Indiana War Memorial

The Indiana War Memorial is an impressive part of the Indianapolis-​area memorials. The building is grand, and centrally anchors a series of memorials that line the heart of downtown Indianapolis. The shrine room is a very memorable and even breathtaking portion of the experience. It is a high-​ceiling room in the top of the building that is worth checking out if you are going to visit. In the bottom of the building is a group of museum exhibits that house an impressive amount of history and artifacts from several of the major wars over the past few centuries. If you are sightseeing in downtown, the Indiana War Memorial should definitely be on your list of places to visit.

Really impressed with the Indiana War Memorial. I had no idea how huge it was inside! There’s a full-​sized helicopter in there! One hour is not enough. Put some more money in that meter and take your time enjoying all they have to offer. It is free inside, but they request a small donation. There are also some parking spots that are free on the street that has the main entrance. NOTE: THE GOLD DOORS ARE NOT THE ENTRANCE. :)
I went for an hour and will definitely be going back.

this was a very spur of the moment trip. only 1 night and no time to research what was here. so everything was a happy accident. On the way out town I got kinda trapped in town. they had some race going on and the roads were all blocked so I entertained myself by finding something to check out. This was a impressive memorial. nice park. fountain and near cool huge Gothic church.

One of my favorite places to work out! I get a decent work out by running the stairs and get great views of the city. I love admiring the wonderful architecture as well. It located conveniently to several ares of downtown, so is easy to pass by. I have heard one little girl refer to it as the «Pyramid.» Check out the spot to enjoy great views or amp up your work out!!!

Oh gosh a visit here is SO worth it! For the architecture alone this site CAN’T be missed! This is surely an architectural marvel what with the stonework, the stained glass, the marble, the lighting and more. Even the bathrooms are pretty from an architectural standpoint. Really visit for that alone and be happy!
But it’s an awesome free museum inside too. It covers all the wars that the USA has been in (or at least all those that folks from Indiana have been involved in, which is pretty much most of them). And while I didn’t spend nearly as many hours here pouring over the exhibits as I could have, my visit took me through some splendid displays about each of the wars.
There are also numerous aspects of this museum dedicated to the USS Indianapolis, more recent conflicts including 9/​11, and to Ham radio and the other technologies that allowed for military communication. There are some great sized rooms for presentations and whatnot, some great art, and a good-​sized amphitheater. Additionally there are lists of all the Indiana soldiers who served in wars among other things.
For a free museum this was wonderful (and the views of the grounds outside are worth it as well on a good day). Sure one could do more with the exhibits given more financial ability but the building will stand the test of time (as it has already) and is well worth a visit even if you aren’t the hugest war buff (or even if you’re not all that familiar with the wars that the United States has fought in).

Really like this place, bustling atmosphere and food variety. Some of the foods could be a little tastier but overall still my fav place for quick lunch in downtown Indianapolus

We visited Indiana War Memorial last Saturday. It was not open because of the ceremony. It was fun to watch the ceremony. I wish we could visit this Memorial next time.

If you’ve an interest in history, you need to visit this space. The architecture, the displays, just the «feel» of the building are amazing.
Unless you’re there on a special day, you’re pretty much on your own to just wander at your leisure. Be forewarned, this isn’t the place to come if your on a tight schedule. There is a TON of stuff to see here, all very well displayed, and very well explained. I highly recommend a visit to this largely unknown treasure in Indianapolis.

Quite the landmark. Don’t forget to check out the war shrine inside. I’m not sure why Indianapolis has so many war-​related memorials, but it definitely warrants a stop if you’re passing through.

One thing stood out to me about the Museum that I absolutely love — it was free! The structure itself is enormous and beautiful (crafted from Indiana limestone; what else would you expect?). There were a lot of neat artifacts, articles, and other pieces of memorabilia inside, but to be honest, it just seemed to lack organization. A lot of the exhibits lacked clear signs or captions to explain what was going on in the diorama or what the artifact on display actually was.
On top of this, the museum just seems in need of a makeover on the inside. The ⁹⁄₁₁ exhibit is in what looks like it used to be an office and the out-​dated displays and random audio clips playing need some additional context.
Don’t get me wrong — I love history, and this is a can’t miss in Indianapolis, but this place could definitely use a «facelift» inside.

The Indiana War Memorial was built after World War I to commemorate the State’s veterans and fallen. Immaculately maintained, this building looks as if it belongs in Washington, DC on the National Mall. When you walk in, you have several exhibits you can peruse or attend an event in the Pershing Hall Auditorium where General «Blackjack» Pershing will stare down at you from the montage above the stage. I’ve been to two change of command ceremonies here and was always amazed at the history within the nearly 100 year old building. Check it out.

Amazing landmark/​structure located just north of the Circle. It’s a little known fact that Indianapolis has the most memorials in the US outside of Washington D.C.

Came on a school field trip once several years ago and it was very interesting. The monument itself is also very nice, seems like something that would be in DC.

