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Indy Press Kit: Attractions, Landmarks & Memorials

From world-class museums and exciting attractions to history and heritage, Indianapolis can inspire, entertain and educate visitors with a diverse array of attractions and landmarks.
Attractions & Museums
Conner Prairie
At this 19th century interactive history park, Indiana’s past becomes the present. Buildings, furnishings, costumes and even the actors’ speech and conversations are thoroughly researched and recreated. Visitors experience many authentic frontier activities, including a camp meeting, a wedding celebration and a historic baseball game. Discover the Lenape Indian Camp & Trading Post, Blacksmith Studio, 19th Century Flatboat, 1836 Prairietown and Liberty Corner, a re-created 1886 town complete with a working farm. Special, seasonal programs include Follow the North Star, Symphony on the Prairie, Glorious Fourth, Country Fair, Headless Horseman and Conner Prairie by Candlelight.
Conseco Fieldhouse
The $183 million Conseco Fieldhouse opened in 1999 and stands as a monument to Indiana’s rich basketball tradition. This state-of-the-art facility combines the nostalgic feelings of the past with the benefits of the future. The Fieldhouse is home to the NBA’s Indiana Pacers and the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, as well as being a venue for hockey, concerts and other events. It occupies 750,000 square feet with a seating capacity of approximately 18,500, including 69 suites and 2,500 club seats.
Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art
The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art opened in 1989 and is located in downtown’s White River State Park. The adobe‑style museum elicits images of the desert Southwest with its distinctive blend of earth tones. A recent, $20 million expansion of the Eiteljorg Museum added the 45,000-square-foot Mel and Joan Perelman Wing. The new wing doubled the museum’s exhibit space, including three new galleries, a sculpture court, library, technology center, café and gardens.
Considered one of the finest of its kind in the country, the museum’s collection originated with Indianapolis businessman Harrison Eiteljorg, who ventured west looking for coal. While there, he fell in love with the land, the people and the art. Visitors to the Eiteljorg will experience how the tribes that once lived in what is now Indiana have maintained traditions while adopting new ways of life. The premier event at the museum is Indian Market, which takes place each summer.
Indiana Historical Society
Established in 1830, the Indiana Historical Society serves to collect, preserve and interpret Indiana history. These treasures are housed at the Indiana Historical Society’s striking 165,000-square-foot, four-story building situated on downtown Indianapolis’ Central Canal, known as the Indiana History Center.
There are numerous attractions and programs at the Indiana Historical Society that invite visitors to relive moments from Indiana’s rich past. The Society boasts an acoustically-balanced theater, exhibition gallery and Great Hall to host interactive exhibits, concerts, plays, workshops and special events. Visitors can listen to the sounds of Hoosier composers and musicians from a Wurlitzer reproduction jukebox or browse through the Society’s extensive library collection. A gift shop and café complement the list of amenities for visitors to enjoy.
Indiana Medical History Museum
The museum is housed in the historic Pathology Building of the former Central State Hospital. When it opened in 1896, the structure was a medical research and teaching center. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is the oldest surviving pathology laboratory in the United States. The museum houses X-ray machines, ophthalmoscopes, old stethoscopes, lab equipment and other medical artifacts.
Indiana State Museum
The Indiana State Museum, located in downtown’s White River State Park, is a showplace for Indiana’s cultural and natural history. Permanent exhibits detail everything from ancient glaciers to Indiana’s first settlers. It’s a gathering place, a learning experience and family-friendly entertainment all in a unique architectural treasure.
Permanent exhibits include: Treasures of Indiana, a vast collection of museum artifacts; The Native Americans, focusing on the diversity of Native American cultures in Indiana; The Nineteenth State, tracing the story of Indiana’s journey toward statehood; Enterprising Indiana, showcasing Indiana industry from 1920 to 1950; and Legacy Theatre: The Indiana African-American Experience, which explores black heritage in Indiana from the early 1800s to present day.
