Downtown Indianapolis is a neighborhood area and the central business district of Indianapolis,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, United States. Downtown is bordered by Interstate 65,

Interstate 70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a park and ride lot just east of I-695 in Baltimore, Maryland, and is the fifth-longest Interstate in the co ...

, and the White River, and is situated near the geographic center of Marion County. Downtown has grown from the original 1821 town plat—often referred to as the ''Mile Square''—to encompass a broader geographic area of central Indianapolis, containing several smaller historic neighborhoods. Downtown Indianapolis is the cultural, political, and economic center of the

Indianapolis metropolitan area Indianapolis–Carmel–Anderson or Indianapolis metropolitan area is an 11-county metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Indiana, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget. The metropolitan area is situated in Central Indiana, within t ...

. Downtown Indianapolis anchors the city's burgeoning tourism and hospitality sector, home to nearly 8,000 hotel rooms and several of the city's major sporting and event facilities. Downtown contains numerous historic districts and properties, most of the city's memorials and monuments, performing arts venues, and museums. Since its founding in 1820, the seats of Indianapolis's local administration and Indiana's state government have been located Downtown. Downtown Indianapolis is also home to the highest density of commercial office space and employment in the state of Indiana.

Location and boundaries

When Indianapolis was founded in 1820, the new capital city was planned to occupy an area of adjacent to the White River and near the geographic center of Marion County. The plat included eastern and western "anchors": the

Indiana Statehouse The Indiana Statehouse is the state capitol building of the U.S. state of Indiana. It houses the Indiana General Assembly, the office of the Governor of Indiana, the Indiana Supreme Court, and other state officials. The Statehouse is located in ...

(west) and the

Indianapolis City Market The Indianapolis City Market is a historic public market located in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was founded in 1821 and officially opened in its current facility in 1886. The market building is a one-story, rectangular brick building trimmed in li ...

and Marion County Courthouse (east), respectively. As the population increased and the city matured, the original plat continued to densify, developing into the region's central business district. The city's historical core and present-day central business district is sometimes referred to as the "Mile Square". However, the Downtown "neighborhood area" defines a broader geography, incorporating an area bounded by 16th Street and Interstate 65 (north), Interstate 65/70 (east),

(south), and the White River (west). Downtown is generally bisected into four quadrants, divided by Meridian Street (north to south) and Washington Street (east to west).(about 7 square miles) Downtown Indianapolis is sited on flat terrain near the confluence of the White River and Fall Creek.

Pogue's Run Pogue's Run is an urban creek that starts near the intersection of Elizabeth Street and Lennington Drive on the east side of Indianapolis, Indiana, and empties into the White River south of the Kentucky Avenue bridge over that river. At the strea ...

, a smaller tributary of the White River, flows beneath Downtown. The waterway was channeled into a sanitary tunnel in 1914.

Neighborhoods and districts

Downtown Indianapolis contains 36 apartment buildings that are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in the

Apartments and Flats of Downtown Indianapolis Thematic Resources The Apartments and Flats of Downtown Indianapolis Thematic Resources is a multiple property submission of apartments on the National Register of Historic Places in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The area is roughly bounded by Interstate 65 and ...

. Entries in italics denote designated cultural districts. * ''

Canal and White River State Park White River State Park is an urban park in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. Situated along the eastern and western banks of its namesake White River, the park covers . The park is home to numerous attractions, including the Eiteljorg Museum of A ...

'' * Chatham–Arch * Cole-Noble District * Flanner House Homes * Fletcher Place * Holy Rosary–Danish Church Historic District * ''

Indiana Avenue Indiana Avenue is a historic area in downtown and is one of seven designated Indianapolis Cultural Districts, cultural districts in Indianapolis, Indiana. Indiana Avenue was, during its glory days, an African American cultural center of the area. ...

'' * Indiana World War Memorial Historic District *

Lockefield Gardens Lockefield Gardens was the first public housing built in Indianapolis. Constructed during the years 1935 to 1938, it was built exclusively for low income African-Americans in Indianapolis. The complex was closed in 1976, and a number of structures ...

Lockerbie Square Historic District Lockerbie Square Historic District is a national historic district on the National Register of Historic Places within Indianapolis, Indiana, listed on February 23, 1973, with a boundary increase on July 28, 1987. It is noted for its ...

* '' Market East'' * '' Mass Ave'' * Old Southside Historic District * Ransom Place Historic District * St. Joseph Neighborhood Historic District *

Washington Street–Monument Circle Historic District Washington Street–Monument Circle Historic District is a national historic district located at Indianapolis, Indiana. The district encompasses 40 contributing buildings and 2 contributing structures in the central business district of Indian ...

