walking tour indianapolis

Self-Guided Audio Tours of Indianapolis Architecture and Landmarks

Walk, listen and get to know indianapolis.

Put on your walking shoes and listen as leading Indianapolis architects tell you the stories and history behind our most prominent buildings and spaces. Walk Indianapolis audio tours were designed for use on smart phones or other mobile audio devices. This website is mobile formatted. You may also subscribe via iTunes, download the VisitIndy app for iPhone and Droid, or download mp3 files and manually load to your device.

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Monuments & memorials, downtown venues, indianapolis architecture overview.

Walk the historic neighborhoods of Indianapolis

The neighborhoods of Indianapolis provide a unique glimpse into the first 200 years of our Capital city's history. Indiana Landmarks recognized this years ago and developed guided walking tours in partnership with local historians and neighborhood residents. I'm happy to see that HUNI has taken this carefully crafted work to engage a much broader audience through this website and the accompanying Pocket Sights tours.

Our thanks to Project Organizer Lorraine Vavul, Digitization Editor Kara Chinn, Webmaster Jay van Santen, HUNI Tours Coordinator Garry Chilluffo, HUNI President Glenn Blackwood, HUNI volunteers, and fundraising groups -- Indiana Humanities, National Endowment for the Humanities, Central Indiana Community Foundation, and Indiana Landmarks, and the PocketSights platform -- which made this possible. We are honored that this initiative has been endorsed by the Indianapolis Bicentennial Commission as an official Bicentennial Community Project. ~Marsh Davis, President, Indiana Landmarks

Download PocketSights Tour Guide

Our tours have been developed using the PocketSights Tour Guide app, which will guide you from one point of interest to the next. The tour stops may be browsed via the web, but the PocketSights app will offer the best experience.

Indianapolis Tours

Fort benjamin harrison biking.

In Lawrence Township, when the Base Realignment and Closure Commission closed the Fort in 1991, about 1,700 acres were conveyed to the State of Indiana for the Fort Harrison State Park and Golf Course. A significant portion of that land was given to the City of Lawrence for parks and recreational uses. Once the maneuvers area and firing range for the fort; now, this 1,700-acre park features walking and jogging trails, road and mountain biking trails, picnic sites, and fishing access to Fall Creek.

There are period themed combat displays, a warfare library, and other items related to Indiana’s involvement in our nation’s military history. This is the Museum of 20th Century Warfare, operated by volunteers and open to the public and free with admission to the park.

The biking tour has its base in the sites of the walking tour, but encompasses a much broader geography of the former base.

Take the Fort Benjamin Harrison Biking tour

Fort Benjamin Harrison Walking

To the northeast of the city, in Lawrence township, the area of Fort Ben has seen many changes. Before the first settlers arrived to farm, Delaware and Miami Indians lived along Fall Creek. In the wake of the Spanish American War, in 1904, Fort Harrison was included Fort Harrison among facilities designed to maintain an expanded national army, named in honor of the Indianapolis native and President who had passed in 1901. Centrally located nationally, it served as a training ground for troops and support specialists during World War I.

The U.S. Army Finance Center became the most recognizable landmark at Fort Benjamin Harrison. Completed in October, 1953, the huge complex – second in size of military buildings only to the Pentagon – centralized all of the Army's related pay and disbursing activities. The walking tour takes in housing and major facilities. Colonial revival architecture – nearly the exclusive style of the official residences -- presents an appropriate clean and organized environment.

Take the Fort Benjamin Harrison Walking tour

Garfield Park

This park and neighborhood is located due south southeast of downtown south of Raymond, nestled between Meridian Avenue and 1-65 on the West and East respectively. The city purchased a failed horseracing track as its first municipal park, Southern Park, soon renamed to honor President James Garfield.

Nationally-known landscape architect George Kessler was hired to design the park. He was deeply concerned with the environment and the health and happiness of people in urban settings. The system of drives and walks he designed revealed “the real beauty spots of the city” giving access to striking views and open space.

Between 1915 and 1918 the city annexed much of the former Yoke farmstead while surrounding land remained small truck farming until the 1950s. Housing ranges to 20th-century bungalows & duplexes, The continuing presence of storefront businesses lends a small-town atmosphere.

Take the Garfield Park tour

Herron-Morton Place

North of the original Mile City boundaries at 16th Street, the area remained undeveloped woods until 1859 when purchased for the State Fairgrounds. In the Civil War Governor Oliver Morton used the site for training, then as a prison camp. When the Fairgrounds moved in 1890. entrepreneurs bought the land, renamed it Morton Place, and sold upscale residential lots.

Between 1900 and 1930, Henon-Morton Place was home to some of the city’s leading citizens: Governor Samuel Ralston lived here, as well as retailers Frederic Ayres and William H. Block, and Dr. William N. Wishard. The Herron School of Art – a bequest of real estate developer John Herron – a fine Italian Renaissance Revival building, designed by Vonnegut & Bohn was built in the area in 1907.

