Indianapolis

The name Indianapolis is derived from the state's name, Indiana (meaning "Land of the Indians", or simply "Indian Land"[29]), and polis, the Greek word for "city." Jeremiah Sullivan, justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, is credited with coining the name.[30] Other names considered were Concord, Suwarrow, and Tecumseh.[31]

A depiction of 1820 Indianapolis

The Third Indiana Statehouse (1835–1877)

In 1816, the year Indiana gained statehood, the U.S. Congress donated four sections of federal land to establish a permanent seat of state government.[32] Two years later, under the Treaty of St. Mary's (1818), the Delaware relinquished title to their tribal lands in central Indiana, agreeing to leave the area by 1821.[17] This tract of land, which was called the New Purchase, included the site selected for the new state capital in 1820.[33] The indigenous people of the land prior to systematic removal are the Miami Nation of Indiana (Miami Nation of Oklahoma) and Indianapolis makes up part of Cession 99; the primary treaty between the indigenous population and the United States was the Treaty of St. Mary's (1818).[34]

The availability of new federal lands for purchase in central Indiana attracted settlers, many of them descendants of families from northwestern Europe. Although many of these first European and American settlers were Protestants, a large proportion of the early Irish and German immigrants were Catholics. Few African Americans lived in central Indiana before 1840.[35] The first European Americans to permanently settle in the area that became Indianapolis were either the McCormick or Pogue families. The McCormicks are generally considered to be the first permanent settlers; however, some historians believe George Pogue and family may have arrived first, on March 2, 1819, and settled in a log cabin along the creek that was later called Pogue's Run. Other historians have argued as early as 1822 that John Wesley McCormick, his family, and employees became the area's first European American settlers, settling near the White River in February 1820.[36]

On January 11, 1820, the Indiana General Assembly authorized a committee to select a site in central Indiana for the new state capital.[37] The state legislature approved the site, adopting the name Indianapolis on January 6, 1821.[2] In April, Alexander Ralston and Elias Pym Fordham were appointed to survey and design a town plan for the new settlement.[38] Indianapolis became a seat of county government on December 31, 1821, when Marion County, was established. A combined county and town government continued until 1832 when Indianapolis incorporated as a town. Indianapolis became an incorporated city effective March 30, 1847. Samuel Henderson, the city's first mayor, led the new city government, which included a seven-member city council. In 1853, voters approved a new city charter that provided for an elected mayor and a fourteen-member city council. The city charter continued to be revised as Indianapolis expanded.[39] Effective January 1, 1825, the seat of state government moved to Indianapolis from Corydon, Indiana. In addition to state government offices, a U.S. district court was established at Indianapolis in 1825.[40]

Growth occurred with the opening of the National Road through the town in 1827, the first major federally funded highway in the United States.[41] A small segment of the ultimately failed Indiana Central Canal was opened in 1839.[42] The first railroad to serve Indianapolis, the Jeffersonville, Madison and Indianapolis Railroad, began operation in 1847, and subsequent railroad connections fostered growth.[43] Indianapolis Union Station was the first of its kind in the world when it opened in 1853.[44]

Confederate POWs at Camp Morton in 1864

Child laborers in an Indianapolis furniture factory, 1908

During the American Civil War, Indianapolis was mostly loyal to the Union cause. Governor Oliver P. Morton, a major supporter of President Abraham Lincoln, quickly made Indianapolis a rallying place for Union army troops. On February 11, 1861, President-elect Lincoln arrived in the city, en route to Washington, D.C. for his presidential inauguration, marking the first visit from a president-elect in the city's history.[45] On April 16, 1861, the first orders were issued to form Indiana's first regiments and establish Indianapolis as a headquarters for the state's volunteer soldiers.[46][47] Within a week, more than 12,000 recruits signed up to fight for the Union.[48]

Indianapolis became a major logistics hub during the war, establishing the city as a crucial military base.[49][50] Between 1860 and 1870, the city's population more than doubled.[43] An estimated 4,000 men from Indianapolis served in 39 regiments, and an estimated 700 died during the war.[51] On May 20, 1863, Union soldiers attempted to disrupt a statewide Democratic convention at Indianapolis, forcing the proceedings to be adjourned, sarcastically referred to as the Battle of Pogue's Run.[52] Fear turned to panic in July 1863, during Morgan's Raid into southern Indiana, but Confederate forces turned east toward Ohio, never reaching Indianapolis.[53] On April 30, 1865, Lincoln's funeral train made a stop at Indianapolis, where an estimated crowd of more than 100,000 people passed the assassinated president's bier at the Indiana Statehouse.[50][54]

