Tour Our Historic Indianapolis IN Cemetery
Information on Crown Hill’s Award-Winning Tours!
We are pleased to offer a variety of award-winning PUBLIC and PRIVATE guided tours. We hope that you will join us throughout the year as we celebrate the lives of those buried and entombed at historic Crown Hill Cemetery.
Public Tours
With a few exceptions, we typically conduct Public Tours on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th weekends of the month, from June through early October. (Please see the “Upcoming Events” on the homepage for the schedule.) Most tours are scheduled on Saturday evenings so participants can see the sunset from "The Crown," the highest hill (842.21 ft.) in Marion County, where you can see a 360-degree panorama of the entire skyline. Public Tours are 90-minutes to two hours long and are walking tours which cover about one mile at a comfortable pace. (We have several driving tours as well, in which participants follow along in their cars or on bicycles). Tour themes change weekly. The fee is $5 for adults; $4 for seniors (55+); and $3 for youth under 18. No reservations are required. Tours will be held rain or shine unless the weather is severe (thunder & lightening). Unless noted otherwise, please meet your guide at least 10-15 minutes before the start of your tour in front of the Waiting Station, located just inside the 34th Street stone gate entrance located at 34th Street and Boulevard Place (3400 Boulevard Place). In the summer months it's recommended that tour participants bring bottled water and insect repellent.
Private Tours
Our award-winning Private Group Tours are offered all year around on any day of the week, and any time of day that a guide is available. (We typically don't conduct tours on holidays except for Memorial Day.)
With a few exceptions, all Private Tours are walking tours. Tour participants will cover about one mile at a comfortable pace (for most people), and the tour will last approximately 90 minutes. Most, but not all, tours go up to the top of the Crown, the highest hill in Marion County. From this amazing vantage point you can see the entire Indianapolis skyline. (An incredible sight!) Many private groups schedule their tours to see the sunset from the Crown.
Driving Tours are also available as long as you provide your own transportation - a small bus, van, personal cars, or bicycles. All tours can be shortened and most walking tours can be modified into driving tours.
Small Bus or Van Tours are private guided driving tours for those who desire a step-on guide. Participants can get off their vehicle to see various monuments and grave sites as much as they'd like. Most tour groups get off their vehicle at James Whitcomb Riley's memorial at the top of the Crown to see the stunning 360-degree view of the entire Indianapolis skyline. These tours must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance and are charged at the same rate as walking tours. All groups must provide their own transportation. (Please note that there's a circle drive around the Riley monument at the top of the Crown that can accommodate buses/vans.)
CHARTER, COACH, AND DELUXE MOTOR COACH TOURS: Our apologies, but we cannot provide guided tours for charter, coach, or deluxe motor coach buses because of our many low-hanging branches, narrow roads, and very tight turns. We can only accommodate small buses or vans.
Private Group Rates are $5.00, adults; $4.00, seniors (55+); and $3.00, students 18 and under, $50 minimum per tour. While we can sometimes accommodate last minute tours, as a general rule tours must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance. (The further you can schedule your tour in advance the better, especially if it's for April, May, September, or October.)
Please contact Marty Davis at mdavis@crownhill.org or (317) 920-2644 if you have questions or would like to schedule a private group tour.
Crown Hill Tour Themes
Note: tours can be scheduled at the availability of our tour guides. Some topics are available most times (in blue), some at various times, and others are available evenings & weekends. The list is in alphabetical order but I’ve listed the Heritage Tour first because it’s the most popular tour.
Heritage Tour (our most popular tour!)
This tour presents the history of Crown Hill Cemetery while visiting the graves of some of the many interesting people buried here, the famous and not so famous, recent and long gone. A variety of monuments, including some of our most recognized statues are included, as well as the view of the downtown skyline from James Whitcomb Riley's tomb high atop beautiful Crown Hill. This tour is appropriate for all ages, and when asked which tour an adult or student group should take, this is our first recommendation. It provides a number of elements from other tours and is enjoyed by all. Walking Tour, approximately one mile, 1½ hours. Available most times.
