~story and photos by Bob Gustin
Leroy and Nancy Nail could talk about Bigfoot for hours.
That’s partly why they opened the Indiana Bigfoot Center in Nashville in mid-May.
“Brown County is the center of Bigfoot country ” in Indiana, Leroy said. “If you go in any direction, there’s activity.” Hotspots include Yellowwood State Forest, Lake Monroe, the Story area, and Hoosier National Forest.
So, it made sense to them to open the center in Nashville.
Legends, myths, and folklore throughout the years tell of large, wild, human-like creatures living in far-flung parts of the world. They’ve been known by various names, including Sasquatch, the Abominable Snowman, Yeti, Skunk Ape, Bushman, Treeman, Wildman, and others. Some are thought to be dangerous, some benevolent, others neither good nor bad.
Most in the mainstream scientific community consider them to be hoaxes, misidentifications, or mythical.
That doesn’t bother Leroy, who got interested in Bigfoot years ago, and in 2014 took over leadership of the Indiana Bigfoot Research Organization. The group holds an annual Indiana Bigfoot Conference, the third one of which will be held in Nashville in September. He said he is used to being made fun of over his beliefs. He admits no ironclad scientific evidence has been discovered. The only indisputable proof of Bigfoot’s existence, he says, would be recovery of a corpse, and he hopes that never occurs.
Nancy concurs. “If they wanted to hurt us, they could do it,” Nancy said, but instead they keep their distance.
The Nails see the location as not just a storefront, but more a place where people can come to share their stories, hear stories about Bigfooting, and be a “safe place” where people can express their opinions. And Leroy believes the increased traffic the center could bring to Nashville will be good for the community and other businesses.
“Other store owners encouraged me to open the center,” he said.
The store includes all sorts of Bigfoot merchandise: Toys and stuffed animals, travel mugs, carved figures, posters, T-shirts and caps, books, walking sticks and more.
The Nails’ goal is to expand the range of merchandise, including more work by local and area artists. They also hope to include specialized items which can be used in Bigfoot searches, such as audio recorders and microphones.
Not everything in the center is for sale. Glass display cases hold three castings of footprints, collected in Morgan, Brown, and Warrick counties. The couple plans to develop a small museum at the Nashville center, bringing in more footprint castings and perhaps other artifacts.
The Nails, who live in Martinsville, have been married for 47 years. Nancy retired in December as a lab technician at Eskenazi Hospital in Indianapolis where she worked as a specimen processor. Leroy has worked for the Indiana Department of Transportation for 11 years, and hopes to retire next year.
Leroy said he has had a number of Bigfoot encounters over the years.
“What it is, nobody knows,” he said. “lt’s not seen during the day. It stays in the shadows.
“It’s some kind of flesh and blood animal, and it’s been around for years. Native Americans and pioneers talked about the hairy man of the woods. They know how to stay hidden. They only come around us on their terms.
“There have been so many reports that after a while, it’s hard to dismiss it and say everybody’s crazy and seeing something that doesn’t exist.”
The Nails admit that hoaxes have occurred, and lots of things are unknown. And with artificial intelligence and technological advances, it’s easy to fake something. But Leroy believes he has been close to a Bigfoot, has cast their footprints, and heard their howls.
He said he knows of no other Bigfoot centers in the area, though there are centers and museums in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Georgia and western states. The mystery is part of the appeal of searching for Bigfoot. And the conclusion of whether it exists is “one you have to come to yourself,” Leroy said.
THE INDIANA BIGFOOT CENTER The Indiana Bigfoot Center is located down an alley called Old School Way at 59 E. Main St.in Nashville, Suite G. It is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and 12:30–5 p.m. Sundays. It is closed on Wednesdays.
THIRD ANNUAL INDIANA BIGFOOT CONFERENCE
WHO: Hosted by the Indiana Bigfoot Research Organization, guest speakers include Leroy Nail, lead investigator for the IBRO; Marc DeWerth of the Ohio Bigfoot Conference; M.K. Davis, researcher and analyst; Mike Familant, creator of a series documenting Bigfoot expeditions; and creators of the podcast Cyrptids of the Corn.
WHAT: Billed as an event to immerse yourself in firsthand experiences, shop from local artists, and connect with fellow enthusiasts.
WHEN: Sept. 25-26, 2026.
WHERE: The Seasons Event Center in Nashville.
COST: Vendor sales both days and a town hall session 5-7 p.m. on Sept. 25 are free and open to the public. Other events require ticket purchases. Conference tickets are $60 each; add-on tickets for events including a dinner and a night research trip are sold separately. Seating is limited to about 300 people.
MORE INFORMATION: indianabigfootconference.com