Following the Civil War—and in the wake of the Second Industrial Revolution—Indianapolis experienced tremendous growth and prosperity. In 1880, Indianapolis was the world's third largest pork packing city, after Chicago and Cincinnati, and the second largest railroad center in the United States by 1888.[55][56] By 1890, the city's population surpassed 100,000.[43] Some of the city's most notable businesses were founded during this period of growth and innovation, including L. S. Ayres (1872), Eli Lilly and Company (1876), Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company (1910), and Allison Transmission (1915). Once home to 60 automakers, Indianapolis rivaled Detroit as a center of automobile manufacturing.[57] The city was an early focus of labor organization.[43] The Indianapolis Street Car Strike of 1913 and subsequent police mutiny and riots led to the creation of the state's earliest labor-protection laws, including a minimum wage, regular work weeks, and improved working conditions.[58] The International Typographical Union and United Mine Workers of America were among several influential labor unions based in the city.[43]

Meridian Street and Washington Street in 1904

Some of the city's most prominent architectural features and best known historical events date from the turn of the 20th century. The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, dedicated on May 15, 1902, would later become the city's unofficial symbol.[59] Ray Harroun won the inaugural running of the Indianapolis 500, held May 30, 1911, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Indianapolis was one of the hardest hit cities in the Great Flood of 1913, resulting in five known deaths[60][61][62] and the displacement of 7,000 families.[63]

The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in 1970, the year Unigov was enacted

As a stop on the Underground Railroad, Indianapolis had one of the largest black populations in the Northern States, until the Great Migration.[64] Led by D. C. Stephenson, the Indiana Klan became the most powerful political and social organization in Indianapolis from 1921 through 1928, controlling City Council and the Board of School Commissioners, among others. At its height, more than 40% of native-born white males in Indianapolis claimed membership in the Klan. While campaigning in the city in 1968, Robert F. Kennedy delivered one of the most lauded speeches in 20th century American history, following the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.[65][66][67] As in most U.S. cities during the Civil Rights Movement, the city experienced strained race relations. A 1971 federal court decision forcing Indianapolis Public Schools to implement desegregation busing proved controversial.[68]

Under the mayoral administration of Richard Lugar, the city and county governments restructured, consolidating most public services into a new entity called Unigov. The plan removed bureaucratic redundancies, captured increasingly suburbanizing tax revenue, and created a Republican political machine that dominated Indianapolis politics until the 2000s.[69][70] Unigov went into effect on January 1, 1970, increasing the city's land area by 308.2 square miles (798 km²) and population by 268,366 people.[71][72] It was the first major city-county consolidation to occur in the United States without a referendum since the creation of the City of Greater New York in 1898.[73]

Amid the changes in government and growth, the city invested in an aggressive strategy to brand Indianapolis as a sports tourism destination, known as the Indianapolis Project.[74] Under the administration of the city's longest-serving mayor, William Hudnut (1976–1992), millions of dollars were poured into sport facilities and public relations campaigns as part of an economic development strategy.[23] The strategy was successful in landing the U.S. Olympic Festival in 1983, securing the 1984 relocation of the NFL Baltimore Colts, and hosting the 1987 Pan American Games.[23]

Economic development initiatives focused on revitalizing the city's downtown continued in the 1990s under the mayoral administration of Stephen Goldsmith. During this period, a number of cultural amenities were completed at White River State Park, the Canal Walk continued development,[42] Circle Centre Mall was completed,[75] and new sports venues (Victory Field and Bankers Life Fieldhouse) were opened. In 1999, several cultural districts were designated to capitalize on cultural assets within historically significant neighborhoods unique to the city's heritage as a means to promote continued economic development.[76]

During the 2000s, the city invested heavily in infrastructure projects, including two of the largest building projects in the city's history: the $1.1 billion Indianapolis International Airport Colonel H. Weir Cook Terminal and $720 million Lucas Oil Stadium, both opened in 2008.[77][78] A $275 million expansion of the Indiana Convention Center was completed in 2011.[79] Construction began that year on DigIndy, a $1.9 billion project to correct the city's combined sewer overflows by 2025.[80] Rapid transit was reintroduced to Indianapolis with the opening of IndyGo's $96 million Red Line bus rapid transit project in 2019.[81]