* '' Wholesale District''

History

19th century

Downtown Indianapolis dates to the city's founding as the state of Indiana's new capital in 1820 near the east bank of the White River. The state legislature appointed

Alexander Ralston Alexander Ralston (1771 – January 5, 1827) was a Scottish surveyor who was one of two co-architects for the design of the city of Indianapolis, Indiana. He also helped to design Washington, D.C. Life Alexander Ralston was born in Scotlan ...

and

Elias Pym Fordham Elias Pym Fordham (1788-1850) was the original surveyor of Indianapolis. He was an English immigrant to the United States and author of an American travel memoir. Elias Pym Fordham was born in Royston, Hertfordshire, one of two sons and seven child ...

to survey and design a town plan for Indianapolis, which was platted in 1821. Ralston's original plan for Indianapolis called for a town of bounded by North, East, South, and West streets (although they were not named at that time), with Governor's Circle, a large circular commons, at the center of town. Ralston's grid pattern with wide roads and public squares extended outward from the four blocks adjacent to the Circle, and also included four diagonal streets, later renamed as avenues. Public squares were reserved for government and community use, but not all of these squares were used for this intended purpose. Ralston altered the grid pattern in the southeast quadrant to accommodate the flow of Pogue's Run, but a plat created in 1831 changed his original design and established a standard grid there as well. Ralston's basic street plan is still evident in present-day Downtown Indianapolis. Streets in the original plat were named after states that were part of the United States when Indianapolis was initially planned, with the addition of

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

, which was a U.S. territory at that time. Tennessee and Mississippi Streets were renamed Capitol and Senate Avenues in 1895 after several state government buildings were built west of the Circle near the

. There are a few other exceptions to the early street names. The

National Road The National Road (also known as the Cumberland Road) was the first major improved highway in the United States built by the federal government. Built between 1811 and 1837, the road connected the Potomac and Ohio Rivers and was a main tran ...

, which eventually bisected Indiana, passes through Indianapolis along Washington Street, a east-west street (more recently converted into a one-way westbound street west of New Jersey Street) located one block south of the Circle. The city's address numbering system begins at the intersection of Washington and

Meridian Meridian or a meridian line (from Latin ''meridies'' via Old French ''meridiane'', meaning “midday”) may refer to Science * Meridian (astronomy), imaginary circle in a plane perpendicular to the planes of the celestial equator and horizon * ...

streets. Meridian and Market Streets intersect the Circle. Few street improvements were made in the 1820s and 1830s; sidewalks did not appear until 1839 or 1840. In the last half of the nineteenth century, when the city's population soared from 8,091 in 1850 to 169,164 in 1900, urban development expanded in all directions as Indianapolis experienced a building boom and transitioned from an agricultural community to an industrial center. Some of the city's most iconic structures were built during this period, including several that have survived to the present day in Downtown: the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (1888, dedicated 1902), the

(1888),

Union Station A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...

(1888), and the Das Deutsche Haus (1898), among others.

20th century

Following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, expansion of the

American middle class Though the American middle class does not have a definitive definition, contemporary social scientists have put forward several ostensibly congruent theories on it. Depending on the class model used, the middle class constitutes anywhere from 25% ...

suburbanization Suburbanization is a population shift from central urban areas into suburbs, resulting in the formation of (sub)urban sprawl. As a consequence of the movement of households and businesses out of the city centers, low-density, peripheral urba ...

, and declining manufacturing employment greatly impacted Downtown Indianapolis, similar to most U.S. central business districts at this time.

Urban renewal Urban renewal (also called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address urban decay in cities. Urban renewal involves the clearing out of blighte ...

projects of this era hastened the central business district's decline, particularly the clearance of working-class neighborhoods. The neighborhoods surrounding

, the center of the city's African American community, were particularly impacted. The establishment of the

Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th st ...

(IUPUI) campus in 1969 and the construction of Interstate 65 and

in the 1960s and 1970s resulted in large-scale displacement of African Americans. The loss of population and activity Downtown prompted civic leaders to plan for economic development and revitalization of the area. Among the first projects was the opening of

Market Square Arena Market Square Arena was an indoor arena in Indianapolis. Completed in 1974, at a cost of $23 million, it seated 16,530 for basketball and 15,993 for ice hockey. Seating capacity for concerts and other events was adjusted by the use of large cu ...

