The Hendrick's County War Memorial sits on the northeast corner of Courthouse Square in Danville,…read moreIndiana. The modern monument honors Hendrick's County residents who gave their lives during 20th century wars. The granite statute has the names of soldiers from WWI, WWII, Koran War, and Vietnam carved on flanking pillars. The base is inscribed "Once in our lives, forever in our memories". A center pillar states "In Honor of Hendrick's County Veterans Who Gave Their Lives in Defense of Our Country". An eagle and map of Indiana are also carved in the pillar. Flags stand behind the monument. I thought of my parents who both served in the Air Force. There is a small wall high enough to sit and remanence. The memorial was made possible by the Danville and Pittsburg Jaycees. Jeffry Dever designed the monument and served as the chairman of the project committee. The Memorial was dedicated July 4, 1992. A nearby time capsule will be opened on July 4, 2042. There is free street parking nearby. The sidewalk is accessible.

I often forget just how many review-worthy places, landmarks, and public art installations are…read morearound my office in the Indiana Government Center. I'll admit I was a little surprised to see a review of "Lincoln Funeral Train Marker," but given its history it does make sense. The marker, commissioned by the Indiana Historical Bureau in 2008, is adjacent to the Indiana Statehouse on the south lawn. It marks the funeral train of President Lincoln passing through Indianapolis in 1865. The funeral train had three Indiana stops - Richmond, Indianapolis, and Michigan City. It was reported that buildings in Indy were draped in black and at least 50,000 people gathered to view Lincoln's open casket. Why review a marker? I think for me it's to honor the history of my community. I don't review all of them, but some of these are really part of Hoosier history and for history buffs they're a great visit. I also love that the Indiana Historical Bureau creates these markers.

In 2008, the Indiana Historical Bureau and Indiana Abraham Bicentennial Commission dedicated this…read moresimple and very powerful marker describing how President Lincoln's funeral train passed through Indianapolis in 1865. This two sided marker is located on the lawn of the statehouse. It bears the following inscription: Assassinated President Abraham Lincoln's funeral was April 19, 1865 at the White House. The funeral train left for Springfield, Illinois April 21 directed by the military; stops en route allowed mourners to pay homage. In Richmond, Indiana, Governor Oliver P. Morton boarded; train reached Indianapolis, April 30, at 7:00 a.m. Buildings were draped in black. In the rain, Lincoln's coffin was escorted along crowded streets lined with soldiers to old State House, located here. Reports say at least 50,000 people viewed Lincoln's open casket in the rotunda. Through streets lit by bonfires and torches, coffin was returned to Union Depot; train departed at 12:00 a.m. for Michigan City, last scheduled Indiana stop.

This clock is an Indiana historical landmark. It was installed by L.S. Ayres Department Store in…read more1936 on what was their building at the time. The clock is at the corner of Washington and Meridian streets, weighs 10,000-pound, and stand 8-foot-tall. The clock served as a visual landmark back in the day. Legend has it that there was a popular saying, "meet me under the Ayres Clock." The clock currently belongs to the city of Indianapolis and is maintained by Indiana Landmarks. As with anything of that age, repairs are desperately needed. This clock is no exception. It has been through multiple repairs, most recently in 2020, when its frame and structure were serviced. Since 1947, there has been a small sculpted cherub that randomly appears perched on the clock every Thanksgiving, and remains there until New Year's Day. I visited during that time and saw it tucked in between the clock and the building. It was kind of hard to see. I am glad though that the tradition continued in spite of the volunteer that had been placing the cherub for decades, passing away. His family just carried on the tradition for him. There is metered street parking available near the clock and there is also a few paid parking lots in the vicinity to park at and take a closer look. It definitely not a very long stop. I was there less than 3 minutes. You may want to consider making this trip as part of a larger itineraray of downtown things to do.

This is one of the many realistic-looking statues hanging around the downtown Carmel Arts & Design…read moreDistrict. This one is called "Things to Do," and it was created by artist J. Seward Johnson Jr., who is an American realism artist. This statue, like all of Seward Johnson's sculptures that I've seen so far, toe the line between realistic and uncannily creepy. I tend think that they lean more on the creepy side myself, so I try not to look at these statues that much when I pass them on the street. This statue depicts a woman sitting on a bench with a pen and notebook, deep in thought with her sunglasses in hand. I can relate to the sentiment of the statue because, like this woman, I, too, have lots of things to do daily. And like this statue, I, too, must make lists to contain the multitude of things I need to do and remember. The statue is located on southeast corner of Range Line Road (or Rangeline Road -- it's spelled both ways sometimes) and Main Street.