Panorama of the downtown Indianapolis skyline in 2016

Indianapolis is a planned city. On January 11, 1820, the Indiana General Assembly authorized a committee to select a site in central Indiana for the new state capital, appointing Alexander Ralston and Elias Pym Fordham to survey and design a town plan for Indianapolis. Ralston had been a surveyor for the French architect Pierre L'Enfant, assisting him with the plan for Washington, D.C. Ralston's original plan for Indianapolis called for a town of 1 square mile (2.6 km²), near the confluence of the White River and Fall Creek.[86]

Alexander Ralston's "Plat of the Town of Indianapolis," today known as the Mile Square

The plan, known as the Mile Square, is bounded by East, West, North, and South streets, centered on a traffic circle, called Monument Circle (originally Governor's Circle), from which Indianapolis's "Circle City" nickname originated.[87] Four diagonal streets radiated a block from Monument Circle: Massachusetts, Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana avenues.[88] The city's address numbering system begins at the intersection of Washington and Meridian streets.[89] Before its submersion into a sanitary tunnel, Pogue's Run was included into the plan, disrupting the rectilinear street grid to the southeast.

Noted as one of the finest examples of the City Beautiful movement design in the United States, the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza Historic District began construction in 1921 in downtown Indianapolis.[90][91] The district, a National Historic Landmark, encompasses several examples of neoclassical architecture, including the American Legion, Central Library, and Birch Bayh Federal Building and United States Courthouse. The district is also home to several sculptures and memorials, Depew Memorial Fountain, and open space, hosting many annual civic events.[91]

After completion of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, an ordinance was passed in 1905 restricting building heights on the traffic circle to 86 ft (26 m) to protect views of the 284 ft (87 m) monument.[92] The ordinance was revised in 1922, permitting buildings to rise to 108 ft (33 m), with an additional 42 ft (13 m) allowable with a series of setbacks.[92] A citywide height restriction ordinance was instituted in 1912, barring structures over 200 ft (61 m).[93] Completed in 1962, the City-County Building was the first skyscraper in the city, surpassing the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in height by nearly 100 ft (30 m).[94] A building boom, lasting from 1982 to 1990, saw the construction of six of the city's ten tallest buildings.[95][96] The tallest is Salesforce Tower, completed in 1990 at 811 ft (247 m).[97] Indiana limestone is the signature building material in Indianapolis, widely included in the city's many monuments, churches, academic, government, and civic buildings.[95]

Compared with similar-sized American cities, Indianapolis is unique in that it contains some 200 farms covering thousands of acres of agricultural land within its municipal boundaries.[98] Equestrian farms and corn and soybean fields interspersed with suburban development are commonplace on the city's periphery, especially in Franklin Township. The stark contrast between Indianapolis's urban neighborhoods and rural villages is a result of the 1970 city-county consolidation, which expanded the city's incorporated boundary to be coterminous with Marion County.[99]

Single-family homes in Irvington Terrace

The city is divided into 99 community areas for statistical purposes, though many smaller neighborhoods exist within them.[100] Indianapolis's neighborhoods are often difficult to define because the city lacks historical ethnic divisions, as in Chicago, or physical boundaries, seen in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.[101] Instead, most neighborhoods are subtle in their distinctions.[101] The Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission recognizes several neighborhoods as historic districts, including Central Court, Chatham Arch, Golden Hill, Herron-Morton Place, Lockerbie Square, Old Northside, Old Southside and Oliver Johnson's Woods. Expansion of the interurban system at the turn of the 20th century facilitated growth of several streetcar suburbs, including Broad Ripple, Irvington, University Heights, and Woodruff Place.[101]

The post–World War II economic expansion and subsequent suburbanization had a profound impact on the physical development of the city's neighborhoods. From 1950 to 1970, 97,000 housing units were built in Marion County.[101] Most of this new construction occurred outside Center Township, expediting out-migration from the city's urban neighborhoods to suburban areas, such as Castleton, Eagledale, and Nora. Between 1950 and 1990, over 155,000 residents left Center Township, resulting in urban blight and disinvestment.[101] Since the 2000s, Downtown Indianapolis and surrounding neighborhoods have seen increased reinvestment attributed to nationwide demographic trends, driven by empty nesters and millennials.[102] By 2020, Downtown is projected to have 30,000 residential units, compared to 18,300 in 2010.[103]

Renewed interest in urban living has been met with some dispute regarding gentrification and affordable housing.[104][105][106] According to a Center for Community Progress report, neighborhoods like Cottage Home and Fall Creek Place have experienced measurable gentrification since 2000.[107] The North Meridian Street Historic District is among the most affluent urban neighborhoods in the U.S., with a mean household income of $102,599 in 2017.[108]