, which served as home to the Indiana Pacers and host to numerous concerts and other sporting events. The success of Market Square Arena helped persuade decision-makers to make Downtown the center of an aggressive

sports tourism Sports tourism refers to travel which involves either observing or participating in a sporting event while staying apart from the tourists' usual environment. Sport tourism is a fast-growing sector of the global travel industry and equates to $ ...

strategy. Throughout the 1980s, $122 million in public and private funding built several athletic facilities Downtown, including the

Indianapolis Tennis Center The Indianapolis Tennis Center, originally known as the Indianapolis Sports Center, was a tennis stadium complex with additional outdoor and indoor tennis courts on the campus of Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) in In ...

, Indiana University Natatorium, Carroll Track and Soccer Stadium, and the

Hoosier Dome The RCA Dome (originally Hoosier Dome) was a domed stadium in Indianapolis. It was the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons (1984–2007). It was completed at a cost of $77.5 million, as part of the Indiana Convention Cen ...

. The latter project helped secure the 1984 relocation of the Baltimore Colts, the 1987 Pan American Games, and scores of subsequent athletic events of national and international interest. Modern skyscraper construction catapulted Downtown office and commercial space in the 1980s. A

building boom Business cycles are intervals of expansion followed by recession in economic activity. These changes have implications for the welfare of the broad population as well as for private institutions. Typically business cycles are measured by examin ...

, lasting from 1982 to 1990, saw the construction of six of the city's ten tallest buildings. These included

OneAmerica Tower The OneAmerica Tower, formerly AUL Tower, is a 38-story building at 200 North Illinois Street in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. It is used by various companies for offices. The building opened in 1982 and is faced with Indiana limestone. From ...

(1982), Fifth Third Bank Tower (1983),

Capital Center South Tower Capital Center South Tower is a high-rise office building located at 201 North Illinois Street in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was completed in 1987 and is 22 stories tall. See also *List of tallest buildings in Indianapolis *List of tallest buildi ...

(1987),

BMO Plaza BMO Plaza, formerly the M&I Plaza, is a high-rise office building located at 135 North Pennsylvania Street in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was completed in 1988 and is currently the sixth-tallest building in the city, at with 28 stories. It is pri ...

(1988),

Market Tower Market Tower is a high-rise office building located at the northeast corner of Illinois and Market streets in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. At the time of its completion in 1988, Market Tower was the largest privately financed speculativ ...

(1988), 300 North Meridian (1989), and the tallest,

Salesforce Tower Salesforce Tower, formerly known as Transbay Tower, is a 61-story skyscraper at 415 Mission Street, between First and Fremont Street, in the South of Market district of downtown San Francisco. Its main tenant is Salesforce, a cloud-based so ...

(1990). The non-profit Downtown Indy, Inc. was established in 1993 to help promote economic development, beautification, and program events. Reinvestment continued through the 1990s, with the continued buildout of

White River State Park White River State Park is an urban park in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. Situated along the eastern and western banks of its namesake White River, the park covers . The park is home to numerous attractions, including the Eiteljorg Museum of A ...

museums and attractions, development of the Canal Walk,

Circle Centre Mall Circle Centre Mall is an indoor shopping mall located in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Circle Centre Mall was opened to the public on September 8, 1995, and incorporates existing downtown structures such as the former L. S. Ayres flagship ...

(1995),

Victory Field Victory Field is a minor league ballpark in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It is home to the Indianapolis Indians of the International League. History Victory Field opened on July 11, 1996, with the Indians falling to the Oklahom ...

(1996), and

Gainbridge Fieldhouse Gainbridge Fieldhouse is an indoor arena located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It opened in November 1999 to replace Market Square Arena. The arena is the home of the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association and ...

(1999).

21st century

The city's successful sports tourism campaign provided local leadership with a template for increasing Downtown's capacity to host conventions and trade shows. Two of the city's tallest buildings to be completed in the 21st century,

Conrad Indianapolis Conrad Indianapolis is a high-rise luxury hotel in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was completed in 2006 and has 23 floors. The building includes street-level retail, 247 hotel rooms, and 18 residential condominiums. Conrad Hotels is one of the luxury ...

(2006) and the

JW Marriott Indianapolis JW Marriott Indianapolis is a hotel in downtown Indianapolis, adjacent to the Indiana Convention Center. The new JW Marriott Indianapolis is part of the $450 million Marriott Place, consisting of five Marriott hotels all connected to the Indiana ...

(2011), are hotels. Following the opening of Lucas Oil Stadium in 2008, the Indiana Convention Center completed its largest expansion in 2011. In the 2010s, Downtown experienced increased demand for housing. Numerous mixed-use and apartment buildings were developed during this time. According to Downtown Indy, Inc., the number of apartment units Downtown has increased 61 percent from 2011 to 2015, with more than 50 percent of new development occurring inside the Mile Square. In 2010, the population of Downtown was 14,664; by 2020, the population had increased to 22,412.