Actors, Artists, Architects, and Musicians
Bop to the jazz of J.J. Johnson as we visit his grave, the graves of our city's first artists, and those of the artists in the turn of the century Hoosier Group. An actor, an actress, and the architects that built both Crown Hill's and our city's enduring structures are also discussed. Much of this tour takes place in the eastern half of Crown Hill which is not covered by the other tours. A combination driving/walking tour, approximately 1½ hours. Available evenings & weekends.
African Americans
Learn about our city's Black heritage as we see where some of our most famous and influential African American citizens are buried and learn their stories. We will visit the graves of a poet, jazz musician, civic leaders, ministers and other notable citizens.Walking Tour, approximately one mile, 1½ hours. Available evenings & weekends.
Around the Gothic
The "Around the Gothic" walking tour covers the area around Crown Hill's historic Gothic Chapel (1875), and includes the popular figures buried in that area of the cemetery. Your guide will talk about the newly renovated and restored Gothic Chapel; two of the three vice presidents buried at Crown Hill; the National Cemetery and the thousands of soldiers buried there; Gov. Oliver P. Morton, Indiana's Civil War governor; Richard Gatling, inventor of the Gatling Gun, and many others. Note: This tour is designed to be wheelchair friendly and compared to our regular tours, is shorter in time and distance for those unable to take a longer tour! Walking Tour, less than a mile, 1 hour. Available most times.
Art and Architecture
By wandering through just a handful of the cemetery's burial sections, you will discover first hand Victorian and modern day attitudes toward death and memorialization and see the symbolism used in a variety of statues, monuments, and mausoleums. The regular walking tour lasts 1½ hours, but optional additions to visit some of the statues in the less often seen eastern portion of the cemetery, and/or some unique monuments incorporating photographs of the deceased could add another 30 to 45 minutes. Available evenings & weekends.
Authors
A walking tour in which we will see the graves of several of Indiana's early poets, three of the giant's of the Golden Age of Indiana Literature, and family members of Indianapolis's two best known contemporary writers, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and Dan Wakefield. While relaxing on one of Crown Hill's largest bench monuments, we will also discuss authors such as Kin Hubbard, William Herschell,and Etheridge Knight, who are buried in the distance. Not only are the authors' lives discussed, but we will read selections from their works, many of which refer to Crown Hill or some of its permanent residents. Walking Tour, approximately one mile, 2 hours. Available evenings & weekends.
Butler University at Crown Hill
This is a specialized tour concentrating on visits to names commonly associated with Butler University -- Tony Hinkle, Arthur Jordan, James I. Holcomb and Ovid Butler himself, among others. Two lesser known women, Catharine Merrill, the second female professor west of the Appalachian mountains, and Albertina Allen Forrest, whose monument is perhaps Crown Hill's most striking, are also included. A walking/driving tour, approximately one hour long. Available evenings & weekends.
Civil War Generals
On this fascinating tour, visitors will tour the grave sites of Civil War Generals who made a contribution to preserving the Union in very different ways. Among the many interesting stories to be shared, visitors will learn about John Coburn's saving Democrat Thomas Hendricks from being assassinated on May 20, 1863, in Indianapolis, and about Jefferson Columbus Davis shooting his commanding officer and getting away with it in 1862. Walking Tour, approximately one mile, 1½ to 2 hours.
Civil War Personalities
The Civil War was still being fought when Crown Hill opened its gates in 1864. On this tour we examine the lives of the many brave soldiers and generals who took part in the War Between the States, and of the politicians, journalists, and even household servants whose lives influenced and were influenced by our county's great conflict. Walking Tour, approximately one mile, 1½ hours. Available most times.
Civil War Women
Learn about the Union spy who was captured three times by the Confederates, and then how she escaped, and also about the career of the woman who performed on stage at the assassin of President Lincoln. At the graves of two Civil War nurses, we will find out what it was like to serve in that capacity. By the monument of a poetess, we'll hear her words that predicted the Civil War. Several Civil War letters will be read at the graves of the authors, including the wife of the founder of Butler University, whose son fought for the Union. Not every woman was loyal to the Union, and one such woman's grave will be on the tour. Some of these stories are long forgotten but worthy of remembrance. Walking Tour, approximately one mile, 1½ to 2 hours. Available various times.