Fall foliage and a late-winter snow on the Butler University campus

Indianapolis has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa), but can be considered a borderline humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa) using the −3 °C (27 °F) isotherm. It experiences four distinct seasons.[109] The city is in USDA hardiness zone 6a.[110]

Typically, summers are hot, humid and wet. Winters are generally cold with moderate snowfall. The July daily average temperature is 75.4 °F (24.1 °C). High temperatures reach or exceed 90 °F (32 °C) an average of 18 days each year,[111] and occasionally exceed 95 °F (35 °C). Spring and autumn are usually pleasant, if at times unpredictable; midday temperature drops exceeding 30 °F or 17 °C are common during March and April, and instances of very warm days (80 °F or 27 °C) followed within 36 hours by snowfall are not unusual during these months. Winters are cold, with an average January temperature of 28.1 °F (−2.2 °C). Temperatures dip to 0 °F (−18 °C) or below an average of 4.7 nights per year.[111]

The rainiest months occur in the spring and summer, with slightly higher averages during May, June, and July. May is typically the wettest, with an average of 5.05 inches (12.8 cm) of precipitation.[111] Most rain is derived from thunderstorm activity; there is no distinct dry season, although occasional droughts occur. Severe weather is not uncommon, particularly in the spring and summer months; the city experiences an average of 20 thunderstorm days annually.[112]

The city's average annual precipitation is 42.4 inches (108 cm), with snowfall averaging 25.9 inches (66 cm) per season. Official temperature extremes range from 106 °F (41 °C), set on July 14, 1936,[113] to −27 °F (−33 °C), set on January 19, 1994.[113][114]

Interior of St. Mary Catholic Church, part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis

Of the 42.42% of the city's residents who identify as religious, Roman Catholics make up the largest group, at 11.31%.[137] The second highest religious group in the city are Baptists at 10.31%, with Methodists following behind at 4.97%. Presbyterians make up 2.13% of the city's religiously affiliated population, followed by Pentecostals and Lutherans. Another 8.57% are affiliated with other Christian faiths.[137] 0.32% of religiously affiliated persons identified themselves as following Eastern religions, while 0.68% of the religiously affiliated population identified as Jewish, and 0.29% as Muslim.[137] According to the nonpartisan and nonprofit Public Religion Research Institute's American Values Atlas, 22% of residents identify as religiously "unaffiliated," consistent with the national average of 22.7%.[138]

Indianapolis is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., served as archbishop from 2012 to 2017 and was elevated to cardinal in November 2016. On June 13, 2017, Pope Francis announced Charles C. Thompson would replace Tobin, who was reassigned to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark in January 2017.[139] The archdiocese also operates Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary, affiliated with Marian University, while the Christian Theological Seminary is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Indianapolis is the seat of the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis, based from Christ Church Cathedral. The Indiana-Kentucky Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church are also based in the city.

Robert Indiana's iconic LOVE at the Indianapolis Museum of Art

Founded in 1883, the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) is the ninth oldest[180][note 1] and eighth largest encyclopedic art museum in the U.S.[182][note 2] The permanent collection has over 54,000 works, including African, American, Asian, and European pieces.[183] In addition to its collections, the Newfields campus consists of The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres; Oldfields, a restored house museum and estate once owned by Josiah K. Lilly, Jr.; and restored gardens and grounds originally designed by Percival Gallagher of the Olmsted Brothers firm.[184] The IMA also owns the Miller House, a Mid-century modern home designed by Eero Saarinen in Columbus, Indiana.[185] The museum's holdings demonstrate the institution's emphasis on the connections among art, design, and the natural environment.[181]

The Indianapolis Art Center, in Broad Ripple Village, was founded in 1934 by the Works Project Administration. The center opened at its Michael Graves-designed building in 1996, including three public art galleries, 11 studios, a library, and auditorium. Opened in 2005, the center's ARTSPARK sculpture garden covers 12.5 acres (5.1 ha) along the White River.[186] Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art opened in 1989 at White River State Park as the only Native American art museum in the Midwest.[187] IUPUI contains the Herron School of Art and Design. Established in 1902, the school's first core faculty included Impressionist painters of the Hoosier Group: T. C. Steele, J. Ottis Adams, William Forsyth, Richard Gruelle, and Otto Stark. The university's public art collection is extensive, with more than 30 works. Other public works can be found in the Eskenazi Health Art Collection and the Indiana Statehouse Public Art Collection.