Some examples of earlier Italianate homes built in the 1870s mix with the more predominant grand Queen Anne homes and slightly later, simpler, Princess Annes, along with a variety of American Tudor, Gothic Revival and American Foursquare.

Take the Herron-Morton Place tour

Historic Meridian Park

In Indianapolis’ Near North Gateway, across Meridian Street from The Children’s Museum, the neighborhood was farmland until platted in the late 19th century. Neighborhood development awaited a better accessover Fall Creek in the early 20th century. The Arts and Crafts movement encompassed broad concerns from architecture to the homeowner’s daily lifestyle. Therefore, unlike the large Victorian homes of the Old Northside, Arts and Crafts style homes are more functional than formal.

Meridian Park is known for more than just its substantial, architect-designed Arts & Crafts houses. Fashionable examples of Tudor Revival, American Four-Square, Colonial Revival and other exotic influences are well represented here, giving Meridian Park a rich variety rarely seen in other neighborhoods. Meridian Park provided homes for the city’s prominent citizens Architect Arthur Boehn, partner of Vonnegut, built his home and lived here, and the Anton Vonnegut family. The neighborhood has been recognized on the National Register of Historic Places since 1990.

Take the Historic Meridian Park tour

Holy Cross Neighborhood

Immediately east of downtown, this area was one of the first in the city to be settled. Even before statehood, George Pogue built a cabin on a creek – now bearing his name – about 1819 – at Michigan Street. Governor Noah Noble built a home on Market Street after 1832 on a land grant, farming much of the rest bequeathed to the Davidsons who named this Highland Home.

By the 1880s, many of the city’s Irish immigrants had settled long the area's westem edges near Irish Hill. To meet the religious needs of this community, the Diocese built Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church in 1886. The initial congregation of 300 tripled in a year. The housing stock consists largely of two-story, early 20th century frame structures which gave home to a largely working class population.

After the WWII exodus out of the area, the community has seen a renaissance through the work of community organizations such as NESCO, the NFL, commercial groups such as Angie’s List. Today, a broad range of young couples live alongside long term residents.

Take the Holy Cross Neighborhood tour

Irvington Biking

The bike tour takes in a broader range of scenes in the large Irvington neighborhood. Around the turn of the century, the foundation laid 25 years earlier began to flower. A commercial center emerged in the late 19th century around the Perm Central Railroad depot on South Audubon Road.

In 1900, the Indianapolis & Greenfield Rapid Transit Company laid tracks down the center of Washington Street giving Irvington efficient light rail service. Businesses began moving to Washington Street near Emerson Avenue, as well as a public library, theater, Masonic lodge, and fire station. Irvington was annexed by Indianapolis in 1902. Developers filled empty lots with new houses during the first decades of the twentieth century and essentially completed the built environment. So, from the Victorian-era core, later building represents styles more typical of the Arts and Crafts and related styles.

The neighborhood continues to have an active community life and carries on its heritage as a center of arts and education.

Take the Irvington Biking tour

Irvington Walking

Irvington was founded as the first planned suburb of Indianapolis, 5 miles due East of the Downtown Circle. Developers in 1870 purchased/contributed a total of nearly 400 acres of farmed land alongside the National Road for a community of "refinement and culture" named for author Washington Irving. They platted the town with 109 randomly sized lots situated along meandering curved streets, in the spirit of the Cincinnati suburb Glendale with its romantic Victorian plan. In the year of its incorporation, 1873, a grant from the town brought North Western Christian University, renamed Butler University in honor of its founder. Admitting students regardless of race or gender reflected the Quaker abolisionist background of the founders of school and community. Faculty members, the Irvington Group all contributed to the cultural life of the city.

Irvington Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Architecture in the district displays distinctive examples of late 19th and early 20th century styles.

Take the Irvington Walking tour

Lockerbie Square

Lockerbie Square is a quiet residential area that abuts the eastern edge of the “Mile Square,” Indianapolis’ downtown business core. With beginnings in the 1860’s, it is rich in history and charm, with tree-lined streets, a mixture of charming homes from small cottages to Victorian mansions.

After laying out the city’s center, in 1821, excess land was sold to developers for residential neighborhoods. Lockerbie Square became the first of such neighborhoods. After the Civil War, craftsman desiring proximity to work purchased smaller lots and built cottages, near wealthier families’ grander residences, one the home of James Whitcomb Riley. Religious organizations, such as the original St. Vincent Hospital, established themselves.

The late 1800s and early 1900s saw a peak of neighborhood vitality, prior to industrialization and migration from the urban center. Revitalization of the neighborhood led to the formation of local historic preservation groupls in the 1960s. Lockerbie was a placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Take the Lockerbie Square tour

Old Northside

Today’s “Old Northside” began as two communities North of the downtown: the original campus of North Western Christian University for which Ovid Butler provided farmland near 13th and College beginning in 1855. A small town known as College Corner served the university until its move to Irvington in 1875. The second neighborhood was an outgrowth of the affluent residential development north of the city's center.