Crown Hill Founders & Early History
On Crown Hill's Founders & Early History, developed for the celebration of the 140th anniversary of the dedication of Crown Hill Cemetery, we talk about the beginnings of the cemetery in 1863 and the thirty local leaders, (twenty seven of whom are buried here), who saw a need and gathered together to create Crown Hill. In addition to the founders, we'll visit to the grave of Frederick Chislett, the first superintendent and the one who implemented their plan, and then climb Crown Hill to see the panoramic view of Indianapolis which inspired them to pick this as the site of a new cemetery for a growing Indianapolis. Walking Tour, approximately one mile, 1½ - 2 hours. Available evenings & weekends.
Dillinger & Other Notables
This tour includes the sections just north of the Waiting Station, which is a part of the cemetery not regularly covered on other walking tours. Bank robber John Dillinger's grave will of course be one of our destinations, but we will also stop at the graves of many other interesting and important people and others who, although unknown, have memorialized themselves with some rather unique monuments. Walking Tour, approximately one mile, 1½ - 2 hours. Available evenings & weekends.
Favorite Monuments - Treasures All Around the Cemetery
Join us as we drive all around the cemetery seeking out unique monuments, most of them not included on any other tour. Whether it's because of their material (one monument is a little piece of Ireland), the unique subject or carving, or even the story behind them, we think you'll enjoy seeing some of Crown Hill's most interesting monuments. One stop will be the monument of Herbie Wirth, the humble door-to-door salesman whose funeral in 1971 turned out to be one of Crown Hill's biggest and the subject of a Reader's Digest article. Driving Tour, 2 hours. Available evenings & weekends.
Flu Epidemic of 1918
This tour discusses the causes of death of approximately 100 individuals buried side by side in the fall of 1918, revealing the enormous impact this world-wide epidemic had even deep in the heartland and demonstrating, in a very tangible way, that its victims were, more often than not, those in their early adulthood, including young mothers and soldiers returning home from World War I. Elementary classes taking the tour have used some of their time to do grave rubbings of the monuments of some of the flu victims here. The entire tour takes place in less than a hundred yards, but time is taken to mention the causes of death of a number of individuals. Approximately 45 minutes, but time can be added to do grave rubbings and/or tour the graves of President Harrison and James Whitcomb Riley. Available evenings & weekends.
Glimpse into Indiana's Medical Past - Crown Hill Cemetery
This tour, developed in cooperation with the Indiana Medical History Museum, tells the story of many of the professionals important in the history of the Central Indiana Hospital for the Insane, in whose pathology building the current museum is located. It includes a visit to Crown Hill's Anatomical Section to honor those who have donated their bodies to the continuing study of anatomy and disease. It makes a perfect companion to a group tour of the museum itself. Driving Tour, 1 hour. Available evenings & weekends.
Heritage Tour (our most popular tour!)
This tour presents the history of Crown Hill Cemetery while visiting the graves of some of the many interesting people buried here, the famous and not so famous, recent and long gone. A variety of monuments, including some of our most recognized statues are included, as well as the view of the downtown skyline from James Whitcomb Riley's tomb high atop beautiful Crown Hill. This tour is appropriate for all ages, and when asked which tour an adult or student group should take, this is our first recommendation. It provides a number of elements from other tours and is enjoyed by all. Walking Tour, approximately one mile, 1½ hours. Available most times.
Heroes of Crown Hill
Designed to be held as a public tour in conjunction with the annual Beyond the Badge 5K Run/Walk held each September, this tour can be scheduled any time throughout the year. On this tour we will honor the memory of several of our city's law enforcement officers and firefighters who paid the ultimate price. By telling their stories as we visit their monuments we hope to create a greater awareness and appreciation of their sacrifice. This tour includes the beautiful "Heroes of Public Safety" memorial and section, dedicated one year after 9-11. We can also see the graves of other officers who distinguished themselves in serving our community as well as the graves of three Medal of Honor recipients. Note: funds from this public tour in September are donated to the Jason M. Baker Public Safety Scholarship, created to provide scholarships for students studying public safety. Walking Tour, approximately one mile, 2 hours, with driving option to visit the Medal of Honor winners. Available evenings & weekends.