Two galleries, with a total of more than 12,000 square feet, house changing exhibits. Two restaurants, an IMAX theater, a two-story gift shop and a 55-foot-tall Indiana sculpture are just a few of the many special features and amenities.
Indianapolis Art Center
The Indianapolis Art Center showcases local and regional artists and artisans and serves as a community arts education and resource center. World-renowned architect and Indianapolis native Michael Graves designed the Art Center’s $7.2 million facility. The Art Center houses eight exhibition spaces, which allows for nearly 30 exhibits per year. It also features a gift shop, 13 studios, a library, the Riverfront Deck and Stage and a 24-seat auditorium. ArtsPark, a multi-sensory outdoor art and nature park opened on 12 acres of land in 2005. The Indianapolis Art Center hosts the annual Broad Ripple Art Fair each May and offers more than 200 art classes in a variety of mediums for all skill levels.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Built in 1909, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) is home to the Indy Racing League’s famed Indianapolis 500 and the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard NASCAR race. These events make up the two largest single-day sporting events in the world. The track is the center of activity during the month of May for the Indianapolis 500 and is used for high-speed tire testing throughout most of the year. In 1994, the IMS hosted its first Allstate 400 at the Brickyard NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. The 160-lap race was the first major racing event other than the “Indy 500” to be held at the Speedway since 1911. In September 2008, motorcycle racing returned to the IMS for the first time in nearly a century for MotoGP's Red Bull Indianapolis GP, the world’s premier motorcycle road racing series. The inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP race took plance on the new 16-turn, 2.601-mile (4.186 km) motorcycle road course at the Speedway.
Hall of Fame Museum
Approximately 75 cars are on display, representing a diversified collection of early passenger cars, European sports cars, motorcycles and other special interest vehicles. More than 30 cars driven by Indianapolis 500 winners, including the 1911 winning Marmon “Wasp,” are also in the Hall of Fame Museum. Other artifacts on display include trophies, photographs, helmets and uniforms. Bus rides around the track are offered for a nominal fee when the track is not in use.
Brickyard Crossing
Designed by Pete Dye, Brickyard Crossing is an 18-hole championship golf course that can host major PGA or USGA events. The Brickyard Crossing opened to the public in 1994 and features four holes on the inside of the track and 14 on the outside. Sspectator mounds that offer views of golf tournaments and auto racing.
Indianapolis Museum of Art
Founded in 1883, the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) is one of the oldest art museums in the country. It’s also one of the nation’s largest general art museums, with permanent collections of African, American, Asian and European art.
The IMA houses the largest collection of watercolors by J.M.W. Turner outside of Great Britain, the 2,000-piece Eiteljorg Collection of African Art and the famous LOVE sculpture by Robert Indiana.
Following a $180 million renovation and expansion in 2005, the IMA re-opened with three new wings, 50 percent more gallery space, an outdoor garden court, expanded educational and family facilities and other visitor amenities. The project added 164,000 square feet to the museum and included renovation of 90,000 square feet of existing space. The multi-faceted project also included the creation of the 100-acre Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park.
The museum is located on 152 acres of landscaped grounds that include a historic country estate, formal and informal gardens, a working greenhouse and garden store, restaurant and gift shop.
Indianapolis Zoo & White River Gardens
The The Indianapolis Zoo is the nation’s only accredited combined zoo, aquarium and botanical garden. Located on 64 acres in White River State Park, the “cageless” zoo features 350 different animal species in simulated natural habitats and nearly 18,000 plant specimens. The Zoo is divided into biomes, or natural settings, that replicate African and Australian plains, forests and deserts of the world and several different water habitats.
Its facilities also include the world’s first fully-submerged underwater Dolphin Adventure, where two tunnels lead to a 12-foot high, 30-foot diameter dome that allows for a 360-degree view of the dolphins. Above water is the world’s second-largest, fully-enclosed, environmentally-controlled dolphin pavilion and the state’s largest aquarium. The Zoo’s In-Water Dolphin Adventure allows guests to join the trainers waist-deep in the water and come face-to-face with the dolphins.
