Located very near Monument Circle in the heart of downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, the Indiana War Memorial Plaza Historic District features numerous landmarks that honor veterans from multiple wars across the eras. This district contains a 30,000 square foot museum complete with military equipment and artifacts, three parks, four fountains, and 25 acres of monuments, statues, and sculptures. This collection of landmarks has proven to make a notable impact on the culture and identity of the city and the entire state.
Six Landmarks and Multiple Monuments
With a history that stretches back to 1919 when the American Legion was looking to find a new space for their headquarters, the War Memorial District has grown to now comprise of six aligned square city blocks of monumental public and landscape architecture. It now contains 25 acres filled with one museum, three parks and various monuments and memorials along with six specific landmarks.
The Indiana World War Memorial, modeled after the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, dominates the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza. Siting 210 feet above street level, this limestone and marble memorial pays homage to Hoosiers killed in battle and also houses a 30,000 square foot museum that portrays American military history from the Revolutionary War to the present day. It also contains “the Altar of the Flag” in the Shrine Room along with several interactive displays that showcase Indiana history.
Located just south of the Indiana War Memorial, University Park is the oldest part of War Memorial Plaza. It contains statues of Benjamin Harrison, Abraham Lincoln and Schuyler Colfax, who was vice president under Ulysses S. Grant. In the middle of the park is the Depew Fountain, a five-level fountain built in 1919 to honor Dr. Richard Johnson Depew and his wife.
Veterans Memorial Plaza is centrally located in the seven-block Indiana War Memorial Plaza Historic District, just north of the Indiana War Memorial. Completed in 1930, it honors all Hoosier veterans. Made of black granite and rising 100 feet in the air, a huge obelisk dominates the space. Near the base of the Obelisk are four bronze tablets representing law, science, religion and education. It also contains a fountain made from pink Georgia marble and terrazzo.
Designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1994, the War Memorial District also contains the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, the American Legion Mall and the USS Indianapolis CA 35 Memorial. Other landmarks like Cenotaph Square and the Medal of Honor Memorial are also located nearby. Such variety has enabled the entire city to benefit by providing a sense of identity and space along with a spot for both residents and visitors to gather for many different kinds of events and activities.
Multiple Ways to Engage with the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza
The Indiana World War Memorial Plaza has become a popular location for celebrations, including the Fourth of July festival, Veterans Day, and Memorial Day services. Specifically, Veterans Memorial Plaza is one of downtown’s most popular venues for outdoor events, including the annual Independence Day festival. Events take place throughout the space across the year.
The Indiana War Memorials Foundation commemorates veterans with “Bricks of Honor”. Each brick is engraved with a veteran’s name, rank, branch and dates of service, and placed around the Soldiers & Sailors Monument, helping to ensure that ensuring heroes will not be forgotten by future generations. Supporters can order a brick for $100 tax-deductible charitable donation. They may also request the location of their brick and schedule a ceremony to have it installed with the veteran and family present.
Sculptures like “Victory” have become icons of Indianapolis, and the same type of impact can be seen in sculptures like “Pro Patria,” which sits just outside the Indiana World War Memorial. Created in 1929, the artist “attempted to embody in this memorial the spirit rather than the material concept of the solider.” Like other sculptures that represent such profound connections to people or a place, “Pro Patria” has been able to be utilized as an icon across the plaza and beyond.
Guides that allow visitors to enjoy the walkability of the District are readily available, while words and images associated with War Memorial Plaza have been incorporated into multiple elements of the city itself. This impact showcases how the entire plaza has created a legacy that is tied to the past but is also intimately linked to the future of Indianapolis and beyond.
Creating a Legacy by Honoring Indiana Veterans
Across the world, there are numerous memorials, parks and entire complexes dedicated to veterans. However, no other city in the United States has more monuments dedicated to veterans than Indianapolis, and no city in the country maintains more acreage honoring veterans. By celebrating Indiana veterans in such a distinct and powerful way, Indianapolis has managed to create a landmark that will continue to enable engagement for both residents and visitors that will positively impact the present and future of Indianapolis and all of Indiana.
