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    The Indianapolis Propylaeum

    3.4 (58 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

    Services - The Indianapolis Propylaeum

    Community Service/Non-Profit

    Venue rental

    The Indianapolis Propylaeum Photos

    THE INDIANAPOLIS PROPYLAEUM ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Indianapolis Propylaeum

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    Lovely evening porch concert with local artists. Free! Donations support preservation of the historic home.

    Truly enjoyable evening! Love supporting local artists and the Propyleum in it's efforts to preserve this amazing property on the National Register of Historic Places. A little gem of Indiana history, women's rights and the Old Northside neighborhood.

    Trenton M.

    Short Version: For our wedding at the Propylaeum, my wife, Samantha, and I found that the atmosphere, buildup, and day-of experience that the staff provided and the venue offered were top-notch. The Propylaeum will forever hold a special place in our hearts, and we appreciated the smoothness with which our wedding proceeded. In the paragraphs below, I'll throw around words like unique and historic, but I don't use those words lightly. At the Propylaeum, Ella Fitzgerald can play across the same rooms--her smooth sound echoing off the classically decorated walls, floor, and ceiling--where soiree-attendees in the 30s and 40s might have downed cocktails and listened to those same songs stream from a Victrola phonograph. Venues like the Propylaeum are rare gems. Long Version: Think of this review as the answer to three important questions: (1) What's the venue like? (2) What planning went into the wedding? and (3) How did the wedding day proceed? First, what's the Propylaeum like, as a venue? I could use any number of typical descriptors here: beautiful, historic, charming. These are all appropriate. But the details tell a better story. For example, the Propylaeum's décor connects visitors with the women's suffrage efforts of the early 20th century, with artifacts and documents from activists' efforts. The art spread throughout the building is superb and further formulates the historic atmosphere. A T.C. Steele painting welcomes you as you enter the main lobby. Beyond the look and feel, the Propylaeum comfortably accommodated the fluid movement of our wedding's 140 guests. Wedding-related events can take place across the entire grounds, the wraparound front porch, the household, and the carriage house--we used all of these. The multilevel carriage house is perfect as a dance area, with a large, open area and a kitchen. For our reception, the household and carriage house worked in tandem: one for the dinner and toasts, and the other for dancing. Second, during the planning phase, the Propylaeum staff provided creative and receptive assistance. Samantha and I visited the venue several times in the build-up weeks and LaurieAnne Perez, the Propylaeum's Event Coordinator, took significant time to answer all of our stressed-out questions and met with our photographer and DJ. On the day before the event, multiple staff members were on hand for wedding setup. Although Samantha and I like to pat ourselves on our collective backs for surviving our wedding without hiring a planner--we put in a lot of legwork!--the Propylaeum staff helped with this achievement from the planning phase up to the moment Sam and I exchanged vows. Third, on our wedding day (and weekend, for that matter), the Propylaeum became our comfortable headquarters. Indeed, the fact that the Propylaeum offers six rooms as a bed & breakfast minimized back-and-forth travel for those involved with the wedding. Several multipurpose rooms across the three stories helped us store decorations, food, and gifts. These several rooms also served as wedding prep rooms where the wedding party could relax, change, or eat during the lead-up hours. Of course, many wedding venues offer storage and prep rooms, but these are different; as I mentioned above, you're sitting in a monument of Indianapolis history. The different floors and rooms, and the stairways and hallways that connect them, are gorgeous and unique.

    Ashley M.

    I attended a Murder Mystery Dinner at this venue. It was very enjoyable walking around searching for clues in this beautiful house. We were give wine, a 3 course meal, and an evening full of fun. I would highly recommend and may even attend the next one on New Year's Eve!

    Peter K.

    Finally visited the Indianapolis Propylaeum for lunch. The space is magical! The food was great and to my surprise the prices are great. The chef came around to make sure our experience was great. I had the Bang- Bang chicken. Plenty of parking and I highly recommend touring the building after your food experience.