Indianapolis Auto Greats
Everyone knows that the month of May in Indianapolis is all about racing! From Charles Black, whose homemade auto was the first in Indianapolis, to Tony Bettenhausen, Jr., individuals buried at Crown Hill have long played a major role in making and racing cars. Included on this tour are Carl Fisher and the other founders of the Indianapolis 500®; auto makers Fred and Auggie Dusenberg, Harry Stutz, and the Marmons; numerous Indianapolis 500® race car drivers, mechanics, officials, and sponsors; and other sultans of speed such as Cannonball Baker and Roscoe Turner. Combination Walking / Driving Tour, 2 hours. Available evenings & weekends.
Indianapolis Names
Why it is the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood, Hinkle Fieldhouse, Morris Street, Binford Boulevard, Fletcher Place, etc., are graced with these names? Learn the stories behind many of the names we see as we run around town, as well as the history of the Lilly family. Walking Tour, approximately one mile, 2 hours. Available evenings & weekends.
Indianapolis Pioneers
Learn the early history of Indianapolis through the stories of those who lived here between 1820 and 1850. See the graves of the men whose names live on through our street names: Fletcher, Morris, McCarty; of Alexander Ralston, the man who laid out our city streets, and of other men and women who contributed to our city and state's early social, political, and commercial development. Walking Tour, approximately one mile, 1½ hours. Available most times.
Photographer's Tour
PHOTOGRAPHERS! Bring your camera, tripod, shutter release cable, imagination, creativity, and lots memory cards! This tour is designed for, but not limited to, photographers wanting an opportunity to take pictures in Crown Hill on a guided walking tour, blending history and photography. If desired, you may schedule your tour so you can photograph the Indianapolis skyline at sunset - or in the dark! Walking Tour, approximately one mile, 2 hours. Available evenings & weekends.
Politicians
Because of Indianapolis's place as Indiana's capital city, and Indiana's pivotal place in national politics in the late 19th and early 20th century, on this tour we are able to visit the gravesides of one president, three vice-presidents (more than in any other cemetery) three other prominent, though unsuccessful vice-presidential candidates, eleven Indiana governors, fourteen U.S. Senators, and numerous other cabinet officers, representatives, diplomats, state legislators, and mayors. The tour is made more interesting by giving many personal anecdotes which reveal their personalities and not just their politics. Walking Tour, a little over a mile, 1½ to 2 hours. Available evenings & weekends.
Skeletons in the Closet, Part I
Was it one of his three wives, or another long-time lover, that Skiles Test kept in a glass coffin in his House of Blue Lights along Fall Creek? Why does one headstone say simply "Mother of Rosalind" and not her full name, which would have been Helen Orr Hufnall Phaff English Wegmann English English Prince Prince? He followed in the footsteps of both his father and grandfather to become bank president, building himself a 40,000 square foot mansion on the east side of town, but by the time Stoughton Fletcher died, he'd lost the house, survived his wife's suicide, a runaway daughter's mysterious death, and was working as a hotel elevator operator in Los Angeles when his son committed suicide as well. On this tour we'll discuss their lives and the lives of others who show us that money does not necessarily bring happiness. Note: this is not a creepy tour about ghosts, but a historical tour about of some of the people buried at Crown Hill. Walking Tour, approximately one mile, 2 hours. Available evenings & weekends.
Skeletons in the Closet, Part II
More skeletons! On this tour we'll learn about the more sensational stories in the Indianapolis news from the 1860s to the 1970s: the Cold Spring Murders, the Bowen-Merrill Fire, bank robber John Dillinger, the rising executive slain by his mistress in the 1950s, and the Marjorie Jackson case of 1977. Note: this is not a creepy tour about ghosts, but a historical tour about of some of the people buried at Crown Hill.Driving Tour, 2 hours. Available evenings & weekends.