Economy

Downtown is the densest employment cluster in the state of Indiana. According to Downtown Indy, Inc., in 2021, there were about 154,500 workers. According to

Colliers International Colliers is a Canada-based diversified professional services and investment management company with approximately 18,000 employees in more than 400 offices in 63 countries. The firm provides services to commercial real estate users, owners, inv ...

, the central business district commercial office market contained of office space, with a direct vacancy rate of 16.9 percent in 2017. Downtown Indianapolis is home to two of the city's three ''Fortune'' 500 companies: health insurance company

Elevance Health Elevance Health, Inc. is an American health insurance provider. The company's services include medical, pharmaceutical, dental, behavioral health, long-term care, and disability plans through affiliated companies such as Anthem Blue Cross and ...

and pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company. Other prominent companies based Downtown include:

Cummins Cummins Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and distributes engines, filtration, and power generation products. Cummins also services engines and related equipment, including fuel systems, controls, air ...

Global Distribution Headquarters; media conglomerate

Emmis Communications Emmis Communications is an American media conglomerate based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Emmis, based on the Hebrew word for Truth (Emet) was founded by Jeff Smulyan in 1980. Emmis has owned many radio stations, including KPWR and WQHT, which h ...

; financial services holding company OneAmerica; the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...

(NCAA); local newspaper ''

The Indianapolis Star ''The Indianapolis Star'' (also known as ''IndyStar'') is a morning daily newspaper that began publishing on June 6, 1903, in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It has been the only major daily paper in the city since 1999, when the '' Indiana ...

''; and fast food restaurant chain

Steak 'n Shake Steak 'n Shake Operations, Inc. (doing business as Steak 'n Shake) is an American casual restaurant chain concentrated primarily in the Midwestern United States with locations also in the South, Mid-Atlantic and Western United States, Europe, ...

Tourism

The

hospitality industry The hospitality industry is a broad category of fields within the service industry that includes lodging, food and drink service, event planning, theme parks, travel and tourism. It includes hotels, tourism agencies, restaurants and bars. Sect ...

is an increasingly vital sector to the Indianapolis economy, especially Downtown. According to Visit Indy, 28.2 million visitors generated $4.9 billion in 2015, the fourth straight year of record growth. Indianapolis has long been a sport tourism destination, but has more recently relied on conventions. The

Indiana Convention Center The Indiana Convention Center is a major convention center located in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The original structure was completed in 1972 and has undergone five expansions. In total, there are 71 meeting rooms, 11 exhibit halls, and th ...

(ICC) and Lucas Oil Stadium are considered mega convention center facilities, with a combined of exhibition space. ICC is connected to 12 hotels and 4,700 hotel rooms, the most of any U.S. convention center. In 2008, the facility hosted 42 national conventions with an attendance of 317,815; in 2014, it hosted 106 for an attendance of 635,701. According to Downtown Indy, Inc., there are 34 hotels with a total of 7,839 hotel rooms. Most hotels are clustered in the blocks immediately adjacent to the

in Downtown's southeast quadrant. Notable hotels include: *

The Columbia Club The Columbia Club is a private club located on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The current structure was built in 1925 as the club's third home on the same site. Club history The Columbia Club was originally formed on February ...

* Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis Downtown * Hilton Indianapolis *

Hyatt Regency Indianapolis Hyatt Regency Indianapolis, also known as PNC Center, is a mixed-use high-rise in Indianapolis, Indiana. The building rises 22 floors and in height, and is currently the 17th-tallest building in the city. The structure was completed in 1977, a ...

* Indianapolis Marriott Downtown *

Le Méridien Indianapolis Hotel Le Méridien Indianapolis is a historic hotel in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a part of the Wholesale District historic district. A hotel has existed on the 123 S. Illinois Street si ...

Omni Severin Hotel The Omni Severin Hotel is a historic hotel, opened in 1913. It is a contributing property in the Indianapolis Union Station Wholesale District historic district. The hotel is located directly across Jackson Place from the Union Station head hou ...

Attractions

Recent developments in downtown Indianapolis include the construction of new mid- to high-rise buildings and the $275 million expansion of the

completed in 2011. After 12 years of planning and six years of construction, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene & Marilyn Glick officially opened in 2013. The $62.5 million public-private partnership resulted in of urban bike and pedestrian corridors linking six cultural districts with neighborhoods, IUPUI, and every significant arts, cultural, heritage, sports and entertainment venue downtown. A 2015 Indiana University Policy Institute report found assessed property values along the Cultural Trail increased by over $1 billion from 2008 to 2014.