    Chocolate overload cake

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - The Indianapolis Propylaeum

    Review Highlights - The Indianapolis Propylaeum

    Karin, who catered a delectable menu, also helped with the coordinating, down to the last detail.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    Allison Mansion

    Allison Mansion

    5.0(2 reviews)
    3.1 mi

    Allison Mansion is, at least in my opinion, deceptively ordinary on the outside. Oh sure, it's a…read moremansion and you can tell it's a mansion. However, looking on the outside can't begin to prepare you for the wonder of what's on the inside of this former residence that now serves as the Office of the President for Indy's Marian University. The mansion was first built by James Allison, co-founder of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500. The ceiling's Tiffany stained glass windows allow the sun to shine brightly inside. The mansion's most impressive room was, in fact, originally designed as a marble aviary by Allison to contain his wife's exotic bird collection. The 2-story, red-brick arts and craft style home continues to have an expensive chandelier imported from Germany, a sunken conservatory, and a 2-story pipe organ. Seriously. The property itself is remarkable. Atop a cliff that overlooks a wetland, the property includes greenhouses, ponds, and orchards. Seriously, I would become Marian University's president just to spend time in the office. Allison passed away in 1928 and the property remained unsettled until it was acquired by the Sisters of St. Francis - the founders of Marian University. At one point, public tours were offered but this is no longer the case. You can, however, rent it for events (which is how I've been inside, though it's definitely not wheelchair friendly in any real sense).

    Circle City Tours took a roll through private Catholic Marian University and my eyes feasted upon…read morethe beautiful Craftsman Allison Mansion. One reviewer stated "The Allison Mansion remains perfectly restored and beautiful to an almost eerie degree." Eerie alright--there is a disquiet about the Mansion: it is said to be haunted! Builder James Allison was a wealthy man and founder of the Indianapolis Speedway and Allison Engineering Company. The mansion was built between 1911 and 1914 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. Allison died young from pneumonia at age 56. The mansion was later sold to what is now Marian University,. However, many locals and visitors feel that Allison never really left the building! Most stories claim Allison still haunts the mansion, rearranging books in the library and furniture as he sees fit. But there are other ghostly goings-on here: the spirit of a little girl who drowned in the basement pool still lingers around the mansion. "Visitors claim to have seen the ghost of a little girl and even heard shrill screams and heartbreaking cries from the basement. Voices in the attic have also been reported," said www.onlyinyourstate.com. I can understand the ghost of Allison hanging around: this place is plush! No expense was spared while building the two-story, red-brick, arts-and-crafts-style Mansion. The exquisite marble aviary was built for Allison's first wife's exotic bird collection, Also impressive: the expensive chandelier imported from Germany, a sunken conservatory, and a magnificent music room with a two-story pipe organ. Outdoors, enjoy lush gardens, manicured lawns, greenhouses, ponds, and orchards that overlook a wetland now restored and maintained by Marian University. Upon Allison's death, there was some concern about the historic property's fate. Bless the Catholics: Allison Mansion was eventually acquired by the Sisters of Saint Francis, who also founded Marian University. Allison Mansion is still part of the university. It is open for public tours and can also be rented for private events. The Mansion is a feature on annual Halloween Ghost Tours. 5 YELP STARS for spooky spectacular!

    Photos
    Allison Mansion
    Allison Mansion
    Allison Mansion

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    The Nest Event Center - Inside their new location

    The Nest Event Center

    4.3(4 reviews)
    2.4 mi

    Wow!! What a transformation!! I haven't seen this building since it was Jonathan Byrd's restaurant…read more The exterior is now black and white which is very classic and understated. The Nest Event Center is located in Greenwood just off I-65 at Main Street. The parking lot is quite large and will accommodate a large event. The interior is amazing and you'd never know it was a former restaurant. The lobby area is very attractive, decorated in beiges and cream, and I could see using this for cocktails, a reception line plus so much more. It worked well tonight for purchasing tickets plus an area to sit and relax while enjoying the fireplace. The versatile ballroom is quite large and can handle everything from a wedding, conference to special events. One of those special events is the Holiday Craft Show tonight. The Event Center has a neutral color scheme and can accomadate most bridal or conference color schemes. This proved to be true with all the colors associated with the Holiday Craft Show. Tonight all different color schemes were used and all the crafts looked wonderful. With this neutral backdrop any decor theme would work nicely allowing brides or companies a great deal of flexibility and creativity. The Holiday Craft Show was a huge draw. Many different types of vendors filled the ballroom carrying Christmas decor, wreaths, jewelry, clothing, wool mittens, woodworking projects, signs, candles, crocheted items, lap blankets, floral arrangements and much more. There truly was something for most anyone's interest and many gift ideas. In the future I would like to take an official tour and checkout pricing for a yearly event I'm involved with. This is a beautiful venue with endless potential.