Other highlights include the new Oceans exhibit featuring huge shark touch tank, African elephant preserve and a unique domed desert habitat with free-flying birds. This family-oriented attraction features a variety of seasonal rides, including the city’s only roller coaster, a 4-D simulator and a wet/dry playground.
White River Gardens at the Indianapolis Zoo is the site of a 3.3- acre botanical garden with seasonal botanical shows, theme demonstration gardens and wedding gardens. The Gardens also features a gift shop, restaurant overlooking the downtown skyline and a 5,000 square-foot conservatory filled with tropical plants.
National Art Museum of Sport
Housed in University Place on the campus of IUPUI, the National Art Museum of Sport is the nation's largest collection of sports art with more than 1,000 paintings, prints, sculptures and photographs of 44 sports, including ice yachting, auto racing, tennis and archery. Among the artists represented in the collection are Winslow Homer, Fletcher Martin, George Bellows and Alfred Boucher. Founded in 1959 by Connecticut artist-sportsman Germain G. Glidden, the museum moved to Indianapolis in 1990.
NCAA Hall of Champions
From the first track and field championship in 1921 to the pageantry and tradition of today’s 87 NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) championships in 22 sports, the NCAA Hall of Champions celebrates the journey of the student-athlete. Experience the defeats and triumphs that have fostered student-athletes to become leaders in athletic competition and in careers beyond the courts and fields for more than 85 years.
Two levels of exhibits feature interactive displays and award-winning multimedia presentations reflecting what it means to become a champion, from a student-athlete’s first competition to a lifetime achievement.
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
Whether measured by size, number of artifacts or number of visitors, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is the world’s largest of its kind. Attracting more than a million children and adults each year, the museum has been identified by the American Association of Museums as one of the 20 most visited museums of any kind in the nation. The five-story museum houses 110,000 artifacts in 11 major galleries that explore the physical and natural sciences, history, world cultures and the arts. Take a ride on a turn-of-the-century carousel, climb a limestone rock wall, dig for fossils or get a great view of the stars at the SpaceQuest Planetarium.
In Story Avenue: African-American Voices That Teach Us All, visitors can stop by the first permanent African-American exhibit and "eavesdrop" on a family having Sunday dinner or hear a bedtime story.
Dinosphere, a multi-sensory exhibit allowing kids of all ages to get up-close-and-personal with 65 million-year-old animals, is one of the largest displays of real juvenile dinosaurs in the United States.
The museum’s newest permanent exhibit is “Power of Children,” which takes visitors on a journey through the lives of three children, Anne Frank, Ryan White and Ruby Bridges, who faced profound trials and emerged as heroes of the 20th century.
Landmarks
Athenaeum
Built in 1892 as a cultural, social and athletic club for the German-speaking population of Indianapolis, the Athenaeum was originally called Das Deutsche Haus. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the German Renaissance Revival-style building was designed by Bernhard Vonnegut, the grandfather of noted author and Indianapolis native Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. The club includes the Keller Bar, a band shell, banquet facilities, a branch of the YMCA, the American Cabaret Theatre and the city’s oldest restaurant, the Rathskeller.
Christ Church Cathedral
Built in 1857 on Monument Circle, this Episcopalian house of worship is the oldest church building in Indianapolis. An excellent example of the English Gothic “country church” style of architecture, it has steep gables, tall windows with pointed arches, a spire, bell tower and in the interior, wooden trusses and stained glass by Tiffany.
Crown Hill Cemetery
Established in 1863 just north of downtown Indianapolis, this historic cemetery is the third largest in the country and one of the largest natural areas in Marion County. Notable burials and memorials include President Benjamin Harrison, three vice presidents, Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley and infamous bank robber, John Dillinger.