Bars and restaurants

Motorcyclists line South Meridian Street

Downtown's main nightlife areas are located on Meridian Street near Georgia Street and along

Massachusetts Avenue Massachusetts Avenue may refer to: * Massachusetts Avenue (metropolitan Boston), Massachusetts ** Massachusetts Avenue (MBTA Orange Line station), a subway station on the MBTA Orange Line ** Massachusetts Avenue (MBTA Silver Line station), a stati ...

. A variety of nightclubs, live music venues, bars, and restaurants are clustered along South Meridian and Georgia streets between

Monument Circle The Indiana State Soldiers and Sailors Monument is a tall neoclassical monument built on Monument Circle, a circular, brick-paved street that intersects Meridian and Market streets in the center of downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. In the years s ...

and Lucas Oil Stadium. Massachusetts Avenue, or Mass Ave, lies northeast of the central business district and is lined with high-end local bars and restaurants. Easley Winery and Sun King Brewery are located on College Avenue on the east side of Downtown. Some of the nightclubs and bars in the Wholesale District include

Slippery Noodle Inn The Slippery Noodle Inn is a large blues bar and restaurant with two performance stages in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. It also has the distinction of being the oldest continuously operating bar in the state of Indiana,Bird, pg. 320 having ope ...

, Howl at the Moon, Tiki Bob's, Claddagh Irish Pub, Kilroy's Bar and Grill, St. Elmo Steak House, and a cigar lounge called Nicky Blaines. Mass Ave bars include The Eagle, Burnside Inn, Bazbeaux Pizza, Tavern on the Point, Chatterbox, Mesh on Mass, FortyFive Degrees, and Metro. Mass Ave also has various European bars that include MacNiven's (Scottish), Chatham Tap (English), and The Rathskeller (German).

Entertainment

Athletics

The city's professional sports clubs and major athletic venues are located south of Washington Street, including Gainbridge Fieldhouse (home to the Indiana Fever and Pacers), Lucas Oil Stadium (home to the Indianapolis Colts), and Victory Field (home to the Indianapolis Indians). The remaining sports facilities are located in the northwestern section of Downtown on the campus of IUPUI. *

* Indiana Pacers * Indiana Fever * Indiana University Natatorium * Indianapolis Colts * Indianapolis Indians * IU Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium *

IUPUI Jaguars The IUPUI Jaguars are the 18 intercollegiate teams that represent Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. They compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. On July 1, 2017, IUPU ...

Indy Eleven Indy Eleven is an American professional soccer team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 2013, the team made its debut in the North American Soccer League in 2014, before moving to the United Soccer League in 2018. The franchise plays it ...

* Lucas Oil Stadium *

Music and theater

Athenæum (Das Deutsche Haus) The Athenæum, originally named ''Das Deutsche Haus'' (German: "The German House"), is the most ornate and best-preserved building affiliated with the German American community of Indianapolis. Once used as a German American '' Turnverein'' and ...

* The Cabaret * The District Theatre *

Hilbert Circle Theatre The Hilbert Circle Theatre, originally called the Circle Theatre, is in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Monument Circle. It was built in 1916 and consists of a Neoclassical style, white glazed terra cotta entrance section with a brick auditorium sect ...

* Indiana Theatre *

Indiana Repertory Theatre Indiana Repertory Theatre, frequently abbreviated IRT, is a professional regional theatre in Indianapolis, Indiana that began as a genuine repertory theatre with its casts performing in multiple shows at once. It has subsequently become a regio ...

Indianapolis Artsgarden The Indianapolis Artsgarden is a glassed dome spanning the intersection of Washington and Illinois streets in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. It serves not only as a pedestrian connector between Circle Centre Mall and nearby office buildings and ...

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO) is an American orchestra based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The largest performing arts organization in Indiana, the orchestra is based at the Hilbert Circle Theatre in downtown Indianapolis on Monument Ci ...

* IndyFringe Basile and Indy Eleven Theatres * Madam Walker Legacy Center *

Old National Centre The Old National Centre, formerly known as the Murat Shrine Temple and the Murat Shrine Center, is located at North and New Jersey streets in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is owned by the Murat Shriners of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of ...

The Pavilion at Pan Am The Pavilion at Pan Am, originally Pan American Arena, was a twin rink ice hockey and skating arena located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. and part of the broader Pan American Plaza, which was built in commemoration of the 1987 Pan Amer ...

