A county visitors center that has been a year in the making may finally get to open its downtown Franklin doors next week.
After the coronavirus pandemic delayed the March opening of the Festival Country Indiana Visitor Center, local tourism leaders have their eyes set on next week to welcome its first visitors.
The hope is to open it the first business day after Gov. Eric Holcomb’s Back on Track plan allows, which would be June 16, said Kenneth Kosky, director of the commission. But whether the center can open on this day hinges on acquiring needed supplies such as wipes, sneeze guards and hand sanitizer stations, he said.
The visitor center focuses on interactive exhibits that show instead of tell visitors what they can experience in Johnson County. For example, visitors can step inside an apple to experience agritourism, or sit in a go-kart to experience Whiteland Raceway Park.
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Because of these interactive experiences, frequent cleaning and sanitizer stations are a must to ensure visitors are safe, Kosky said.
“We need to provide not only a fun experience but also a safe experience for visitors,” he said.
The visitor center is planning for a soft opening with a grand opening celebration to be held later this summer, in July or August, on a to-be-announced date, Kosky said.
Though the opening was delayed, and some festivals the commission promotes were also delayed or canceled altogether, there is hope. With pent up demand from people staying home, Kosky hopes to see many check out what Johnson County has to offer.
Since there are many destinations in the county where social distancing is possible, such as agritourism, water parks, trails, campgrounds and downtown areas, his outlook remains optimistic, he said.
“People are definitely looking to get out,” Kosky said. “I have some anecdotal evidence. We posted that The Suds Drive-In was opening and they had their best day ever. We are thinking it will be the same for our visitors center.”
Through the center, advertising and social media, the commission is making plans to get back to promoting events from around the county, and start hosting some of its own, Kosky said.
With the coronavirus still running its course through the county and around the globe, plans for promoting tourism will shift, Kosky said. Advertising in the summer and fall will focus more on outdoor activities, trails and parks, he said.
If conditions permit, the visitors center will host some events involving the arts and organize walking tours later this year, Kosky said.
The pandemic did not hit the local tourism industry quite as hard as other parts of the state, Kosky said. Hospitality taxes were down about 15%, he said.
“Johnson County wasn’t as hard hit with our hotel occupancy rates as the rest of the state. We also had a very strong start at the beginning of this year,” Kosky said.
These taxes make up the majority of the commission’s budget. But luckily, the commission had planned for a possible decrease in revenue. The commission has about half a year’s budget left in savings, and was able to slash the spring advertising budget since events were canceled, he said.
Festival Country Indiana is the marketing name of the Johnson County Convention, Visitors and Tourism Commission. The visitor center is located at 66 S. Water St., Franklin in a building shared with the City of Franklin and Aspire Johnson County and Chamber Alliance.
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Festival Country Indiana Visitor Center
What: A space featuring interactive exhibits and information about top attractions in the county
When: June 16 opening date (tentative); 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday
Where: 66 S. Water St., Franklin
Here is a look at some of the features of the new visitor center:
Skydiving selfie opportunity;
Festival Country Radio booth where you can hit the "on air" light, read a script about what’s going on, then play a favorite song;
Indoor slide to introduce local water parks;
A display showing local craft beer, wine and spirits;
Go-carts, highlighting Whiteland Raceway Park;
A replica of the Artcraft Theater, where people can learn about Festival Country.
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