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra performing at Hilbert Circle Theatre

Madam Walker Legacy Center opened on Indiana Avenue in 1927 as a cultural center for the city's African American community.[188]

Most of Indianapolis's notable performing arts venues are in the Mass Ave cultural district and other locations in the downtown area. The Indiana Theatre opened as a movie palace on Washington Street in 1927 and houses the Indiana Repertory Theatre, a regional repertory theatre. Located on Monument Circle since 1916, the 1,786-seat Hilbert Circle Theatre is the home of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO). Founded in 1930, the ISO performed 180 concerts to over 275,000 guests during the 2015–2016 season, generating a record $8.5 million in ticket sales.[189] The Indianapolis Opera, founded in 1975, maintains a collaborative relationship with the ISO. The nonprofit Phoenix Theatre, which opened a new Cultural Centre in 2018, focuses on contemporary theatrical productions.[190]

In 1927, Madam Walker Legacy Center opened in the heart of the city's African-American neighborhood on Indiana Avenue.[191] The theater is named for Sarah Breedlove, or Madam C. J. Walker, an African American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and activist who began her beauty empire in Indianapolis. Indiana Avenue was home to a notable jazz scene from the 1920s through the 1960s, producing greats such as David Baker, Slide Hampton, Freddie Hubbard, J. J. Johnson, James Spaulding, and the Montgomery Brothers (Buddy, Monk, and Wes).[192] Wes Montgomery is considered one of the most influential jazz guitarists of all time,[192][193] and is credited with popularizing the "Naptown Sound."[194]

Mass Ave is home to the Old National Centre and the Athenæum (Das Deutsche Haus). Old National Centre at the Murat Shrine is the oldest stage house in Indianapolis, opened in 1909.[195] The building is a prime example of Moorish Revival architecture and features a 2,600-seat performing arts theatre, 1,800-seat concert hall, and 600-seat multi-functional room, hosting approximately 300 public and private events throughout the year.[195] The Athenæum, houses the American Cabaret Theater and Young Actors Theater.

Other notable venues include the Indianapolis Artsgarden, a performing arts center suspended over the intersection of Washington and Illinois streets, Clowes Memorial Hall on the Butler University campus, Melody Inn in Butler-Tarkington, Rivoli Theater, The Vogue in Broad Ripple, and The Emerson Theater in Little Flower.

Indianapolis is home to Bands of America (BOA), a nationwide organization of high school marching, concert, and jazz bands, and the headquarters for Drum Corps International (DCI), a professional drum and bugle corps association.[196] Annual music events include the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, Midwest Music Summit, and Indy Jazz Fest. The Heartland Film Festival, Indianapolis International Film Festival, Indianapolis Jewish Film Festival, Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, and the Indianapolis Alternative Media Festival are annual events held in the city.

A mural memorializing Kurt Vonnegut stands on Mass Ave. The project was completed by local artist Pamela Bliss in 2011.

Indianapolis was at the center of the Golden Age of Indiana Literature from 1870 to 1920.[197] Several notable poets and writers based in the city achieved national prominence and critical acclaim during this period, including James Whitcomb Riley, Booth Tarkington, and Meredith Nicholson.[20] In A History of Indiana Literature, Arthur W. Shumaker remarked on the era's influence: "It was the age of famous men and their famous books. In it Indiana, and particularly Indianapolis, became a literary center which in many ways rivaled the East."[198] A 1947 study found that Indiana authors ranked second to New York in the number of bestsellers produced in the previous 40 years.[197] Located in Lockerbie Square, the James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home has been a National Historic Landmark since 1962.

Perhaps the city's most acclaimed twentieth century writer was Kurt Vonnegut, known for his darkly satirical and controversial bestselling novel Slaughterhouse-Five.[199] The Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library opened in 2010 downtown.[200] Vonnegut became known for including at least one character in his novels from Indianapolis.[201] Upon returning to the city in 1986, Vonnegut acknowledged the influence the city had on his writings:

All my jokes are Indianapolis. All my attitudes are Indianapolis. My adenoids are Indianapolis. If I ever severed myself from Indianapolis, I would be out of business. What people like about me is Indianapolis.[201][200]

A key figure of the Black Arts Movement, Indianapolis resident Mari Evans was among the most influential of the twentieth century's black poets.[202] Indianapolis is home to bestselling young adult fiction writer John Green, known for his critically acclaimed 2012 novel The Fault in Our Stars, set in the city.[203]

"Bucky," a juvenile Tyrannosaurus specimen at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis

The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site is a National Historic Landmark.