* Phoenix Theatre * TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park

Monuments and memorials

* Indiana 9/11 Memorial * '' Indiana Law Enforcement and Firefighters Memorial'' *

Indiana World War Memorial Plaza The Indiana World War Memorial Plaza is an urban feature and war memorial located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, originally built to honor the veterans of World War I. and (PDF) It was conceived in 1919 as a location for the na ...

* Medal of Honor Memorial * '' Peirce Geodetic Monument'' * Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument * USS ''Indianapolis'' National Memorial * ''

Wooden's Legacy ''Wooden's Legacy'' is a public artwork by American artist Jeffrey Rouse that is located on the west corner of Georgia and Meridian Streets, in Indianapolis, Indiana. The bronze sculpture, which was unveiled on March 9, 2012, depicts Indiana-bor ...

'' Note: ''For an overview and complete list of all memorials and monuments on the grounds of Indiana Government Center, see

Indiana Statehouse Public Art Collection The Indiana Statehouse Public Art Collection, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, consists of more than 40 public artworks that are on display inside and around the grounds of Indiana Statehouse and the Indiana Government Center North and Indiana ...

.''

Museums

Colonel Eli Lilly Civil War Museum The Indiana World War Memorial Plaza is an urban feature and war memorial located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, originally built to honor the veterans of World War I. and (PDF) It was conceived in 1919 as a location for the ...

* Crispus Attucks High School and Museum *

Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art is an art museum in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The Eiteljorg houses an extensive collection of visual arts by indigenous peoples of the Americas as well as Western Ame ...

* Emil A. Blackmore Museum of The American Legion *

Indiana Historical Society The Indiana Historical Society (IHS) is one of the United States' oldest and largest historical societies and describes itself as "Indiana's Storyteller". It is housed in the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center at 450 West Ohio Street ...

Indiana State Library and Historical Bureau The Indiana State Library and Historical Bureau is a public library building, located in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the largest public library in the state of Indiana, housing over 60,000 manuscripts. Established in 1934, the library has gathe ...

Indiana State Museum The Indiana State Museum is a museum located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The museum houses exhibits on the science, art, culture, and history of Indiana from prehistoric times to the present day. History The original collec ...

* Indiana World War Memorial Military Museum * Indianapolis Firefighters Museum * James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home *

Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library The Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library is dedicated to championing the literary, artistic, and cultural contributions of the late writer, artist, and Indianapolis native Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. It opened in January 2011 and was located in The Emelie, a ...

* Masonic Library and Museum of Indiana *

NCAA Hall of Champions The NCAA Hall of Champions is an interactive museum and part of a three-building complex that houses a conference center and the corporate headquarters of both the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and National Federation of State Hi ...

* Rhythm! Discovery Center

Other

* Central Library *

* Indianapolis Catacombs *

* Scottish Rite Cathedral

Parks, plazas, and squares

Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument - 2016-03-14 - Deb Nystrom 04

In 2021, Downtown Indianapolis contained about across 28 parks and public spaces. The

encompasses three distinct downtown greenspaces: American Legion Mall, Veterans Memorial Plaza, and University Park. The Indianapolis Canal Walk also includes three pocket parks: Community Service Plaza, Vermont Street Plazas, and Walnut Street Commons. Bicentennial Unity Plaza, the newest public space Downtown, is anticipated to open by the end of 2022. Note: ''Entries in italics denote privately-owned parks and plazas or those not under the management of the State of Indiana or the City of Indianapolis.'' * Babe Denny Park * ''

Ball Nurses' Sunken Garden and Convalescent Park Ball Nurses' Sunken Garden and Convalescent Park is a historic park and garden located on the campus of IU Health University Hospital at Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It was designed between 1929 and 1934 by Percival Gallagher, principal l ...

'' * Bicentennial Plaza * Bicentennial Unity Plaza * ''Bill Gray Plaza'' * Charles L. Whistler Memorial Plaza * ''Chatham Commons'' * ''Cummins Central Plaza'' * Edna Balz Lacy Family Park * ''Fallen Firefighters Memorial Plaza'' * Hudnut Commons * '' Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene & Marilyn Glick'' * Lt. Jr. Gr. Graham Edward Martin Park * ''Matthew R. Gutwein Commonground at Eskenazi Health'' * ''Merrill Street Pocket Park'' * Military Park *

* ''Pan American Plaza'' * Pathways to Peace Garden * Presidential Place Park * ''Ransom Place Neighborhood Park'' * Richard G. Lugar Plaza * ''South Street Square Park'' * White River Greenway *

Public art

Government

As the state capital, Indianapolis is the seat of Indiana's state government. The city has hosted the capital since its move from Corydon in 1825. The Indiana Statehouse, located Downtown, houses the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of state government, including the offices of the

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

and Lieutenant Governor of Indiana, the

Indiana General Assembly The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate. Th ...