Hilbert Circle Theatre
Built in 1916, the Hilbert Circle Theatre was prominently known as the Midwest’s best performance house for traveling entertainers, silent movies, world premiere features, classical concerts and talking motion pictures. After a restoration and preservation of the theatre’s ornate Greco-Roman architecture in 1982, it became the home of the internationally-acclaimed Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. The theatre seats 1,786 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Indiana Statehouse
Completed in 1888 and built of Indiana limestone, this Renaissance Revival-style structure has been the center of Indiana government for more than 100 years. Focal points are the stained-glass rotunda, Supreme Court, House and Senate chambers and the governor’s office.
Indiana Theater Building and Indiana Roof Ballroom
Built in 1927, this luxurious one-time movie palace features a terra cotta auditorium and facade based on 17th century Spanish architecture. The historic downtown gem was saved from the wrecking ball when the 3,000-seat theater was separated into three stages in 1984 to become the permanent home of the Indiana Repertory Theatre (IRT), the state’s premier resident professional not-for-profit theatre. Visitors can see the grand lobby; the mainstage, where the IRT performs its season; the upperstage; and the Cabaret Theatre, displaying a collection of costumes and theater props.
Housed in the same building, the Indiana Roof Ballroom is a beautifully restored ballroom designed to resemble the plaza of a Spanish village, featuring a 40-foot domed ceiling of stars and clouds.
Indianapolis City Market
Established in 1886, the City Market is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In an Old World atmosphere, vendors offer fresh produce, meats and fish, imported coffees and baked goods. Specialty stands include gifts, flowers, candy, alterations and shoe and leather repair. Cart vendors ranging from a portrait artist to various craft and jewelry designers add an ever-changing flavor to the market.
Lunchtime patrons can choose from a variety of menus, enjoy outdoor dining on one of the two plazas, listen to performances by local musicians and experience the Original Farmers' Market every Wednesday, June through October.
James Whitcomb Riley Home and Lockerbie Square
This 1872 home, a National Historic Landmark, is considered by historical experts to be one of the most perfectly preserved Victorian houses in the United States. It was here that Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley spent the last 23 years of his life. Lockerbie Square, where the Riley home is located, is a restored 19th century downtown residential area. The oldest Indianapolis neighborhood to be included in the National Register of Historic Places, Lockerbie is characterized by old-fashioned street lights, a cobblestone street and many restored homes, condominiums and apartment buildings.
Madame Walker Theatre Center
Listed as a National Historic Landmark, the four-story Madame Walker Theatre Center building stands as a memorial to Madam C. J. Walker, America's first female self-made millionaire. She made her fortune by manufacturing hair care products for African Americans. An exhibit in the Madam C.J. Walker Memorial Room highlights the life and work of Madam Walker with memorabilia and Walker Co. products. Erected and embellished with African and Egyptian motifs, the theater where Louis Armstrong and Lena Horne once played is now used for plays, concerts and other entertainment.
Morris-Butler House
Morris-Butler House is a beautifully restored 1865 Second Empire-style home filled with rare furnishings and elegant decorations reflecting the lifestyle of an upper-class Indianapolis family. Themed events and guided tours of the museum emphasize Victorian-era architecture, home decoration and 19th century history. Morris-Butler House, located in downtown’s historic Old Northside neighborhood, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Pan American Plaza
Located between Union Station and the Indiana Convention Center, Pan American Plaza was built to commemorate the Pan American Games held in Indianapolis in 1987. The structure includes a 12‑story office building, two Olympic-size indoor ice skating rinks and a brick plaza adorned with fountains and landscaping. The plaza is often used for outdoor festivals and performances.
President Benjamin Harrison Home and Old Northside Neighborhood
Built in 1875, this National Historic Landmark was the home of America’s 23rd president. The 16‑room Italianate mansion, from which Harrison campaigned in 1888, has been carefully restored to its late 1800s appearance with original Victorian furnishings and political mementos. Special programs and workshops are available throughout the year.
