Unknown Wonder of Indy
As you reflect on 250 years of American history this Independence Day, the Indiana War Memorial’s Shrine Room in downtown Indianapolis is a breathtaking destination to add to your summer bucket list. After years of extensive roof and ceiling renovations, the Shrine Room finally reopened to the public on June 10, 2026.
“When people come in off the street and have never been in the Indiana War Memorial before and have no idea what’s in here, the Shrine Room is where you send them, and it is probably the most powerful place to send them,” says Jason Edwardson, the museum’s tour manager.
Dedicated on Armistice Day, Nov. 11, 1933, the Shrine Room was built to serve as the centerpiece of the Indiana War Memorial — a shrine to the American flag and a tribute to the Allied Powers of World War I.
As visitors look up at the large flag hanging from the 110-foot ceiling, surrounded by 40-foot marble columns, their eyes are naturally drawn down to the marble altar below. Around the altar are inscriptions intended to instill a sense of civic prid
e. According to Edwardson, those messages continue to resonate today by inspiring optimism, hope and a foundation for how people should treat one another.
“To sum it up in one word, what people say is ‘wow,’” Edwardson says. “Quite literally, if I’m taking groups up there, or even just one person, usually the first word out of their mouth is either ‘wow’ or an expletive.”
For years, the Shrine Room has remained one of Indianapolis’ hidden treasures. Edwardson often encourages hesitant visitors to climb the 70 stairs leading to the shrine. According to him, once guests arrive, the response is almost always the same: “How did I not know this was here?”
He even recalls one visitor who had lived across the street for 50 years and never knew the Shrine Room existed until deciding to tour the building. Edwardson hopes more Hoosiers will discover and appreciate what has been standing proudly in their city for nearly a century.
“If you haven’t seen this, you haven’t seen the best spot in Indianapolis. That’s the truth,” Edwardson says. “It is definitely something that anybody from Indiana or Indianapolis should know about.”
The Indiana War Memorial, including the Shrine Room, is open free of charge Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is located at 55 E. Michigan St. in downtown Indianapolis.
For more information, visit indianawarmemorials.org.