, and the Indiana Supreme Court. Most state departments and agencies are located in Indiana Government Centers North and South. The consolidated city-county government of Indianapolis and Marion County (known as

Unigov Unigov is the colloquial name adopted by the city of Indianapolis, Indiana, to describe its consolidated city–county government. By an act of the Indiana General Assembly, Indianapolis consolidated with the government of Marion County in 197 ...

) is also located Downtown at the City-County Building. The City-County Building houses the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of local government, as well as municipal departments, and the

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) is the law enforcement agency for the city of Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States. Its operational jurisdiction covers all of the consolidated city of Indianapolis and Marion Count ...

. Federal field offices are located in the

Birch Bayh Federal Building and United States Courthouse The Birch Bayh Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, formerly known as the U.S. Courthouse and Post Office and as the Federal Building, is a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, located in Indianapol ...

(which houses the

United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana The United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana (in case citations, S.D. Ind.) is a federal district court in Indiana. It was created in 1928 by an act of Congress that split Indiana into two separate districts, northern an ...

) and the Minton-Capehart Federal Building, both located Downtown.

Infrastructure

Education

Downtown is home to

(IUPUI), the third largest campus in the state based on enrollment, with 30,105 students. IUPUI contains two colleges and 18 schools, including the

Herron School of Art and Design Herron School of Art and Design, officially IU Herron School of Art and Design, is a public art school at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is a professional art school and has been accredite ...

, Robert H. McKinney School of Law, School of Dentistry, and the

Indiana University School of Medicine The Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) is a major multi-campus medical school in the state of Indiana. There are nine campuses throughout the state; the principal research and medical center is located on the Indiana University–Purd ...

, the largest medical school in the U.S.

Indianapolis Public Schools Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) is the largest school district in Indianapolis, and the second largest school district in the state of Indiana as of 2021, behind Fort Wayne Community Schools. The district's headquarters are in the John Morton ...

(IPS) is headquartered Downtown in the John Morton-Finney Educational Service Center. , IPS was the second largest public school district in Indiana, serving nearly 30,000 students. Located Downtown, the

Indianapolis Public Library The Indianapolis Public Library (IndyPL), formerly known as the Indianapolis–Marion County Public Library, is the public library system serving the citizens of Marion County, Indiana, United States and its largest city, Indianapolis. The li ...

's Central Library is the hub of the public library's 23 branch system, which served 4.2 million patrons and a circulation of 15.9 million materials in 2014.

Healthcare

Downtown's northwest quadrant is home to the largest cluster of healthcare facilities in the region. Located on the IUPUI campus, the

Indiana University Health Indiana University Health, formerly known as Clarian Health Partners, is a nonprofit healthcare system located in the U.S. state of Indiana. It is the largest and most comprehensive healthcare system in Indiana, with 16 hospitals under its IU H ...

Medical Center encompasses the

University Hospital A university hospital is an institution which combines the services of a hospital with the education of medical students and with medical research. These hospitals are typically affiliated with a medical school or university. The following i ...

, and

Riley Hospital for Children The Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health is a nationally ranked freestanding 354-bed, pediatric acute care children's hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It is affiliated with the Indiana University School of Med ...

. This area is roughly bounded by 10th Street (north), Michigan Street (south), University Boulevard (east), and Riley Hospital Drive (west).

Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital is a hospital part of Indiana University Health, located in Indianapolis, state of Indiana, United States. It is the largest hospital in the state of Indiana and one of only four regional Level I Traum ...

, the largest facility in the state, is located on 16th Street, immediately outside Downtown in the Near Northside neighborhood area. The city's primary public medical centers,

Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital The Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital is a public hospital located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The hospital is the flagship medical center for Eskenazi Health, founded in 1859 as Indiana's oldest public healthcare system. The hospital is operated by H ...

and the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, are situated immediately west of the Indiana University Medical Center in an area bounded by 10th Street (north), Michigan Street (south), Eskenazi Avenue (east), and Porto Alegre Street (west).

Transportation

Downtown Indianapolis has been the regional transportation hub for central Indiana since its establishment. The first major federally funded highway in the U.S., the

(now Washington Street), reached Indianapolis in 1836,Baer, p. 11, and Hyman, p. 34. followed by the railroad in 1847.