The wealthy built their mansions in the wooded and rural setting. After the Civil War, the Northside saw substantial development. From that time to the early 20th century, the area was the most fashionable place to live.

Historic designation in 1978 began a period of revitalization, in which most of the historic buildings have been renovated and historically sympathetic in-fill housing has been built, making The Old Northside one of the premier historic districts in the midwest.

Take the Old Northside tour

Old Speedway City

The Town of Speedway, 7 miles Northwest of Monument Circle west on 10th Street, was inspired by a bumpy, maintenance-filled, autombile trip, in autumn 1908, that Carl Fisher and realtor friend Lem Trotter took from Indianapolis to Dayton. Fisher insisted that his proposed track would help improve the then-low-quality tires and automobiles. in 1909, that vision was realized with the building of the Speedway. In 1912, Trotter purchased 350 nearby acres, and platted the town of Speedway. His clients, including James Allison, envisioned an attractive "horseless city" of automotive industries and workers' homes adjacent to the racetrack. Trotter designed an expansive Main Street with a commercial district on the west side and industrial facilities on the east side. Managers resided in larger houses on 15th & 14th Streets, and workers in smaller houses on 11th - 13th Streets, closer to the factory on 10th St.

From 1950 to 1970, the population nearly tripled, housed in apartments and single-family limestone and brick ranches. The Speedway Redevelopment Commission, 2005, continues the development.

Take the Old Speedway City tour

Ransom Place

Following Indiana Avenue northwest about a mile away from Monument Circle, Ransom Place is nestled between the Madame Walker Theatre and Crispus Attucks – and the city’s historically black high school. The community is one of the oldest surviving districts associated with African Americans in the State of Indiana.

The neighborhood is recognized locally and nationally for its vernacular Queen Anne, Four Square and Shotgun homes built on small narrow lots between 1875 and the early 1900s. The neighborhood’s namesake, Freeman Bailey Ransom served as General Manager of Madame C.J. Walker’s cosmetics business—a model for black-owned businesses nationally. By 1925 the neighborhood was a prestigious community of prominent and well-established black residents, including physicians, a city councilman, and several attorneys. Historic Ransom Place was the first black neighborhood in the State of Indiana placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

Take the Ransom Place tour

Riverside is a west-side community straddling the White River between 18th and 38th Streets. Early in the 1900’s, real estate developers and local landowners saw the opportunity to create a community that would be accessible by the newly expanded downtown transportation system. The “streetcar suburb” would feature landscaped traffic circles, generous front yard set-backs, wide boulevards, and glacier boulder retaining walls. A George Kessler designed park, Indianapolis’ first zoo, and the now-demolished Riverside amusement park, followed the success of the planned community.

Today, Riverside enjoys a wide array of amenities and boasts a diverse and active neighborhood community, including an amphitheater, family center, golf courses, gardens, etc. Additionally, there is connecting linkage to nature trails: White River, canal towpath, and Fall Creek. Future projects include The Riverside Heritage Promenade and The Nature and Adventure Park for Indianapolis.

Take the Riverside tour

The St. Joseph Area is a significant multi-use district, immediately north of the original Mile Square perimeter whose architectural resources reflect the city's development during the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. Its composite of structures (residential, commercial, and industrial) constitute a significant and distinguishable entity that yields a clear impression of the city's development during a time of great change and substantial growth. St. Joseph residential architecture spans virtually the entire history of Indianapolis since the 1860's with good examples of Italianate, Queen Anne, Romanesque Revival, Tudor Revival, Nineteenth Century Commercial, Renaissance Revival, and Carpenter-builder.

Current interest in downtown living has encouraged renewed infill, with a contemporary twist on traditional design themes and a hospitable environment for modern row house design. St. Joseph received local historic designation in 1991.

Take the St. Joseph tour

Watson Park

On the near northside, across 38th street from the State Fairgrounds, this tour offers a glimpse of settler-era Indianapolis with the 4 acre Watson Park Bird Preserve anchoring the northeast end of the neighborhood. This hilly area maintains native Indiana flora and fauna.

Among the first settlers – Oliver Johnson’s (b. 1822) grandfather having farmed here. With growth of the city, the land was platted for suburban style development in 1872. But, only more robust bridges, better roads in the late 1900s through early 1900s, and the Fairgrounds relocation in 1892, stimulated the neighborhood’s building – largely between 1915 and 1930.

The topography, with diverse features from flat to hilly, offers a variety of landscaping and homes of the period – Colonial, Tudor Revival, and Art Moderne among others. Watson Park received historic designation in 2012.