One of the most overlooked traits of this city is its commitment to serving and honoring those who have served.
The War Memorial is a great representation of Indy’s dedication to those who served.
When the weather is nice in May or September, spend a few hours walking around the memorial and touring the exhibits inside. I haven’t met him, but I hear General Goodwin is a great tour guide and is very passionate about the memorial.

I’ve lived in Indy for a while now, and never even thought to visit the War Memorial until family came to visit. I was very glad I checked it out, and next time I come I’ll make sure to give myself more time.
I didn’t make my way up to the memorial since I arrived 1.5 hours before closing and spent my time wandering through the museum located on the bottom floor. The museum has a lot of great history, information and artifacts relating to all the wars in which America was involved. They have a lot of mannequins posed to reenact key points in the way which was pretty creepy since I was down there all by myself.
I loved reading all the information, and learned a lot of interesting new facts. I consider myself a bit of a history buff, but I came away with a much broader knowledge of America’s wars. To be honest, I only made it through the end of the Civil War exhibit (it goes up through ⁹⁄₁₁) before I got the 10 minute warning. I had lost track of time and spent over an hour in the first few exhibits of the museum! I will definitely go back to see the memorial and the rest of the exhibit soon.
Did I mention it was FREE? Most places this caliber charge at least a few bucks, so I was really pleased. It is worth paying for, so the fact that the memorial and museum are free to the public is wonderful.
All in all: A great place to spend a rainy afternoon or bring family visiting from out of town.

With your pyramid mausoleum top, you have wooed me. With your placement in the Indy skyline, you have wooed me. With your ability to always-​always be there in my dog walks and jaunts through town, you have wooed me.
It’s so clean. All of it. All of it is always clean. How? Elves? An Elf? If so… I need help elves… I need you to inspire me at 5am, put on my sweat suit and walk over to the park with you to run these stairs.
I feel like a nerd when I get blushy about how Indy is only second to D.C. in monuments. The cool factor isn’t really there probably… but… a pyramid is a pyramid is a pyramid.
If you hear a guy yelling, «Indianapolis, we have a pyramid in our city!» That’s me.

My understanding is that Indiamnapois has more War Memorials than any city other than Washington, D.C. The War Memorial is a «Must Visit». Do not stop until you have toured this amazing Memorial… and, it is right downtown Indianapolis.

This memorial is awesome: awe inspiring. From the outside, day or night, it looks great. There are almost always people there to enjoy the memorial itself, exercise, or chat. The interior is stunning. Take an hour or so to walk around inside sometime. I love it. There are several museum portions with displays of vehicles, and the central area is a place for quiet reflection. The lawn around it is a nice place to have a picnic. There’s usually plenty of street parking nearby.
I think it’s beautiful inside. Despite being a bit of a lefty myself, I come from a family who is heavy on military service. I appreciate this space being here to honor those who have served. Please be respectful of the veterans that frequently visit this memorial.

Wow. I’ve walked the steps of the War Memorial often wondering what was inside. A few weekends ago on a Sunday I decided to find out. Upon entering the building you realize it is much, much bigger than originally envisioned. It’s an actual museum, with exhibits to the various wars and Hoosier’s contributions.
While I appreciate it for what it is (a grand construction) the décor gets to be a bit much at times. It reminds me of the American version of Wolfenstein 3D. Very patriotic with lots of angry eagles and stars and stripes. Despite the patriotic opulence, it’s a really neat place to visit.
This place really is a «secret» of Indy.

It’s amazing that, despite having lived in Indianapolis for most of my life, I’d never set foot in the war memorial until my now-​boyfriend first came down to visit me from Chicago. Indianapolis does kind of have a lot of memorials, and it’s difficult to see them all. But this one really is worth a visit.
I’ll cop to not being terribly interested in the museum part, filled with endless war artifacts, which is why this received only four stars. But the architecture, particularly the interior, is both stunning and fascinating. The largest and most imposing room in the memorial, the Shrine Room, was intended to «inspire citizenship in all who visit.» There are 40-​foot columns made of red marble, chosen to represent the blood that was shed in WWI. (Morbid, but then, so is the whole memorial, really.) There is an enormous American flag hanging from the center of the ceiling. The room is illuminated from above by the «Star of Destiny» and many blue pinpoints of light that I suppose are meant to call to mind the stars in the flag. An altar-​like thing in the middle of the floor is engraved with quotes extolling the virtues of America.
I don’t know that I was inspired to citizenship by the room (I don’t even know what that would mean, really, since I received my citizenship upon my birth, through no doing of my own), but I certainly was moved by a kind of hushed awe and reverence that I experience in any such masterpiece of architecture. There’s also a very ornate auditorium in the memorial, the purpose of which was unclear. I would really like to know what, if anything, goes on in here.
It’s free, so you can breeze in, check it out and be on your way. Definitely worth it, especially if you’re already downtown.