Indianapolis Union Station The Indianapolis Union Station is an intercity train station in the Wholesale District of Indianapolis, Indiana. The terminal is served by Amtrak's ''Cardinal'' line, passing through Indianapolis three times weekly. Indianapolis was the first c ...

opened in 1853 as the world's first

union station A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...

. Citizen's Street and Railway Company was established in 1864, operating the city's first mule-drawn streetcar line.Brown, p. 50.Sulgrove, pp. 134, 424–26. Opened in 1904 on West Market Street, the

Indianapolis Traction Terminal The Indianapolis Traction Terminal was a major interurban train station in Downtown Indianapolis, downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. It was the largest interurban station in the world and at its peak handled 500 trains per day and seven million passen ...

was the largest

interurban The Interurban (or radial railway in Europe and Canada) is a type of electric railway, with streetcar-like electric self-propelled rail cars which run within and between cities or towns. They were very prevalent in North America between 1900 ...

station in the world, handling 500 trains daily and 7 million passengers annually. Ultimately doomed by the automobile, the terminal closed in 1941, followed by the streetcar system in 1957. Two of the region's four interstate highways ( Interstate 65 and

) form an "inner loop" on the north, east, and south sides of downtown Indianapolis. I-65 and I-70 radiate from downtown to connect with the "outer loop," a

beltway A ring road (also known as circular road, beltline, beltway, circumferential (high)way, loop, bypass or orbital) is a road or a series of connected roads encircling a town, city, or country. The most common purpose of a ring road is to assist i ...

called

Interstate 465 Interstate 465 (I-465), also known as the USS ''Indianapolis'' Memorial Highway, is the beltway circling Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It is roughly rectangular in shape and has a perimeter of approximately . It lies almost complet ...

IndyGo The Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation, branded as IndyGo, is a public transit agency and municipal corporation of the City of Indianapolis in the U.S. state of Indiana. It operates fixed-route buses, bus rapid transit, microtrans ...

operates the city's public transit network, with downtown Indianapolis serving as the region's

hub and spoke A hub is the central part of a wheel that connects the axle to the wheel itself. Hub, The Hub, or hubs may refer to: Geography Pakistan * Hub Tehsil, Balochistan, an administrative division ** Hub, Balochistan, capital city of the tehsil * Hub ...

origin. In 2016, the Julia M. Carson Transit Center opened as the downtown hub for 27 of its 31 bus routes. The Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority (CIRTA) is a quasi-governmental agency that operates three public buses from the Julia M. Carson Transit Center to employment centers in Plainfield and Whitestown. Downtown Indianapolis continues to be the city's intercity transportation hub.

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

provides

intercity rail Inter-city rail services are express passenger train services that run services that connect cities over longer distances than commuter or regional trains. There is no precise definition of inter-city rail; its meaning may vary from country ...

service via the '' Cardinal'', which makes three weekly trips between

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

and

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. Union Station served about 30,000 passengers in 2015. Three

intercity bus service An intercity bus service (North American English) or intercity coach service (British English and Commonwealth English), also called a long-distance, express, over-the-road, commercial, long-haul, or highway bus or coach service, is a public tr ...

providers stop in the city: Greyhound Lines and

Burlington Trailways Burlington Trailways is an inter-city bus company based in West Burlington, Iowa. History Burlington Trailways was founded in 1929 as the Burlington Transportation Company, a subsidiary of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. It started ...

(via Union Station), and

Megabus Megabus may refer to: *Megabus (Europe), a low-cost coach service with services in Europe owned by ComfortDelGro. *Megabus (North America) Megabus, branded as megabus.com, is an intercity bus service of Coach USA/ Coach Canada operating in the ...

(via City Market). The

Indianapolis Airport Authority Indianapolis Airport Authority (IAA) is a municipal corporation established by the Indiana General Assembly in 1962. It is responsible for owning, developing and operating several public airports and one public heliport located in and around Indian ...

operates the Indianapolis Downtown Heliport, which opened for public use in 1979.

Utilities

AES Indiana AES Indiana, formerly known as Indianapolis Power & Light Company (also known as IPL or IPALCO), is an American utility company providing electric service to the city of Indianapolis. It is a subsidiary and largest utility of AES Corporation, wh ...

, the city's electricity provider, is headquartered on Monument Circle. Citizens Energy Group's Perry K. Generating Station burns natural gas to produce steam to provide heat and hot water to 200 customers in Downtown's district heating system.

Notes

References

External links

Downtown Indy, Inc.City of IndianapolisVisit Indy
{{Central Business Districts in Indiana Tourist attractions in Indianapolis Neighborhoods in Indianapolis Economy of Indianapolis Indianapolis metropolitan area Indianapolis