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Plainfield grew up as a Quaker settlement on the Old National Road, and that heritage still shapes the town: the Western Yearly Meeting of Friends has gathered here since the 1850s, and US 40 still runs straight through the old center. Today the Hendricks County town sits just west of Indianapolis International Airport, mixing small-town streets with big parks and newer shopping districts.
The historic core along Main Street has brick storefronts, the restored interurban depot that once served the electric line from Indianapolis, and the chrome-clad Oasis Diner, a 1950s roadside classic saved and restored by the community. The Islamic Society of North America also has its headquarters on the edge of town.
Outdoors, Hummel Park and the Vandalia Trail give locals room to walk, bike and picnic, and Sodalis Nature Park protects woods and wetlands for the endangered Indiana bat. Downtown Indianapolis is about 20 minutes east, and covered-bridge country in Parke County is an easy day trip west.
Plainfield's largest park spreads across rolling lawns and woods along White Lick Creek, with paved loops, a pond, playgrounds, sports fields and shaded picnic shelters that host community events in summer. Come early on weekends, when the shelters fill up with family gatherings.
This Hendricks County park was created to protect habitat for the endangered Indiana bat, whose Latin name Myotis sodalis gives the park its name. Quiet trails wind through restored woodland, prairie and wetlands near White Lick Creek, with a fishing pond and good birding. Bring bug spray in summer.
A paved rail-trail laid on the former Vandalia Railroad line, which once carried trains between Indianapolis and St. Louis. It heads west from Plainfield through farmland and small woodlots, flat and easy for walkers, runners and cyclists. Start near the town center and turn back whenever you like.
Run by Plainfield Parks, this outdoor waterpark has twisting slides, pools, a zero-depth splash area for small children and plenty of deck chairs. It opens from Memorial Day to mid-August. Buy tickets online on hot weekends, and bring your own towels since rentals are limited.
The town's indoor recreation center has a leisure pool with slides, a lap pool, a gym, an indoor track and fitness rooms. Day passes are sold to visitors, which makes it a handy rainy-day or winter option for families staying near the airport. Check the open-swim schedule before you go.
A prefabricated stainless-steel diner built in 1954 that served travelers on US 40 for decades, then was moved a short distance and lovingly restored in the 2010s. Sit at the counter for burgers, tenderloin sandwiches, breakfast plates and thick milkshakes. Expect a short wait at weekend breakfast.
Plainfield was settled by Quakers, and the large brick meetinghouse on Main Street has hosted the annual sessions of the Western Yearly Meeting of Friends since the 1800s. It is still an active place of worship, so view it respectfully from the grounds unless you are attending a meeting or event.
This small brick building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, served the Terre Haute, Indianapolis and Eastern interurban line in the early 1900s as both a passenger depot and a power substation. It is a reminder of the electric cars that once linked Plainfield with Indianapolis. Admire it from the street.
An open-air shopping center near I-70 with department stores, a movie theater, chain restaurants and outdoor walkways, built on the site of the former Metropolis mall. It is the town's main stop for shopping, dinner and a film. Parking is free and easy, even on busy weekend evenings.
US 40 follows the route of the National Road, the first federally funded highway, which reached Indiana in the 1830s. Through Plainfield it passes old homes, the Quaker meetinghouse and classic roadside businesses. Drive it west toward Stilesville and Putnam County for a slower alternative to I-70.
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Log in to add photosPhoto: Eric Wood, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Eric Wood, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Nyttend, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Nyttend, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Baxter1961, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Nyttend, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Nyttend, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Eric Wood, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Eric Wood, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
