The Yellow Trail Museum & Visitors Center

08/05/2026

This Friday!!

08/01/2026

What do you do on a rainy day? Come visit the Yellow Trail Museum/Hope Area Visitors Center. Our special exhibit right now is a tribute to our Native American heritage and the tribes who resided in the northeast corner of Bartholomew County. Amazing artifacts are furnished by the Shoaf family. Museum hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays 1pm - 5 pm and Saturdays 12 noon - 4 pm. Come see us! Admission is FREE.

07/29/2026

Last night was the monthly board meeting for the Yellow Trail Museum. With Shawn McNealy, Abby Calender , John Ziegler, Kathie Clouse, Gary Dodd, Steve Sweet, Bruce Neal , Darlene Allen , and Susan Thayer Fye . A great group of community leaders!

07/24/2026

The Indiana fashion tradition of senior cords is having a moment in the fashion world: the nostalgic collegiate look has recently been revived by the brands Polo Ralph Lauren and Bode. The Eskenazi School's The Sage Collection houses more than 75 examples of senior cords, which functioned as "wearable yearbooks" from the 1920s to the 1970s, when students painted their corduroy garments with their "individual symbology." Tracing the origins of senior cords, The Magazine Antiques interviewed curator Kelly Richardson about the many examples in the Sage Collection.

Read the story at https://eskenazi.indiana.edu/news/2026/2026-06-26-senior-cords-antiques.html

Photo: Senior cord skirts and pants decorated by Indiana University students were exhibited in "Illustrating Identity: Senior Cords in Monroe County" in 2024 at the Monroe County History Center in Bloomington. Photo courtesy The Elizabeth Sage Historic Costume Collection

06/29/2026

Even though we had to cancel, we still need to thank our sponsors. Thank you so much for helping make this event happen!

06/26/2026

We are excited to announce the Grand Marshal of the 2026 Hope Heritage Days, Michael and Tina Dean! The theme for the 58th annual festival is “Hats Off to Hope’s Heritage!”

06/26/2026

We are pleased to announce this years Little Miss and Mister Firecracker, Opal Stone and Waylon Fields! Thank you to all who participated. This year’s participants raised four hundred dollars for the museum!

06/25/2026

06/24/2026

Last night was the monthly meeting of the Yellow Trail Museum board. With Darlene Allen , Kathy Clouse, Teresa Thompson Turner, John Ziegler, Bruce Neal , Abby Shaffer Calender , Gary Dodd, Erin Anderson , and me. Great group of community-minded folks!!

06/24/2026

We are disappointed to announce the Old Fashioned Independence Day event has been greatly scaled down due to the forecasted rain and threat of severe thunderstorms Friday. All activities will take place inside the museum, and the firework show has been cancelled. The museum will be open from 5:30 till 7:30 with ice cream floats and crafts. Little Miss and Mister Firecracker will be announced at 6:15 and the Hope Heritage Days Grand Marshal will be announced at 6:20. We are just as sad as you are.