else. Because Lebanon stands at a generational intersection.

The old guard know and love Lebanon for its historically rural, tight-knit community feel, while the younger generations look to modernize and bring new life to the town. Some may consider this to be an iconoclastic battle of ideals, but I’ve found that the intermingling of preservation and development is uniquely endearing to Lebanon. 

I believe our town’s identity is firmly rooted while still taking shape. Lebanon is a hot iron waiting to be struck, but it’s also a welcoming and unassuming community. So, if you’re looking for a home where you can get involved in a meaningful way, look no further than Lebanon.

We are a city that moves forward, but we do so with deliberation and honor for both our heritage and our potential. Some may dislike the change, and others will undoubtedly want more. But no matter your opinion, Lebanon is a town where you can be heard and make a measurable impact on your community. Here, you’re not lost in a sea of masses, nor written off as an obtrusive outsider. If you see a gap, you can help fill it.

I’ve lived in other places that are beautiful, metropolitan, quiet, and intellectual, but never before Lebanon have I lived in a place I truly loved. The tenderness of Lebanon’s soul is what makes this often-overlooked suburb the perfect place to live. Because whatever you give to this community, it’ll pay you back several times over. Lebanon truly is the ideal American small town, where it’s easy to know and be known.