The Canal Walk portion of the Indiana Central Canal and Medal of Honor Memorial at night

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is the largest of its kind in the world, offering 433,000 square feet (40,227.02 m²) of exhibit space.[204] The museum holds a collection of over 120,000 artifacts, including the Broad Ripple Park Carousel, a National Historic Landmark.[205] Because of its leadership and innovations, the museum is a world leader in its field.[206] Child and Parents magazine have both ranked the museum as the best children's museum in the U.S.[207] The museum is one of the city's most popular attractions, with 1.2 million visitors in 2014.[208]

The Indianapolis Zoo is home to nearly 1,400 animals of 214 species and 31,000 plants, including many threatened and endangered species.[209][210] The zoo is a leader in animal conservation and research, recognized for its biennial Indianapolis Prize designation. It is the only American zoo accredited as a zoo, aquarium, and zoological garden by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.[211] It is the largest privately funded zoo in the U.S. and one of the city's most visited attractions, with 1.2 million guests in 2014.[212][208]

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum exhibits an extensive collection of auto racing memorabilia showcasing various motorsports and automotive history.[213][214] The museum is the permanent home of the Borg-Warner Trophy, presented to Indianapolis 500 winners.[26] Daily grounds and track tours are also based at the museum.[214] The NCAA Hall of Champions opened in 2000 at White River State Park housing collegiate athletic artifacts and interactive exhibits covering all 23 NCAA-sanctioned sports.[215][216]

Indianapolis is home to several centers commemorating Indiana history. These include the Indiana Historical Society, Indiana State Library and Historical Bureau, Indiana State Museum, and Indiana Medical History Museum. Indiana Landmarks, the largest private statewide historic preservation organization in the U.S., is also in the city.[217] The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, in the Old Northside Historic District, is open for daily tours and includes archives and memorabilia from the 23rd President of the United States. President Harrison is buried about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of the site at Crown Hill Cemetery, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Other notable graves include three U.S. Vice Presidents and notorious American gangster, John Dillinger.

Two museums and several memorials in the city commemorate armed forces or conflict, including the Colonel Eli Lilly Civil War Museum at the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument and Indiana World War Memorial Military Museum at the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza. Outside of Washington, D.C., Indianapolis contains the largest collection of monuments dedicated to veterans and war casualties in the nation.[27][28] Other notable sites are the Crown Hill National Cemetery, Indiana 9/11 Memorial, Medal of Honor Memorial, and the USS Indianapolis National Memorial.

Nearly 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of the former Indiana Central Canal—now known as the Canal Walk—link several downtown museums, memorials, and public art pieces. Flanked by walking and bicycling paths, the Canal Walk also offers gondola rides, pedal boat, kayak, and surrey rentals. The Indiana Central Canal has been recognized by the American Water Works Association as an American Water Landmark since 1971.[218]

Indianapolis is home to dozens of annual festivals and events showcasing local culture. The "Month of May" (a series of celebrations leading to the Indianapolis 500) is perhaps the largest annual celebration in the city, with the 500 Festival Parade regularly drawing 300,000 spectators.[219] Other notable events include Indiana Black Expo, Indiana State Fair, Indy Pride Festival, and Historic Irvington Halloween Festival.

Indianapolis City Market was founded in 1821.

Indianapolis has an emerging food scene as well as established eateries.[220] Founded in 1821 as the city's public market, the Indianapolis City Market has served the community from its current building since 1886. Prior to World War II, the City Market and neighboring Tomlinson Hall (since demolished) were home to meat and vegetable vendors. As consumer habits evolved and residents moved from the central city, the City Market transitioned from a traditional marketplace to a food court, a function it retains today.[221]

Urban agriculture on the campus of IUPUI

Situated in the Corn Belt, Indianapolis has maintained close ties to farming and food production. Urban agriculture in the city dates to the 1930s, when non-profit organization Flanner House began teaching Black arrivals how to farm on vacant lots during the Great Migration. Within a few years, more than 200 families were tending 600 garden plots on nearly 100 acres (40 ha) of urban land on the city's near north side.[222] Urban agriculture has made a comeback in recent years in an effort to alleviate food deserts. In 2018, the Indy Food Council reported a 272% increase in the number of community and urban gardens between 2011 and 2016.[223] As of 2020, several farmers' markets have been established throughout Indianapolis.[224]

