Madison, Indiana is a rustic town that sits right on the bank of the Ohio River. This town offers quite the variety of activities, ranging from tours of a Mansion built in the 1840’s to a rocking BBQ and blues festival every summer. With so many things to do, one might wonder which ones they should pick. To help with that, here’s a list of some of the best places to visit when walking down Main Street of Madison.

Buy Sell Trade

This fun store is located at 303 W Main Street, only a little ways away from the Broadway Fountain. Buy Sell Trade is a store where you can do exactly what the title implies. You can buy, sell, and trade (mostly vintage) items of value. Inside, there are shelves full of comics, video games, antiques, NASCAR collectables, and even more. Being a swap shop, every visit is different due their inventory is constantly changing.

The “Red” Franchise –

The “Red” Franchise is a line of stores located all along Main Street that live by the phrase “Life is too short for fast food.” Each of these locations are popular with locals and are rated at about 4.5 stars each.

The Red Pepper

The Red Pepper Deli offers catering, hosting, and if you’d like, your lunch as well. Their menu mainly consists of sandwiches, wraps, salads, and soups. Most meals on their menu are priced at $7.25. This Restaurant is located at 102 W Main Street. You can take a closer look at their menu at theredpepperdeli.com.

The Red Pepperoni

Next door to the Red Pepper at 902 W Main Street, you have the Red Pepperoni. While it’s sibling is a deli, the Pepperoni is a pizzeria. Although its main focus is on pizza, it also has a nice selection of beers. Check it out at theredpepperoni.com.

The Red Peppermint

If you travel a little further east on Main Street, you’ll get to 301 W Main Street, which is home to the Red Peppermint. This self-serve yogurt shop has an entire wall dedicated to different soft-serve flavors, and a full bar of toppings.

The Red Roaster Coffee & Eatery

Finally, at 100 W Main Street, you have the Red Roaster. They offer anything from Coffee, to bagels, to free wifi. If you’re walking down Main Street, this is the best place to sit down and take a break.

Fountain Alley

Fountain Alley is a bath goods store located at 318 W Main Street. They offer a large array of all-natural bathing products including “a wonderful facial line, baby products, mens items, dog soap, outdoor products, [and] teas.” More information can be found on their website at fountainalleybc.com.   

CoCoa Safari Chocolates

Do you love chocolates and truffles? If you do, you’re in luck. Located at 118 W Main Street, CoCoa Safari Chocolates has a wide array of freshly made chocolates and truffles. You can even see their on-site kitchen from the counter.

Broadway Fountain

The Broadway Fountain is located in the middle of Broadway Street and to the left of Main Street. In the winter, it is decked out in fairy lights, and in warmer weather, it has pots of flowers around it as the water runs.   

Hong Kong Kitchen

This Chinese restaurant has a delicious array of noodle, soup, meat, and more dishes that are sure to fill you up. Everything is assured to be done in ten minutes, so if you’re feeling hungry, make sure to stop at 102 E Main Street.   

Overall, Madison is a wonderful place to go and visit. It’s very difficult to choose a favorite place, so here are some quotes from local Madisonians:  

“One of my favorite things about downtown is to walk around during the summer or spring when it’s just the perfect temperature and just envelop myself in the perfect weather and perfect atmosphere of downtown Madison.” – junior Corbin Tague.

“I Really like to eat at Hong Kong! The food is delicious and everyone who works there is so friendly and passionate about feeding people. It’s a really happy environment and it’s always super comforting.” – sophomore Maddie Simms.

“My favorite thing about Main Street all throughout my life is just walking the streets, seeing the shops. And the dining downtown: the restaurants (and) the night life downtown. That’s my favorite part of downtown Madison.” – History teacher Doug Rusk.

Still don’t know which place to visit? There’s only one way left to decide: try each place for yourself.