Indianapolis School & Youth Tours

Connect with Landmarks in Downtown Indy

Field trips and private tours help students of all ages learn about history and architecture.

Indiana Landmarks school tours
Historic Downtown Indianapolis Walking Tour

School & Youth Tours

We host K-12 educational groups, including public, private, homeschool, and recreational groups, at a discounted rate. Students learn about architecture and local history, and guides reinforce the skills needed to become informed citizens, observant of the built environment.

To reserve your field trip or get more information, please complete our Tour Inquiry Form or email tourism@indianalandmarks.org

Prefer a program that comes to you? Check out our Indy Explorers Virtual Tour and Speakers Bureau talks.

Field Trips

These tours correlate with Indiana Department of Education Academic Standards

Length: 60 minutes
Recommended Age Groups: 4th Grade & High School (Indiana Studies)

Experience Hoosier history within landmarks in downtown Indianapolis. Guides will facilitate student learning through ongoing interactive dialogue about history, architecture, and the importance of careful observation.

Highlighted landmarks include the Soldiers & Sailors Monument, the Indiana Statehouse, the L.S. Ayres building, and more. Students will leave with a better understanding of connections between places they see and people and events that have shaped the Hoosier state.

Length: 45 minutes
Recommended Age Group: 4th Grade

Look closely at landmarks in downtown Indianapolis and discover how they tell the early history (1800-1865) of Indiana and its capital city. Guides will help students analyze details on each landmark and think critically about their meaning and importance.

Highlighted landmarks include statues of Oliver Morton and William Henry Harrison, the Soldiers & Sailors Monument, and more. This virtual field trip is designed to bring the landmarks of Indianapolis into to the classroom.

Additional School & Youth Private Tours

Offered at a discounted rate, these private tours are popular with school and youth groups but are not designed around a set of academic standards.

Length: 60 minutes
Recommended Age Group: Middle & High School

Discover Indianapolis’s German roots at the historic Athenaeum, as guides trace the building’s evolution from a German clubhouse to a hub of modern urban life. Tourgoers will enjoy unique architectural features throughout the late nineteenth-century building, while learning how they reflect the founders’ “sound mind in a sound body” ethos.

Along the way, guides will highlight the Athenaeum’s connections to the Vonnegut, Lieber, and Schnull families and the mark they left on the streetscape, culture, and business community in a growing Indianapolis throughout the early 1900s. Participants will leave with a better understanding of the German American influence on the city and the importance of preserving cultural landmarks.

Due to anticipated construction surrounding Indianapolis City Market, we are unable to offer Catacombs tours after Oct. 31, 2023. If you would like to notified when tours become available, please email tourism@indianalandmarks.org

Length: 30 minutes
Recommended Age Group: Middle & High School

Descend into one of the city’s most unique underground spaces, the Catacombs beneath Indianapolis City Market’s west plaza, as guides explain its place in downtown history. Tourgoers will not see bones or crypts, but they will enjoy brick-lined views of two historic landmarks: Indianapolis City Market and the cellar of Tomlinson Hall.

Along the way, learn about the rise and fall of Tomlinson Hall and how its loss impacted the local community. Participants will leave with a greater appreciation for Indianapolis City Market and the importance of ongoing historic preservation efforts.

Length: 90 minutes
Recommended Age Group: High School

Explore historic downtown Indianapolis and discover stories hidden within the city’s landmarks. Along the way, learn about architectural styles while competing for prizes in an Indy-themed activity.

Tourgoers will discover the distinctive heart of Indianapolis, seeing exteriors of the Indiana Statehouse, Soldiers & Sailors Monument, St. Elmo’s Steakhouse, and more. Participants will leave with the skills necessary to begin decoding buildings in cities across the country, analyzing their styles and details for a better understanding of local history.

Length: 45 minutes
Recommended Age Group: Elementary School

Discover animals in architecture and sculpture while exploring downtown Indianapolis. Guides will share stories and symbolism behind these creatures and how they connect to the city’s history. Learn American Sign Language signs for animals throughout the tour and complete take-home activities to make the experience even more memorable.

Tourgoers will investigate exteriors of numerous landmarks, including the Birch Bayh Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse, Soldiers & Sailors Monument, Circle Tower Building, and more. Participants will leave with a greater appreciation for architectural and artistic details often hidden in plain sight.

Length: 60 minutes
Recommended Age Group: Middle & High School

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

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