Rensselaer is a county town with a handful of pleasant historic sights clustered around the square. The 1898 Jasper County Courthouse is the centrepiece, and the surrounding block of brick storefronts has been listed as a national historic district. Within a short walk you'll also find a fine Carnegie library, several handsome Victorian houses, and the campus of Saint Joseph's College just south of town.
For most visitors the town is a stop on a longer drive along I-65 rather than a destination. An hour or two is enough to see what there is to see — though the unhurried pace and small-town hospitality are easy to enjoy if you have longer.