Ferdinand

Small Town Breakdown

Ferdinand is a quiet town in southern Indiana’s Dubois County, but it’s hard to miss once you spot the domes of the Monastery Immaculate Conception, home to the Sisters of Saint Benedict. Known as the “Castle on the Hill,” the monastery sets the tone for the town where rich history, faith, shops and good eats meet.

Fast Facts

📍LOCATION: Southern Indiana

• Ferdinand is located near the southern county line of Dubois County

• Indiana State Road 162 cuts through Ferdinand and runs north through Bretzville and Maltersville onto Jasper; it runs south to Santa Claus

• Indiana State Road 264 begins in Ferdinand and runs east to the Ferdinand State Forest

• Interstate 64 runs east-west and is south of town; Ferdinand can be accessed by exit 63 from I-64

• 2 hours and 30 minutes south of Indianapolis

• 1 hour and 40 minutes south of Bloomington

• 55 minutes northeast of Evansville

👥 POPULATION & RANKING

• 2,188 residents (as of 2024)

• Tied with Versailles as Indiana’s 209th-largest city

• Third-largest incorporated town/city of five in Orange County behind Jasper (16,967) and Huntingburg (6,512)

📏 LAND AREA

• 2.3 square miles

📅 FOUNDED

• Dubois County was established in 1817.

• Dubois County was named for Captain Toussaint Dubois, a French-born scout who fought in many American Indian Wars and purchased land in the area prior to the county’s founding.

• Jasper is the county seat.

• The county is known as the “Wood Capital of the World” because it’s the home of many furniture manufacturers.

• Ferdinand was established in 1840 by Catholic priest Father Joseph Kundek, who was originally from Croatia, and settled by German-speaking Catholic immigrants.

• Kundek wanted two Catholic towns on the road from Troy to Jasper, and Ferdinand was the first of those two towns.

• Kundek originally named the town Ferdinandsstadt after the Emperor of Austria.

• The town thrives behind its religious heritage and the Monastery Immaculate Conception, which was founded in 1867 by four sisters from the St. Walburg Benedictine Convent in Covington, Kentucky.

• Ferdinand became an incorporated community in 1905.

🏥 MAIN INDUSTRIES: Manufacturing, Retail

• MasterBrand Cabinets, one of North America’s leading cabinet manufacturers, has a manufacturing and office presence in town.

• Ferdinand’s Main Street commercial area has many small businesses, including Tin Lizzie’s Gifts and Home Decor, Ferdinand Antique and Emporium, and the nonprofit Traditional Arts Today, which showcases the work of over 40 local artists.

  

Monastery Immaculate Conception

If there’s one thing you need to check out when visiting Ferdinand, it’s the Monastery Immaculate Conception, home to the Sisters of Saint Benedict. There is a ton of history here, much connecting to Father Joseph Kundek and his founding of Ferdinand in the mid-1800s. The architecture is absolutely stunning.

Ferdinand State Forest

Want to get outdoors and explore the rolling hills of Dubois County? Take Indiana State Road 264 east out of town and drive to the Ferdinand State Forest. This forest spans over 7,600 acres and has over 10 miles of trails for hiking and biking, lakes for fishing and boating, hunting areas, campsites, a beach that’s open from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and of course a fire tower we had to climb.

@natespangle

Let’s climb the Ferdinand Fire Tower #indiana #fyp

Start Your Day with Breakfast

The Cascade Cafe opened in October 2022 and serves up delicious breakfast Wednesday through Saturday at affordable prices. The family-owned and operated restaurant makes everything from scratch, and the most expensive item on the menu is just $10.99. Of course, we ordered it — the Haystack, a bed of hash browns covered with biscuits, gravy and two scrambled eggs.

The cafe is also known for its jumbo cinnamon rolls, friendly service, and some really cool art on the walls completed by one of the owners’ daughters. They have racked up 4.9 stars on Google.

Just a few miles west of town in Saint Henry but still with a Ferdinand address is The Bungalow Bar. You can enjoy lunch, dinner and drinks there regularly, but we visited for a special occasion – they only serve breakfast a couple Sundays each month from 7 a.m. to noon! They have a special breakfast menu plus a featured dish or two each time. The specials during our visit? Southwest Brisket Hash and Cinnamon Rolls Pancakes. Yes, they were delicious.

German Christmas Pyramid

The grounds of the Wollenmann House (where Main Street Bistro is located) will soon be home to a 32-foot-tall German Christmas Pyramid, connecting the town to its German roots. It will be unveiled to the public in November as one of just a few German Christmas Pyramids in the United States.

More Food in Ferdinand

• We mentioned the Main Street Bistro above. German Christmas Pyramid or not, you can’t leave without putting down a slice of chocolate pie. The bistro is housed on the main floor of the Wollenmann House, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Once the home to Dr. Alois Wollenmann, employees believe the 1903 house is haunted.

• When you finish exploring the religious grounds of the Monastery Immaculate Conception, pop into St. Benedict’s Brew Works, a brewery located on the east end of the grounds. They’ve got great brews and tasty appetizers, including toasted ravioli bites.

• Locals recommend Fleig’s Cafe. Why? 75 cents for coffee and some of the best fried chicken in the area might do the trick.

The next time you’re in southern Indiana, snag breakfast at the Cascade Cafe or The Bungalow Bar, tour the Monastery Immaculate Conception, shop local and experience the all-around beauty of Dubois County.

Check out Nate’s breakdown of Ferdinand ⬇️