I was spending some time downtown today in my Indiana Government Center office and decided to check…read moreout some of the area's public art including some of our monuments. The Thomas A. Hendricks Statue, which should really be considered a monument, is located on the southeast corner of the Indiana Statehouse. It's a memorial for Thomas A. Hendricks (not to be confused with former Indiana Governor William Hendricks, Thomas Hendricks's uncle and Indiana's third governor). Thomas Hendricks was the 21st Vice President of the United States having served under one-term President Grover Cleveland for eight months until Hendricks passed away. He was also Indiana's 16th Governor and was also a U.S. Representative. He led the campaign to build the Indiana Statehouse. The sculpture is a full-length bronze. The pedestal is red Italian granite. While the sculpture was initially only Hendricks, as money became available (especially after his death), two bronze allegorical figures were added representing "Justice" and "Enlightenment. All the figures were done by Richard Henry Park, though the Italian granite was actually built in Rome. The monument was dedicated in 1890 and I rather marveled at how well it has held up over the years. I still find it to be rather majestic, Hendricks portrayed as a heroic figure and it's relatively unsurprising that the monument's unveiling attracted attendees from statewide along with multiple governors. This is one of those memorials I see on an almost daily basis. For whatever reason, I've never really stopped and spent time with it. Doing so today made me appreciate its presence even more (and also motivated me to dig into its history when I returned home).

Statute jr for former American Vice President Thomas A Hendricks located outside the state Capitol…read morein downtown Indianapolis Indiana. My family and I were in town for the weekend my daughter cheer Competition held inside the Convention center. Over the two days while waiting between performances and awards ceremonies me and sometimes my family walked the surrounding areas and explored as the public art scene here is plentiful and creative. The Capitol was right near the convention so it was an easy trek and boasted not only This statue but several other statues and sculptures. So any fan of history or art lover would enjoy walking these grounds.

He co-founded General Motors in 1911 and his name is still well known over a century later…read more This memorial to Mr. Chevrolet is located to the side of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum near the Coca Cola Pit Stop snack bar. It includes a bronze bust of Louis Chevrolet on a stone pedestal. There are some sculpted panels flanking the statue depicted various scenes involving the Chevrolet family and the history of the American auto industry.

Just west of the entrance into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is a small plaza (Founders…read morePlaza) that was created in 1975 as a tribute to Louis Chevrolet and his contribution to auto/racing. The bronze and marble semi-circle features a bust of Chevrolet on a central pedestal. Above the marble bench are four recreations of photographs of great moments in the Chevrolet history at the track. These bronze reliefs feature some of the legendary names in auto racing from the early years. Surprisingly, even Henry Ford gets his name and picture on one! The bronzes were created by Adolph Wolter in the years leading up to the dedication ceremony in 1975. I must admit that there were a number of the depicted individuals that I had never heard of. I am glad that those names and faces have been preserved so that they don't have to be forgotten. Review #1866

This is a small plaza that features public art paying hommage to the state of Indiana. It was a…read moregifted to the city in 2010 by the White family, from White Lodging, the primary developer of Marriott Place. It is located across from the Indiana State Museum, around the corner from the JW Marriott and right in front of the Fridays. It is meant to also be a smoking area for hotel guest, in addition to a small art park. There are a bunch of picnic tables and chairs for visitors to sit and enjoy the space. The Plaza features artwork from Jeff Laramore. The most notable of pieces in the Plaza is Cardinal, a bright red steel sculpture that measures over 35 ft high and 50 feet long. The cardinal is supposed to be perched on Indiana's State tree, the Tulip Tree. There is also a 60 foot mosaic waterwall wall that was made out of over 1,000 pieces of granite and marble that are supposed to represent Indiana's state flower, peonies. Even though I am not from Indiana originally, I love the "Proud to be a Hoosier" theme the Plaza has going on. It is well done and made with fine attention to detail. There is garage parking and paid lots within walking distance from the plaza, but the primary users of the plaza are JW Marriott guests. This is a nice place to visit. I would probably couple it with a stay at the JW or a visit to White River State Park and/or one of the many museums in the area.