Smithsonian Art Museum Tour
This tour takes us to twenty of Crown Hill's beautiful sculptures included in the Smithsonian American Art Museum Art Inventories Catalog. Participants will learn about the history of these art works as well as many of the people they memorialize. Several of the works included are the bronze sculpture memorializing the young Butler professor, Albertina Forrest, who died suddenly in 1904 at age 32; the granite Sayles monument with a relief carving of an angel with wings standing beside a kneeling mourning woman; and a life-sized sculpture marking the grave site of Mary Ella McGinnis, who was buried Sept. 5, 1875. The 5 1/2 year old was the daughter of Civil War general George McGinnis. She died on Aug. 6, 1875 due to lung congestion. In addition to these beautiful works of art there are many more included on this tour. Walking Tour, approximately one mile, 2 hours. Available evenings & weekends.
Sudoku, Stained Glass & Disney's Prince
Visitors can take a look inside the Crown Hill Community Mausoleum on this unique walking tour, conducted completely indoors, and learn about many interesting people! One of the best secrets around is that a local architect created the immensely popular Sudoku puzzle game that's known around the world! He's entombed in the Crown Hill Mausoleum, along with the actor who was the voice of the Prince in Disney's Sleeping Beauty movie, as well as many other prominent personalities! Also included on this tour is a peek at several of our beautiful custom-made stained glass windows featuring colorful birds, rabbits and butterflies. Indoor Walking Tour, approximately 2 hours. Available evenings & weekends.
Tombstones and Trees
See the impressive tombstones, and the equally impressive nearby trees, on this leisurely walk through the scenic grounds of the cemetery. With over 4,100 trees in the cemetery, the tour will look at about twenty, some of which are not native to Indiana. Among the trees, visitors will hear about people who are buried here, and what they did during their lives. Enjoy nature and history at the same time! Students are welcome to do a leaf collection at the same time. When available, Tree Maps will be provided. Walking Tour, approximately one mile, 2 hours. Available various times.
Trees of Crown Hill
We have trees! Our "Trees of Crown Hill" walking tour covers between 15-20 trees (or more), the majority which are species native to Indiana. (Currently 110 different tree species within Crown Hill have been identified; a rarity in an urban setting.) Blended into the tour will be an opportunity for participants to collect leaves from the trees covered on the tour for a leaf collection. When available, a Tree Map identifying over 100 trees will be included. In addition, your guide will share historical information about Crown Hill and the people buried here, giving visitors a unique learning experience. In addition to identifying specific tree species, you'll also learn about some of their unique components and the critical roles and benefits trees provide for the environment. This tour is great for students making a leaf collection and is designed to meet Indiana's academic requirements. Walking Tour, approximately one mile, 1½ hours. Available various times.
Veterans
Starting at the grave of John Morrow, a soldier in the American Revolution, this tour visits the graves of a number of veterans from each of America's great conflicts down through the war in Iraq. Participants are invited to bring flowers to place at the graves if they wish. Walking Tour, approximately ¾ mile, 1-1½ hours. Available Memorial Day & evenings & weekends.
Women of Crown Hill
On this walk through the history of Indianapolis, we will discuss the lives of Indiana's leaders in the fight for women's right to vote, influential educators, cultural benefactors, artists, pioneers, Nancy Clem of the Cold Springs murders, and many other interesting women. Our stops include the grave sites of May Sewall, Grace Julian Clarke, Zerelda Wallace, Catharine Merrill, Eliza Blaker, and Albertina Forrest, whose grave is one of Crown Hill's most memorable. Walking Tour, approximately one mile, 2 hours. Available various times.
Facts about Crown Hill Cemetery
- 555 Acres
- It is estimated that 82% of those who lived in Indianapolis prior to 1825, and who stayed here, are now buried at Crown Hill.
- Crown Hill is the third largest (non-government) cemetery in the United States.
- 1,200 to 1,500 burials are made at Crown Hill each year, with over 200,000 total.
- Crown Hill contains 25 miles of paved roads.
- Crown Hill is the only Indiana cemetery with a U.S. President, three Vice Presidents, and four unsuccessful VP candidates.
- The cemetery was listed on The National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