Take the Watson Park tour

Woodruff Place

This original suburb of Indianapolis, located just a mile East of the downtown, south of 10th Street, features a gracious, park-like setting with examples of grand homes, esplanades with fountains and statuary. An eclectic mix of architectural styles — in the transitional time between the peak of its growth from 1898 to 1910 — constitute the housing stock—Victorian, Queen Anne, Eastlake, Edwardian, and Arts and Crafts, among others. The town was incorporated in 1876 and remained independent until annexed by the City of Indianapolis in 1963.

After migration away from the urban center of the city following World War II, a new generation reclaimed the community and its grand homes in the 1960s. It was added to the National Register in 1972, and received local designation in 2001.

Take the Woodruff Place tour

Thanks to our Sponsors

Indiana humanities.

Indiana Humanities is a statewide nonprofit dedicated to promoting the public humanities. We’re a grant-maker, a neutral convener, a facilitator, a program partner, and much more.

In short, Indiana Humanities encourages Hoosiers to think, read and talk. How? By creating its own programs, such as Quantum Leap, Next Indiana Campfires, INconversation, Novel Conversations, Chew on This and more; by providing grants for humanities programs throughout the state; and by providing a space—physically and digitally—for people to connect and converse.

Indiana Landmarks

Indiana Landmarks saves the places that matter to Hoosiers—houses, barns, bridges, churches, schools, downtown districts, vintage neighborhoods. By restoring and repurposing historic buildings, we reconnect people to heritage and revitalize communities.

We save buildings because they stir us. They’re inspiring examples of Hoosier art and spirit, ingenuity and craft. They heighten our sense of place and connect us through the generations. They help us remember what’s important in our lives.

Indy Walking Tours

Tour Details

Indy Walking Tour Guides

Meet Your Walking Tour Guide

Let Indy Walking Tour guides take you on an interesting journey through the city streets of Indianapolis!

My name is Rob and I'll be your indianapolis walking tour guide in Indianapolis!

I love this job! Since I'm a born speaker, history lover( and a typical type A personality according to my wife!), I decided to combine my two passions to do something I truly enjoy.

My goal is to generate the same passion and interest for Indianapolis in you, as I lead you on a fun and exciting tour of my amazing home city.

A little more about me.....I've lived and worked in China, Saudi Arabia and Thailand and have traveled to over 30 countries with my wife of 25 years. One of our favorite things to do while traveling abroad is to take a tour of the city we are visiting. One day we realized that although Indianapolis has such a rich history and so much to discover, it didn't have a comprehensive (yet somewhat short) walking tour. So....whah lah! Indy Walking Tours was born!

In a previous life, my wife and I owned a small windshield repair business here in Indianapolis. And In our free time, my wife and I rehab and flip houses and love anything related to real estate. We have a very spoiled little Pekingese who likes to accompany us on outings to our favorite breweries. Although we love to travel abroad as much as we can, we love calling Indianapolis our home.

What does the Indy Walking Tour cover?

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Cocktail cruise on the Central Canal

Visitors enjoy a guided cocktail cruise on the Central Canal.

Take A Tour In Indianapolis

Guided experiences to make the most of the circle city.

Experience Indy’s history, culture, architecture, and more on these outings in and around the city. From historical walking tours that breathe life into the past to thrilling segway adventures weaving through iconic landmarks, this guide is your passport to an immersive and educational journey, ensuring you make the most of every step in Indiana's capital.

Go! Running Tours

Get your exercise and education at the same time. Take it at your own pace, trust your local guide to show you the best places, and explore the iconic Crown Hill Cemetery, the cultural districts, Broad Ripple, and much more of the Circle City's best. Walking tours also available.

Through2Eyes Indiana Walk & Talks

Indy local Sampson Levingston takes both visitors and residents throughout all of Indianapolis history. Through2Eyes delves deep into the ins-and-outs of Indy's stories, as we celebrate our past and look forward to the future. Explore local neighborhoods like Indiana Avenue and Historic Irvington, as Sampson guides you through Indy's Black history landmarks and sights.

City Market Catacombs Tour

An experience like no other in Indy, the City Market Catacombs tour explores the long-hidden ruins beneath the popular marketplace, remnants of a grand hall designed in 1886 and lost to a fire in 1958. Go down under the first and third Saturdays from May through October.

Taste Indy Food Tours

Whether you are exploring the vibrant scenes of Mass Ave and Fountain Square or relishing in the rich history of the City Market and the Wholesale District, Taste Indy Food Tours takes your mind and tastebuds on a hearty multi-stop journey. With your pick of a food tour, dine around or pub crawl, culture and cuisine combine to bring you a gratifying taste of Indy.

Crown Hill Cemetery Tour

The final resting place for more than 200,000 Hoosiers, Crown Hill Cemetery is more than a cemetery - it’s a 555-acre journey through nature, history, architecture, and art. Catch a Heritage Tour to learn about some of the more famous residents, including Benjamin Harrison, Col. Eli Lilly, and poet James Whitcomb Riley.