In the shadow of the JW Marriott Hotel downtown, the White Art Plaza was dedicated in February 2010…read moreas a gift to the City of Indianapolis from the White Family. The plaza is located on the north side of the building just outside the entrances to TGI Fridays and the Tavern on the Plaza seasonal restaurant. The most noticeable feature is the "Cardinal", Indiana's state bird. The bright red sculpture stands nearly 36 feet tall and is made from recycled aluminum wrapped around a steel infrastructure. The Cardinal is "perched" upon lines of the Tulip Poplar Tree (Indiana's state tree) that are etched into the plaza's concrete, giving the songbird a dimensional backdrop. The Cardinal overlooks the Plaza's stage. The external wall along the northern edge of the plaza is made up of four panels, each 15 feet long. The panels form a restful oasis of calm for city visitors. Together the panels span 60 feet forming a water wall containing containing an intricate mural honoring Indiana's state flower, the Peony. Each panel contains over one thousand individual components, hand designed and custom cut. From the plaza, visitors can gaze across Washington Street to the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. The Kenneth R Bunn water sculpture "Whitetail Deer" is a multi-component bronze work conveying a sense of action and movement. Even though it only takes moments to appreciate the details of the plaza, the vibrant color and the homage to the Hoosier favorites adds a sense of calm and peace to a busy section of downtown. Review #116

Many people call this the Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial, but there is no such thing. It is…read morecalled the Medal of Honor Memorial. the Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial is something made up in movies and TV. If you don't believe me, look at what it is called on its website. This memorial was designed by Eric Fulford and Ann Reed and the Indianapolis Power & Light Company was the main sponsor. It was dedicated in May 1999, during Memorial Day weekend. This is a nice memorial that is located right behind the Indiana State Museum, across the canal. If you think it looks nice during the day, you should see it lite up at night. It consists of 27 curved glass panels, each etched with the names of all Medal's recipients, their branch of service and the locations of their heroic actions. In all, the panels have over 3,400 names. There are 4 flag poles on the high end of the memorial, where it meets military park, proudly waving the American Flag. The memorial has an audio system that is playing testimonies of some of the medal recipients, loud and clear. You will also find a name locater in the memorial, but the screen is horrible and hard to see what it is displaying. There is metered street parking available near the memorial and a few parking garages within a reasonable walking distance. The memorial can be accessed for Military Park, which is the easiest, or by walking down the canal. I was looking at other stuff, so I walked down the canal. Keep in mind that this is a memorial, so clean up your dog crap if it chooses to go there for some reason, but try to not even have it go there would be even better. Also keep the scooters out of there would be a nice start. I know I should not have to say it, but that is just some displays of poor etiquette that I saw during my brief visit there. This memorial is very tasteful and well done. It is a wonderful tribute to those soldiers, sailors and airmen that put country and team above themselves, and most of which made the ultimate sacrifice, receiving the award posthumously. With that being said, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 15 minutes. You may want to consider planning out additional stops or making it part of a larger itinerary.  You could start by visiting the many murals that line the canal's underpasses. Fun Fact: The Memorial received a 2001 Merit Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects

Unveiled on May 28, 1999 during Memorial Day Weekend, Indy's Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial…read morehonors all recipients of the Medal of Honor - the nation's highest military award for valor. Specifically located on the north bank of the downtown canal adjacent to Military Park, the Medal of Honor Memorial is practically a must visit for anyone truly walking/running/wheeling the canal. It consists of 27 glass panels set in concrete bases with Indiana limestone also part of the memorial. The panels are arranged into 15 different conflicts for which the Medal of Honor was presented. At the time the memorial was dedicated, there were 3,436 Medal of Honor recipients. The memorial also has a very cool lighting system that works alongside a 30-minute audio tour played over a speaker system. The tour is made up of stories about the wars and of the surviving medical recipients. In some cases, the stories are told by the survivors themselves. As an interesting note, the site chosen is also the same spot where Indianapolis first had an Independence Day celebration. The site was also used as a military camp during the Civil War (primarily Military Park). The memorial falls within the actual boundaries of White River State Park. 96 Medal of Honor recipients attended the unveiling. IPALCO (Indianapolis Power & Light) Enterprises sponsored the monument and it was designed by landscape architects Eric Fulford and Ann Reed. Former IPL chair John Hodowal and his wife Caroline actually commissioned the memorial. The memorial received a 2001 Merit Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects. While there is much fun to be had in the canal area, I love the little places like this where one can pause and reflect on those who've sacrificed for our way of life and many who've given their lives. If you get a chance, I highly suggest a visit. If you have a veteran in your family, it's also a meaningful place to visit at least once and at the time it was built was the only one in the country (I believe this is no longer true, but I'm not sure).