Things to Do in Angola, Indiana

Pokagon opened in 1925 on the shores of Lake James and Snow Lake, about 5 miles north of Angola. It’s named for Potawatomi leaders Leopold and Simon Pokagon, and the Civilian Conservation Corps built much of it from 1934 to 1942. Expect beaches, nine marked trails, a nature center, a saddle barn and the Potawatomi Inn, which opened in 1927.

★ Good to know The DNR reports blue-green algae in the lakes year-round, so don’t drink untreated water.

This is the park’s winter signature: a refrigerated quarter-mile track with a 90-foot drop, launched from a 30-foot tower. Rides last 20 to 30 seconds, and the fastest recorded run hit 42 mph. Because the track is chilled, it runs without snow.

★ Good to know It runs on weekends from the Friday after Thanksgiving into late winter, with no reservations, and gloves are required.

At about 1,229 acres, Lake James is Indiana’s fourth-largest natural lake, with three basins and a maximum depth of 88 feet. It starts about 3 miles northwest of Angola, and Pokagon borders all three basins. The park’s beaches and boat access are the easiest public way onto the water.

Next to Pokagon, this 200-acre area was added through a public-private partnership starting in 2006. It has 12 rental cabins, a welcome center with boat rental, a public fishing pier and a restored fen. It’s a good base if you’d rather rent a cabin than camp.

The granite Soldiers’ Monument rises about 70 feet in the center of the square, with five bronze figures. Its plaques name 1,278 county servicemen. Around it, the historic district covers 49 buildings from 1861 on, including the 1892 Croxton Opera House. Bird Song Park, a pocket park with community-made birdhouses and a painted-rock garden, sits on the square.

★ Good to know Angola Main Street runs Food Truck Fridays, Summer Fest and Christmas on Main Street downtown.

The Brokaw opened on the square in August 1931, named for Joe Brokaw, who managed the opera house across the way. It’s an Art Deco theater renovated in 2016, now with two digital screens, leather seats and tables. It shows new releases and classic films, with pizza and hot dogs at the counter.

In nearby Fremont, about 250 bison roam more than 400 acres of prairie, and you see them from an open-air tour vehicle. There’s also a log bed and breakfast and a gift shop selling bison meat.

★ Good to know Tours run most days May through October and weekends only November through April.

Pam and Larry Satek planted a vineyard near Lake James in 1992 and opened the winery in 2001. It makes both dry and sweet wines, and it changed owners in December 2024.

★ Good to know Tastings are free every day.

This 100-acre city park has a community-built playground, sports fields, nature trails and a dog park. Its 18-hole, par-68 disc golf course runs over hilly ground and is free to play.

★ Good to know Bring your own discs, or borrow a set during business hours from the Angola Parks and Recreation Department.