Racing Through Indianapolis

Kurt Vonnegut Museum & Library

Kurt Vonnegut is often referred to as “Indiana’s Second Gentleman” (author Booth Tarkington is Indiana’s First Gentleman), and his works often probed the surreal side of American and personal history. Born in Indianapolis in 1922, Vonnegut used the streetscapes of his childhood home as the backdrop of much of his work. The small museum in Indianapolis has a collection of artifacts and memorabilia, and an exhibit on his commercially and critically successful sixth novel, Slaughterhouse-Five, published in 1969.

Vonnegut ‘s Smith-Corona Coronamatic 2200 typewriter, which he used in the 1970s. It’s believed that he typed his novel *Slapstick* on it. I assume the glasses are his, but who would know?

This box contains rejection letters sent to Vonnegut by magazines, 1947-1953.

Soldiers & Sailors Monument

The Soldiers and Sailors Monument was dedicated in 1902 and cost $600,000 (of course the budget was only $200,000). The 284.5-foot-tall monument took a whopping 13 years to construct. A 38-foot statue of Victory stands atop it, making the total height just 15 feet shorter than the Statue of Liberty.

Its original purpose was to honor the more than 24,000 Indiana veterans who gave their lives to protect the Union during the American Civil War. However, it’s now a tribute to all the Indiana soldiers who served in wars prior to WWI.

Inside was pretty barren, possibly because they were doing some exterior work? Regardless, there was nothing to see while we were there, so we just took the elevator up to the observation platform. We could have taken the 330 stairs, but only didn’t because we were, uh, short on time.

Something very serious happened at the Soldiers & Sailors Monument. Doug found a list of “Monuments and Observation Towers in the United States” tacked to a wall, and thus another checklist was born….

Indiana War Memorial & Museum

We were originally going to skip this, but after Doug discovered the list of “Monuments and Observation Towers in the United States” (see section above), we had to go back to check it off the list. It turned out to be pretty epic inside, even if the war portion of the museum felt awfully similar to other war memorials we’ve been to.

The 210-foot-tall neoclassical building is the centerpiece of the World War Memorial Plaza. The cornerstone was laid in 1927 by General John Pershing, and as per usual, there were funding issues that delayed its progress. It was dedicated in 1933, though the interior was not yet complete. 30 years later, it was still not complete but what had been completed was already deteriorating. Good grief!

The “wow” moment of the visit was the Shrine Room, a 60-foot cube-shaped room that soars 110 feet. The walls bear the names of all Indiana soldiers who fought in World War I. In the center is the Altar of Consecration, resting underneath a 17-foot-by30-foot American flag.

The Indiana War Memorial building. You can’t really see the roofline in this picture, but it’s included in the fountain picture below.

Benjamin Harrison in the War Memorial Plaza. “A citizen faithful to every obligation. A lawyer of Distinction. A volunteer solider in the war for the Union. A senator in congress. The twenty-third president of the United States.”

Depew Memorial Fountain in the War Memorial Plaza, with the Indiana War Memorial building in the background.

There were many beautiful architectural details inside the Indiana War Memorial building.

Abraham Lincoln. Doug called this the “Please, no photos” Abe.

Garfield Park Conservatory

There wasn’t too much to the outdoor gardens, and the conservatory itself was relatively small. You know it was overall “just okay” when I only have a few pictures to share!