Cocktail Yacht Tour

With your choice of either a gondola or eight-person yacht (pictured), sit back and let your imagination take you to the canals of Venice, where you will be serenaded by your gondolier as you are transported into the romance of old Italy. Experience the beauty, mystique, and charm of downtown Indianapolis, along with spectacular canal views with Old World Gondoliers .

Handlebar Dinner City Tour

Eat, drink, and pedal your way through Indy on this one-of-a-kind food tour. HandleBar offers the ultimate city experience with stops at local restaurants such as world-famous St. Elmos and sightseeing of Circle City’s most extraordinary spots, all while sipping on your drink of choice – BYOB. With room for 16 passengers, the iconic open-air vehicle is ready to take you on a memorable and delicious ride.

Unseen Press Ghost Tours

Explore the undead underbelly of Indiana's most haunted places with Indiana's most accomplished professional paranormal investigators! Each tour is given by staff members who are dedicated researchers, investigators, and esteemed experts in Indiana paranormal phenomena. Tours are 1.5 to 2 hours.

Lucas Oil Stadium

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the home of the 2021 Men's Final Four, Super Bowl 2012, and the NFL Colts. Tours last approximately 90 minutes and include visits to the playing field, a locker room, Lucas Oil Plaza, the press box, and a suite, as well as numerous other areas not accessible to the general public.

Monument Circle Tour

Not many cities have a beautiful center point like Indianapolis, which you can explore on a free Monument Circle tour Fridays and Saturdays , May through October. Learn about Indy’s signature roundabout, including its original planning, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, and the buildings that surround it.

You Might Also Like:

Vonnegut tour, madam c.j. walker legacy tour, arts & culture, ag & culinary tour.

Monument Circle Historic District Walking Tour

Experience the heart of the Circle City on a half-mile guided walking tour with Indiana Landmarks.

SELECT WEDNESDAYS, APRIL – SEPTEMBER

6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. EDT 125 Monument Circle, Indianapolis

Experience the heart of the Circle City on a half-mile guided walking tour of Indianapolis’s most recognizable historic district, and discover how these blocks have come to define the city. Tourgoers will see landmarks from various eras, including exteriors of the Soldiers & Sailors Monument, Christ Church Cathedral, Circle Theatre, and more. Along the way, Indiana Landmarks guides share stories and little-known history, revealing how the district’s art, architecture, and unique combination of public and private spaces give Indy its distinctive character as the state’s capital.

This outdoor walking tour departs from the lawn of Christ Church Cathedral (125 Monument Circle, Indianapolis). Groups will cover approximately a half-mile over the course of 60 minutes.

Tickets cost $10/general public, $8/Indiana Landmarks member, $5/child (ages 6-11), and are free to children age 5 and under. Purchase your ticket using the form below, by visiting monumentcirclewalkingtour2024.eventbrite.com , or by calling 317-639-4534 or 800-450-4534.

Want to do more?

View all upcoming tours and events with Indiana Landmarks.

Paid parking is available on surrounding streets and in nearby garages. See this parking guide from Visit Indy for more parking information: https://downtownindy.org/explore/parking .

Inclement Weather

Tours run rain or shine. If a tour must be cancelled due to inclement weather, Indiana Landmarks will contact ticketholders via email at least 2 hours prior to the tour start and refund or exchange tickets.

Monument Circle Historic District Walking Tour

Category: Event Calendar

Dates and Times for this Past Event

Saturday, Jul 22, 2023 12pm - 1pm
Saturday, Jul 8, 2023 12pm - 1pm
Saturday, Jun 24, 2023 12pm - 1pm
Saturday, Jun 10, 2023 12pm - 1pm

Christ Church Cathedral 125 Monument Circle

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Experience Indianapolis’s most recognizable district to uncover how and why these blocks have become a symbol of the city. Along the way, guides will share stories and symbolism hidden in plain sight to help guests better understand their place within the heart of downtown.

Tourgoers will examine landmarks from various eras, including exteriors of the Soldiers & Sailors Monument, Christ Church Cathedral, Circle Theatre, and more. Participants will leave understanding how the district’s unique combination of public and private spaces both reflects and shapes Indy’s role as a capital city.

This outdoor walking tour departs from the lawn of Christ Church Cathedral (125 Monument Circle, Indianapolis). Groups will cover approximately a half-mile over the course of 60 minutes.

