CAMBRIDGE CITY, Ind. — Indiana Landmarks opened its 1841 Huddleston Farmhouse on Sept. 10  with an entire floor of new exhibits focused on the historic National Road, from the pioneer era to the present.

The Huddleston Farmhouse had been closed for two years as the exhibits were being developed and the ground floor of the house prepped for the installation.

The exhibits tell the 200-year story of the National Road from its start in Cumberland, Md., in 1806 through Indiana in mid-1820s, to its end in Vandalia, Ill.

The new exhibits allow visitors to hear from a covered wagon traveler about the conditions on the road, the food they ate, and where they found lodging. Visitors will experience the road surfaces over time, from a bumpy mud track dotted with tree stumps to brick, concrete, and the current asphalt.

Children can try out the straw-filled mattress like the ones pioneers used on the floor of the travelers’ kitchens. At an interactive wall-sized map, visitors can click on places from Maryland to Illinois to learn more about sites to visit on the National Road today. A simulation allows tourists to drive along the road viewing important National Road landmarks, including those lost, save and endangered.

The National Road Heritage Site at Huddleston Farmhouse promotes public awareness of one of the first significant national engineering achievements in American transportation and its role in 19th and 20th century American society and culture.

Indiana Landmarks received a National Scenic Byways Grant to create the new exhibits, which were produced by Split Rock Studios in collaboration with Ball State University’s Depart-ment of Telecommunications and the Indiana National Road Association. The project also received support from private donors across the state.

For additional information, call 800-828-8414.