Distinctive local dishes include pork tenderloin sandwiches[225] and sugar cream pie, the latter being the unofficial state pie of Indiana.[226] The beef Manhattan, invented in Indianapolis, can also be found on restaurant menus throughout the city and region.[227]

Opened in 1902, St. Elmo Steak House is well known for its signature shrimp cocktail, named by the Travel Channel as the "world's spiciest food". In 2012, it was recognized by the James Beard Foundation as one of "America's Classics".[228] The Slippery Noodle Inn, a blues bar and restaurant, is the oldest continuously operating tavern in Indiana, having opened in 1850.[229] The Jazz Kitchen, opened in 1994, was recognized in 2011 by OpenTable as one the "top 50 late night dining hotspots" in the U.S.[230]

In 2016, Condé Nast Traveler named Indianapolis the "most underrated food city in the U.S.," while ranking Milktooth as one of the best restaurants in the world.[231][232] Food & Wine called Indianapolis the "rising star of the Midwest," recognizing Milktooth, Rook, Amelia's, and Bluebeard, all in Fletcher Place.[233][234] Several Indianapolis chefs and restaurateurs have been semifinalists in the James Beard Foundation Awards in recent years.[235][236] Microbreweries are quickly becoming a staple in the city, increasing fivefold since 2009.[237] There are now about 50 craft brewers in Indianapolis, with Sun King Brewing being the largest.[238]

For some time, Indianapolis was known as the "100 Percent American City" for its racial and ethnic homogeneity.[239] Historically, these factors, as well as low taxes and wages, provided chain restaurants a relatively stable market to test dining preferences before expanding nationwide. As a result, the Indianapolis metropolitan area had the highest concentration of chain restaurants per capita of any market in the U.S. in 2008, with one chain restaurant for every 1,459 people—44% higher than the national average.[240] In recent years, immigrants have opened some 800 ethnic restaurants.[239]

An Indy car crosses the "Yard of Bricks" practicing for the 2012 Indianapolis 500.

Indianapolis is a major center for motorsports. Two auto racing sanctioning bodies are headquartered in the city (INDYCAR and United States Auto Club) along with more than 500 motorsports companies and racing teams, employing some 10,000 people in the region.[253] Indianapolis is a metonym for auto racing, having inspired the name "Indy car," used for both the competition and type of car used in it.[254]

Since 1911, Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) (in the enclave of Speedway) has been the site of the Indianapolis 500, an open-wheel automobile race held annually on Memorial Day weekend. Considered part of the Triple Crown of Motorsport, the Indianapolis 500 is the world's largest single-day sporting event, hosting more than 257,000 permanent seats.[26] Since 1994, IMS has hosted one of NASCAR's highest attended events, the Monster Energy Cup Series Brickyard 400.[255] IMS has also hosted the NASCAR Xfinity Series Lilly Diabetes 250 since 2012 and the IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Indianapolis since 2014. From 2000 to 2007, the circuit hosted Formula One at the facility's road course.

Lucas Oil Raceway, in nearby Brownsburg, is home to the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) U.S. Nationals, the most prestigious drag racing event in the world, held annually each Labor Day weekend.[256]

Officers of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Mounted Patrol

Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services is the largest provider of pre-hospital medical care in the city, with 357 emergency medical technicians and full-time paramedics responding to nearly 120,000 emergency dispatch calls annually.[274] The agency's coverage area excludes Decatur, Pike, and Wayne townships, and the town of Speedway. The Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD) provides fire protection services as the primary emergency response agency for 278 square miles (720 km²) of Marion County. IFD provides automatic and mutual aid to the excluded municipalities of Beech Grove, Lawrence, and Speedway, as well as Decatur, Pike, and Wayne townships which have retained their own fire departments. The fire district comprises seven geographic battalions with 43 fire stations.[275] Some 1,200 firefighters respond to more than 161,000 incidents annually.[276]

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) is the primary law enforcement agency for the city of Indianapolis. IMPD's jurisdiction covers Marion County, with the exceptions of Beech Grove, Lawrence, Southport, Speedway, and the Indianapolis International Airport, which is served by the Indianapolis Airport Authority Police Department.[277] IMPD was established in 2007 through a merger between the Indianapolis Police Department and the Marion County Sheriff's Office Law Enforcement Division.[278] The Marion County Sheriff's Office manages Marion County Jails I and II. IMPD operates six precincts with 1,640 sworn police personnel and 200 civilian employees.[3]

According to the FBI's 2017 Uniform Crime Report, Indianapolis recorded 1,333.96 violent crimes per 100,000 people. Violent crimes include murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. In that same report, Indianapolis recorded 4,411.87 property crimes per 100,000 people. Property crimes include burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft.