Indy Walking Tours

Guided Walking Tour
Parking Fees
Taco Bell, 24 W Washington St, Indianapolis, IN 46204, USA Meet at the Taco Bell Cantina on 24 W Washington Street. Look for your tour guide in an orange jacket and hat. There is metered parking available all along the streets.
Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Most travelers can participate
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
Christ Church Cathedral
Indiana War Memorial
The Murat Theatre at the Old National Centre
Monument Circle
Indianapolis City Market

Similar experiences

You'll start at Taco Bell 24 W Washington St, Indianapolis, IN 46204, USA Meet at the Taco Bell Cantina on 24 W Washington Street. Look for your tour guide in an orange jacket and hat. There is metered parking available all along the streets. See address & details
Pass by Monument Circle
1 Indianapolis City Market Stop: 15 minutes About halfway through the tour, we will take a short break at Indy City Market where you can use the restroom and grab and drink or snack. Because Indianapolis is an open container city, you will be permitted to order a beer at Tomlinson Taproom and take it with you on the rest of our journey. Read more Pass by Indiana War Memorial The Murat Theatre at the Old National Centre Christ Church Cathedral
You'll return to the starting point

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Indy Walking Tours provided by Indy Walking Tours

Tours & Events

Public Tours

We welcome you to discover, explore, and experience historic Crown Hill Cemetery on our award-winning tours ! Led by knowledgeable guides, our tours allow you to enjoy Crown Hill and experience nature at its finest as you learn about the history and heritage of our country’s third-largest cemetery. With over 220,000+ stories to tell, we’re just getting started!

Tour group sizes are limited based on the tour and all tickets must be purchased online in advance. There will be no tour tickets sold at the gate. Please get your tickets early!

For larger groups, we also offer Private Group Tours .

Also, be sure to stay up to date with the Crown Hill Foundation tours and events, and learn more about Crown Hill by subscribing to our newsletter HERE

On this driving tour, we will complete a shortened version of Crown Hill’s Self-Guided Racing Legends Tour and visit the graves of the four founders of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, racecar drivers, auto manufacturers, and others who have made Indianapolis “the racing capital of the world.” You will also see the Final Finish Line! It will conclude with the view at sunset of the downtown skyline from James Whitcomb Riley’s tomb high atop beautiful Crown Hill!

Tour Tickets:

$10 per person (children under 5 free)
No gate sales, tickets must be purchased online
Ticket sales limited to 35 people

Where to meet: Inside 34th St. Gate in front of the Waiting Station at 3400 Boulevard Place. Arrive 10-15 min. early.

Driving tour! Participants will drive their own vehicles to each stop then get out to see the markers and monuments. Some walking is involved.

All children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Our most popular tour! The Heritage Tour presents the history of Crown Hill Cemetery while visiting the graves of some of the many interesting people buried here, both the famous and not so famous, recent and long gone. A variety of monuments will be seen, including some of our most recognized statues.

Our most popular tour! The Heritage Tour presents the history of Crown Hill Cemetery while visiting the graves of some of the many interesting people buried here, both the famous and not-so-famous, recent and long gone. A variety of monuments will be seen, including some of our most recognized statues.

Tour participants will also have an opportunity to enjoy the stunning 360-degree panoramic view of the downtown Indianapolis skyline from the tomb of the famous Hoosier Poet, James Whitcomb Riley, high atop beautiful Crown Hill. This tour captures highlights from many of our other tours and is interesting for all ages. Highly recommended! This is a walking tour that will cover about one mile at a comfortable pace for most.

This tour is offered eight times in 2024:

May 11: 4:00-6:00 pm August 24: 10:00 am-noon

June 1: 11:00 am-1:00 pm September 7: 10:00 am-noon

July 20: 10:00 am- noon September 19: 6:00-8:00 pm (Thursday night)

August 10: 10:00 am-noon October 19: 4:00-6:00 pm

Walking tour! This is a walking tour that will cover about a mile at a comfortable pace for most.

Where to meet: Inside 34th St. Gate in front of the Waiting Station at 3400 Boulevard Place. Arrive 10-15 min. early.

Crown Hill Cemetery Arboretum Bike Tour with Arboretum Director, Carrie Tauscher:

Pump up your bicycle tires, grab a helmet, and get ready for the ride of your life. With more than 10,000 inventoried trees and 136 unique species, this massive living museum of trees is the architectural backbone of this beautiful urban green space and historic landscape. Carrie will take you through the cemetery pointing out interesting specimens, and stopping at some of her favorite trees and vistas to talk more in-depth about trees and the designed landscape that is Crown Hill. This experience will last approximately 1 ½ hours and the distance is roughly 1-1.5 miles at a slow roll pace.

The tour is limited to ages 13 and up.

Please bring your bike, a helmet, and a reusable water bottle.

$10 per person ( tour is limited to ages 13 and up )
Ticket sales limited to 15 people

Led by a guide certified by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs, this event invites you to listen to nature, savor the sounds and smells of the outdoors, and be mindful of the ways nature can nourish the mind, body, and soul.

“Forest bathing” promotes interaction between humans and wooded spaces, which is deeply needed in a culture that too often sees nature as a commodity to be bought, sold, transformed, and used. Studies have shown the health benefits of being in nature – it can lower blood pressure, calm heart rates, and reduce levels of harmful hormones all while helping individuals form stronger connections to their communities. Led by a guide certified by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs, this event invites you to listen to nature, savor the sounds and smells of the outdoors, and be mindful of the ways nature can nourish the mind, body, and soul.