The Harrison Home is located in the Old Northside neighborhood, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The 190-acre neighborhood features Victorian architecture in restored Queen Anne, Free Classic and Italianate residences.
Scottish Rite Cathedral
The International Association of Architects designated this downtown Gothic-Tudor structure, containing a 54-bell carillon and a 7,000-pipe organ, as “one of seven architectural wonders of the world” shortly after completion in 1929. Today, the cathedral is a site for special events and performing arts.
Memorials
Law Enforcement and Fire Fighters Memorial
Located on the west side of the Indiana Statehouse, this $1 million memorial honors Hoosier police and firefighters who’ve lost their lives in the line of duty. The crescent-shaped park features statues inscribed with the names of more than 600 fallen heroes.
Medal of Honor Memorial
The only memorial designed to honor recipients of the nation’s highest military honor is in downtown Indianapolis. The memorial honors Medal of Honor recipients, awarded by Congress for military valor. The one-acre memorial is located on the north side of downtown’s Central Canal in White River State Park and represents 15 different conflicts, ranging from the Civil War to Somalia, and is comprised of 27 curved walls of glass, each between seven and 10 feet high. Each day at dusk, a sound system plays recorded stories of medal winners or of the conflicts in which they fought.
Military Park
Bounded by West, New York and Blackford streets and the Central Canal, this 14-acre park is the oldest in the city. Over the years, Military Park has had many uses. The city’s first recorded July 4th celebration was held there in 1822; in 1836, militia gathered there to prepare for the Black Hawk War; the first Indiana State Fair was held at this location in October 1852; and at the outbreak of the Civil War, the park quickly became a military camp used for the recruitment and training of troops. In recent years, Military Park has been used for gatherings of political groups and for festivals, such as the Indy Jazz Fest, RibAmerica’s Rib Fest and the Indy Irish Festival.
Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Monument and Col. Eli Lilly Civil War Museum
Located at the center of Indianapolis on Monument Circle, this 284-foot limestone monument (22 _ feet shorter than the Statue of Liberty) was dedicated in 1902 and stands as a tribute to the valor of Indiana’s soldiers and sailors who served in the Civil and Spanish American Wars. An observation tower, accessible by elevator or 32 flights of stairs, provides a panoramic view of the downtown skyline.
A museum honoring the sacrifices made by Indiana citizens who lived, fought and died during the Civil War is also located there. The Col. Eli Lilly Civil War Museum is in the lower level of the Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Monument. Artifacts, letters and personal diaries written by Hoosiers during the war are the foundation for the exhibits.
USS Indianapolis
Situated on the east bank of the Central Canal, the USS Indianapolis memorial was built to recognize those who died on the last U.S. ship to sink in World War II. One of only 26 national memorials in the United States, the gray and black granite monument stands in the shape of the USS Indianapolis with the story of the sinking etched on one side and the names of all of those who served on the other. About 1,200 sailors were on board; only 317 survived.
War Memorial Plaza and American Legion Mall
Dominating the picturesque, five-block setting of War Memorial Plaza in downtown Indianapolis is the Indiana War Memorial. The mausoleum-style limestone and marble memorial pays homage to Hoosiers killed during World Wars I and II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The Shrine Room, with 24 stained-glass windows, is a magnificent architectural setting for a 17-by-30 foot American flag suspended from the center of the room. A military museum in the basement allows visitors to follow the history of Indiana soldiers from the Battle of Tippecanoe through the most recent conflicts.
North of the memorial is the American Legion Mall, a park-like setting that includes the American Legion State and National Headquarters, as well as the Vietnam, Korean and World War II memorials. The mall is a popular site for festivals and events. Also located on the grounds areVeterans’ Memorial Plaza, where the flags of all 50 states fly, and University Park, which features the DePew fountain and statues of Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Harrison and Schuyler Colfax.