Until 2019, annual criminal homicide numbers had grown each year since 2011, reaching record highs from 2015 to 2018.[279] With 144 criminal homicides, 2015 surpassed 1998 as the year with the most murder investigations in the city. With 159 criminal homicides, 2018 stands as the most violent year on record in the city.[279] FBI data showed a 7 percent increase in violent crimes committed in Indianapolis, outpacing the rest of the state and country.[280] Law enforcement has blamed increased violence on a combination of root causes, including poverty, substance abuse, mental illness, and availability of firearms.[281]

U.S. Representative for Indiana's 7th congressional district, André Carson (left) with Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett in 2016.

Until fairly recently, Indianapolis was considered one of the most conservative major cities in the U.S.[69] Republicans held the mayor's office for 32 years (1967–1999), and controlled the City-County Council from its inception in 1970 to 2003.[69] Since the early-2000s, the city's politics have gradually shifted more toward the Democrats. As of 2014, the city is regarded as politically moderate.[283]

Incumbent mayor Democrat Joe Hogsett faced Republican State Senator Jim Merritt and Libertarian Doug McNaughton in the 2019 Indianapolis mayoral election. Hogsett was elected to a second term, with 72% of the vote.[284] The 2019 City-County Council elections expanded Democratic control of the council, flipping six seats to hold a 20–5 supermajority over Republicans.[285]

Recent political issues of local concern have included cutting the city's structural deficit, planning and construction of a new criminal justice center, homelessness, streetlights, and improved mass transit and transportation infrastructure.[286][273]

Nine K–12 public school districts serve Indianapolis residents, the largest being Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS). The other eight public school districts are Franklin Township Community School Corporation, Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township, Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township, Metropolitan School District of Pike Township, Metropolitan School District of Warren Township, Metropolitan School District of Washington Township, Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township, and Perry Township Schools. Two state-supported residential schools located in the city include the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and Indiana School for the Deaf.

IPS has an annual enrollment of about 32,000 students attending 59 schools.[287][288] In 2015, IPS began contracting with charter organizations and nonprofit school managers to operate failing district schools as innovation schools.[289] About 37% of IPS students are enrolled in 20 innovation schools, which are run independently but accountable to the Board of School Commissioners, with the remaining 63% of students attending 39 neighborhood or magnet schools.[287][290] About 18,000 students are enrolled in tuition-free Mayor-Sponsored Charter Schools (MSCS), as authorized by the Indianapolis Mayor's Office of Education Innovation and Indianapolis Charter School Board.[291] There are dozens of private, parochial, and independent charter schools operating throughout the city.

IUPUI Campus Center

Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) was founded in 1969 after the branch campuses of Indiana University and Purdue University merged.[292] IUPUI is classified as an urban research university, containing 17 schools and enrolling about 30,000 students.[293][292] Notable schools include the Herron School of Art and Design, Robert H. McKinney School of Law, School of Dentistry, and the Indiana University School of Medicine, among the largest medical schools in the U.S.[294][295] Public satellite campuses include Ball State University's R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning, Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, and Vincennes University.

Private universities include Butler University, Marian University, Martin University, and the University of Indianapolis. Crossroads Bible College and Indiana Bible College are small Christian colleges based in the city. Private satellite campuses include Grace College, Indiana Institute of Technology, and Indiana Wesleyan University.

Founded in 1873, the Indianapolis Public Library includes Central Library and 24 branches throughout Marion County. Central Library houses a number of special collections, including the Center for Black Literature & Culture, the Chris Gonzalez LGBT Collection, and the Nina Mason Pulliam Indianapolis Special Collections Room.[296] The public library serves about 280,000 cardholders with a circulation of nearly 10 million materials annually.[297]

Indianapolis has seven sister cities and two friendship cities as designated by Sister Cities International.[352] The sister-city relationship with Scarborough, Ontario, Canada lasted from 1996 to 1998, ending when Scarborough was amalgamated into Toronto.[353]

Charter sister cities

• Taipei, Taiwan (1978)
• Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany (1988)
• Monza, Lombardy, Italy (1993)
• Piran, Slovenia (2001)
• Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil (2009)
• Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom (2009)
• Onitsha, Nigeria (2017)

Friendship cities

• Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China (2009)
• Hyderabad, Telangana, India (2010)

As of 2018, Indianapolis contains ten foreign consulates, serving Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Switzerland.[354]