This experience is appropriate for children ages 10 and older.

This tour will be offered twice:

June 23: 10:00 am-noon

October 13: 1:00-3:00 pm

$30 per person
Ticket sales limited to 20 people

We’ll explore some of the interesting examples of both Victorian and contemporary symbolism on monuments and markers found throughout Crown Hill.

We’ll explore some of the interesting examples of both Victorian and contemporary symbolism on monuments and markers found throughout Crown Hill. If you’ve ever wondered about unique tree trunk monuments and common symbols such as flowers, ferns, weeping willows, stars, anchors, chains, draped flags, lambs, sun disks, serpents, angels, crosses, open books, and wreaths, then this tour is for you! We’ll also contrast these with more contemporary monuments and markers which often feature engravings of literal representations or quotes that reveal the life of the deceased.

Tour Tickets

All children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Crown Hill and the Civil War – did you know that Crown Hill Cemetery was founded in 1863 because of and during the Civil War? The original city cemetery, Greenlawn, became full due to the many Civil War soldiers being buried there. The Civil War was still being fought when Crown Hill opened its gates in June 1864, and the first burial was for Lucy Ann Seaton, the young wife of a Civil War Union Captain.

Did you know that Crown Hill Cemetery was founded in 1863 because of and during the Civil War? The original city cemetery, Greenlawn, became full due to the many Civil War soldiers being buried there. The Civil War was still being fought when Crown Hill opened its gates in June 1864, and the first burial was for Lucy Ann Seaton, the young wife of a Civil War Union Captain. On our Civil War tour, we’ll examine the lives of the many brave soldiers and generals who took part in the War Between the States, and of the politicians, journalists, and even household servants whose lives influenced and were influenced by our country’s great conflict. Included on this tour is Civil War Union Gen. Jefferson C. Davis, the highest-ranking military officer buried at Crown Hill. (He’s not to be confused with Confederate President Jefferson Davis), General Benjamin Harrison (who would become the 23rd President of US), and Edward Black (the youngest soldier drummer boy at 8 1/2 years old).

Where to meet: Inside 34th St. Gate in front of the Waiting Station at 3400 Boulevard Place. Arrive 10-15 min. early.

This very popular walking tour includes the sections just north of the Waiting Station, which is a part of the cemetery not regularly covered on other walking tours. Bank robber John Dillinger’s grave will, of course, be one of our destinations. We will also stop at the graves of many other interesting and important people, and others – although unknown – have memorialized themselves with some rather unique monuments.

Whether it is the Gothic Gates or the Art Deco Community Mausoleum, the architecture of the cemetery adds to the beauty of the site. Led by Jeannie Regan-Dinius, our Director of Historic Preservation, explore the Gothic Chapel, Waiting Station, and other gems of this National Register-listed site.

This 2-hour tour is a combination walking and driving tour.

On this interesting and very popular sunset walking tour, we’ll learn about some skeletons in the closet! Was it one of his three wives, or another long-time lover, that Skiles Test kept in a glass coffin in his “House of Blue Lights” along Fall Creek? Why does one headstone say simply, “Mother of Rosalind” and not her full name, which would have been “Helen Orr Hufnall Phaff English Wegmann English English Prince Prince”? He followed in the footsteps of both his father and grandfather to become bank president, building himself a 40,000 square foot mansion on the east side of town, but by the time Stoughton Fletcher died, he’d lost the house, survived his wife’s suicide, a runaway daughter’s mysterious death, and was working as a hotel elevator operator in Los Angeles when his son committed suicide as well. On this tour, we’ll discuss these lives and the lives of others who show us that money does not necessarily bring happiness. (Spoiler alert!)

Note: this is not a creepy tour about ghosts, but a historical tour about some of the people buried at Crown Hill.

September 28: 5:00-7:00 pm

October 17: 5:00-7:00 pm

Sunset walking tour! This is a walking tour that will cover about a mile at a comfortable pace for most. It will end around sunset at the top of Crown Hill, the highest hill in the county. This amazing vantage point provides a 360-degree panoramic view of the entire city skyline.

More skeletons! On this tour we’ll learn about the more sensational stories in the Indianapolis news from the 1860s to the 1970s. A few stops will make will be to learn about the infamous Nancy Clem and the Cold Spring Murders; bank robber John Dillinger; the rising executive slain by his mistress in the 1950s; grave robber Hampton West; the 1977 exploits of kidnapper Tony Kirtsis; Dr. Helene Knabe’s brutal unsolved murder in 1911; and the Marjorie Jackson case of 1977.

