It never gets old
This historical spot is now open year-round for sweet nostalgia.
By Raygan Swan, Intake Weekly(raygan.swan@intakeweekly.com)

The only time people seem to familiarize themselves with Hook's Historic Drugstore & Soda Fountain Museum is during the Indiana State Fair.

Maybe that's because the place -- built in 1966 by A.F. "Bud" Hook -- has been closed since the 1990s and only opened during the running of the State Fair.

A Greenfield preservation group decided to change that.

After a year of negotiations and incorporations, the Greenfield Museum Initiative is now the proud new owner of the historic store.

No longer do you have to wait for the State Fair to fill up on interesting factoids about snake oils and leeches.

The museum is now open year-round.

Bob Hunt, chairman of the Greenfield Museum Initiative, does clinical research for Eli Lilly and Co. and has always been interested in pharmaceutical history.

He said he got the ball rolling because he was concerned "the collection (of artifacts) could be taken out of Indiana or, worse, sold."

Address: Indiana State Fairgrounds, 1202 E. 38th St., just inside the 38th Street entrance.

Who you might see: Definitely fairgoers. Hunt said an average of 50,000 people will visit the museum and store during the Indiana State Fair. Since 1966, he said the place has seen about 2 million visitors.

Something you should know: In 1966, the Hook's Historical Drugstore & Pharmacy Museum was opened by Hook's Drugstores at the Indiana State Fairgrounds to commemorate the Indiana Sesquicentennial. But funnier than that is the museum's display of "Aphrodisiaca," the early 1900s version of Lilly's Cialis.

Why go: Because you can buy old-fashioned ice cream sodas, floats and sundaes, in addition to old-school candy, such as root beer barrels, Necco wafers and Long Boys.

A good time to check it out: During the Indiana State Fair, Aug. 10-21. For a list of events, visit www.in.gov/statefair.