    This is an absolutely amazing event center. It is an absolutely stunning location and the staff are…read moresecond to none! They are so helpful and nice and go above and beyond in making your event absolutely perfect! The location is absolutely perfect for any event you might have, weddings, birthdays, anniversary's, literally anything. There is only one issue that I have with the nest. I had never believed in the supernatural before... but this place is indisputably haunted. There is absolutely no question about it! But don't let that deter you! The haunting spirits just add to the charm and fun of this event center. I hope you have an amazing event!

    Photos
    The Nest Event Center - Lobby is very nice

    Lobby is very nice

    The Nest Event Center
    The Nest Event Center

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    Urban Apples - Great sitting area in the loft.

    Urban Apples

    4.2(109 reviews)
    18.5 mi

    This is such a fun cidery and event space!! We love coming here for seasonal drinks on tap and live…read moremusic. They also offer TCH beverages as well. They are dog friendly as long as you sit outside and I believe they also have a speak easy that's not easily found but so cool! We're coming back for line dancing and fun events! A great local hangout for families and singles alike The food is pretty good. It's a very casual setting in what appears to be a big red barn. Sometimes German fare like brats potato salad is on the menu. Love the whipped feta and cider donuts! I believe they have a soft serve ice cream machine which is great for kids especially in the summer. Thank you Payton and the lovely young lady who served us last night! You were both so friendly, kind, approachable and helpful! Keep an eye out of for all the cool happenings especially in the summer like hot air balloon launches and family friendly BBQ's. I believe they do have some igloos available this winter too! It's a fantastic event space for weddings and private events! Come check it out!

    I love that the Indy area has a spot for ciders now! We stopped in on a Saturday for lunch and…read moredrinks. When you walk in there is a counter in the middle of the building where you can wait in line to order food and drinks. They will give you a buzzer to come back and grab food once it's ready. This was a bit awkward as it made it difficult to walk inside with where the line is, the flow could definitely be improved. They only had 2 employees taking orders for the entire place so the wait is long. We ordered some cider, slushies, chicken fingers, pretzel, and a wrap. The food took a little bit to come out and was pretty good. I found it a bit expensive for what it was. They have non alcoholic slushies which is perfect for littles. They have indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating is essentially full sun, as they have umbrellas but they are in awkward spots and don't really cover any of the seating. They have a grass area where kids can run around, but they did have two fire pits that are by the entryway so you have to be super careful if you have small kids.

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    Urban Apples - Cider flight

    Cider flight

    Urban Apples
    Urban Apples - Cider menu & bar

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    Cider menu & bar

    Union Station - Window

    Union Station

    4.8(10 reviews)
    1.6 miMile Square

    I love nothing more than a unique venue with endless possibilities (bonus brownie points if it has…read morehistorical charm), so it's no surprise I fell head over heels in love with Grand Hall at Union Station when I attended a Creative Mornings talk. In the good ol' days, this is where travelers waited for their trains. It opened in 1888, and looking around you can sense the history and visualize a black and white photo of Union Station in its glory days. When train travel went by the wayside, Grand Hall was left abandoned and dilapidated until it was transformed into a shopping mall + food court in the 1980s. When Circle Center Mall opened up and stole the thunder, Grand Hall was remodeled to become the gorgeous event space it is today. This is a great example of a historical building that in many ways has remained the same but has changed its purpose to meet the needs of the time. A lovely venue for a large seminar, annual meeting, or wedding. I highly recommend you check out Union Station and also take a peek at the train car hotel rooms at the adjacent Crowne Plaza. Take a step back in time and reimagine Indy as the crossroads of the country - by train, that is!

    Spent a day here for a friend's wedding. The architecture reminds me of the Great Gatsby. And on…read moreone of the flights of stairs, you can see the wear on the stone of where people have climbed the stairs over the years, which is cool. It seems like a place that has a lot of history.

    Photos
    Union Station - Tables

    Tables

    Union Station - Amtrak Cardinal at Union Station in June 2022

    Amtrak Cardinal at Union Station in June 2022

    Union Station - Exterior

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    Exterior

    The Indianapolis Propylaeum - venues - Updated June 2026

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