Cook’s Bison Ranch features a post-and-beam frame barn built in the early 1900s, located on 83 stunning acres of the historic Cook’s Bison Ranch in Wolcottville, Indiana. The barn housed a granary, milk cows, sheep, hogs and horses, but more importantly, it held family memories. Guests can meet owners Peter and Erica Cook and hear how the story of Grandpa Everett Cook’s $5,000 purchase — dubbed “the worst investment he’d ever made” — led to an American dream, with the barn at the center of it all. (Provided photo)
LAGRANGE, Ind. — The 2025 Indiana Barn Foundation Barn Tour will be held in LaGrange County on Sept. 13, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The self-guided driving tour will feature nine barn locations, including two Amish homesteads, a honey farm, a Percheron horse barn and a bison ranch.
The headquarters will be held at Pretty Valley Barn, 2685 S 950 E, LaGrange. It will feature selfie stands, food trucks and a book signing from 10 a.m. to noon by Cindy Ladage, local author of “Farm Girl Adventures.”
Locations along the route will have portable restrooms, and some will have additional food for sale.
Advance tickets are $15 for IBF members or $20 for non-members. Children 16 and under are free.
Tickets may be purchased online until 5 p.m. on Sept. 12 at the member and non-member price.
Tickets the day of the tour will be $20 for all and available in-person at Pretty Valley Barn.
Here’s a preview of a few of the nine stops on the tour:
The Hay Barn is a beautifully preserved 1903 multi-generational family barn 30 minutes southeast of Shipshewana, Indiana. Owned by Jon Bovee of Stroh, the barn was originally slated for demolition. However, due to its remarkable condition, Bovee and his wife disassembled and transported it piece by piece to their own land. A few original posts were replaced at a local sawmill in LaGrange County. It was meant to serve as a storage space for hay and equipment, but as it was rebuilt, its charm didn’t go unnoticed. Encouraged by the community, Bovee and his wife are transforming the barn into a wedding and event venue. (Provided photo)
The Pretty Valley Barn is one stop on the Indiana Barn Foundation Barn Tour in LaGrange County. It was built in the 1940s to milk 40 Jersey cows. The entire lower part of the barn — including the ceiling and floor of the haymow — was constructed of concrete mixed on site and poured using wheel barrows and ramps. It included a mechanical gutter system, four freshening stalls, a milk house and granary. Today, the barn serves as storage and a workshop for the owner of the 7.5-acre farmstead. (Provided photo)