More skeletons! On this driving tour, we’ll learn about the more sensational stories in the Indianapolis news from the 1860s to the 1970s. A few stops we’ll make will be to learn about the infamous Nancy Clem and the Cold Spring Murders; bank robber John Dillinger; the rising executive slain by his mistress in the 1950s; grave robber Hampton West; the 1977 exploits of kidnapper Tony Kiritsis; Dr. Helene Knabe’s brutal unsolved murder in 1911; and the Marjorie Jackson case of 1977. Of course, there are many others!

Note: this is not a creepy tour about ghosts, but a historical tour about some of the people buried at Crown Hill.

October 12: 5:00-7:00 pm

October 26: 4:00-6:00 pm

Driving tour! Participants will drive their vehicles to each stop and then get out to see the markers and monuments. Some walking is involved.

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'I Fit In Right Here': A History Buff Leads Walking Tours Of Black Indianapolis

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Through2Eyes INDIANA(@through2eyesindiana)

"This is like my favorite mural in the city!" exclaimed Sampson Levingston, admiring the black-and-white portraits of great Indianapolis jazzmen adorning the side of a downtown music store.

A hardcore history buff, Levingston decided to bring people together — during the height of protests over Black Lives Matter last summer — by leading outdoor walking tours of traditionally African American neighborhoods. His company, Through 2 Eyes, takes schoolkids, church groups, tourists and curious locals around Irvington, Martindale-Brightwood and other areas rich in local Black history.

Sampson Levingston, of Through2Eyes, runs walking tours focusing on Indianapolis' Black neighborhoods and history. Neda Ulaby/NPR hide caption

Sampson Levingston, of Through2Eyes, runs walking tours focusing on Indianapolis' Black neighborhoods and history.

Levingston loves his hometown, but he's aware of nicknames like "Indiana No Place" and "Naptown."

"People thought it was that boring," Levingston allowed during a recent tour of the Indiana Avenue district. "People would actually come downtown and shoot pigeons off light poles."

But Indiana Avenue was once a thriving hub of Black commerce and entertainment. The area was gutted by an interstate in the 1960s and '70s. Hundreds of historic buildings were destroyed, according to local news. But you can still see the former world headquarters of Madam C.J. Walker , said to be the first female self-made millionaire, who made and sold Black hair care products. And Indiana Avenue was rich in nightclubs frequented by the likes of J.J. Johnson, Wes Montgomery and Freddie Hubbard . (Levingston's Spotify list is right here. And Indiana Avenue itself was immortalized by musician Larry Ridley in this song .)

"You look through history books and you don't see too many Black people, so you're like, 'Where do I fit in?'" Levingston mused. "Then you learn about the Avenue and you're like – I fit in right here ."

I’ll walk this city til my legs fall off!! This was Walk & Talk 83! Best job in the world because I made it up! pic.twitter.com/2fY43HZYWY — Through2Eyes Indiana (@Through2Eyes) April 23, 2021

Levingston, a 26-year-old former NCAA Division I athlete, has always been a nerd when it comes to digging up stories of Indianapolis buildings and byways. He hangs out in archives for fun. But Levingston did not major in history. He was a wide receiver at Indiana State, and captain of his football team. "I took all the history electives I could," he says. "I'd even miss practice sometimes to sneak in another history elective."

Majoring in marketing helped Levingston learn how to spread the world about his walking tours. (He has an active Facebook page .) His Indiana Avenue tour included stops at the historic site of the Senate Avenue Y , once the country's largest Black YMCA. It was home to vital progressive community organizing in the 1920s, when the Ku Klux Klan were a dominant force in local politics. Then there's the grand, red brick Bethel AME Church near downtown's canal. It's a former stop on the Underground Railroad. And then, the city's brightly painted Black Lives Matter Mural, where the names of police violence victims are inscribed within each letter.

"Michael Taylor's name actually appears on this mural four different times," Levingston says. That name is heavy with more recent history. Back in 1987, the 16-year-old Taylor was picked up on suspicion of car theft. He was shot in the head and killed while in the back of a police squad car. He was handcuffed at the time. Police claimed the teenager died by suicide.

In 1996, the city paid Taylor's mother millions of dollars in restitution . Part of this Indiana Avenue tour includes visiting Nancy Taylor. She does not talk about losing her son. Instead, from her flower-filled front yard, Taylor shares memories from her childhood.

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"All up and down the Avenue we would walk and there were shops and little places where you would go and get cheeseburgers — Woody Burgers — and ice cream," she recalls. "It was just a real old-fashioned neighborhood."

When Taylor's son was killed, Sampson Levingston was not even born. His walking tours rose from a year of police violence, protests and the pandemic. There's a reason why they've been so popular, he says. "We need each other, like bad. More than we ever could've realized. We just miss that. We miss people. We miss being who we are. And who we are matters."

Levingston led his tours all through the cold Midwestern winter. Now he's leading them nearly every spring day. He's careful about keeping people apart and safe, outside in the fresh air — but in every other way, his tours are the opposite of social distancing.