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| Indiana Photo of the Day - Soldiers and Sailors Monument - Monument Circle, Indianapolis |
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| Exploring Indiana's Historic Sites, Markers & Museums - Central Edition |
The Soldiers and Sailors Monument is the centerpiece of Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis. Retail stores, office buildings, radio station and televisions studios surround the Monument. The monument was built in 1902 from a design commissioned to Bruno Schmidz of Berlin, Prussia. The monument stands 284 feet, six inches tall and is made of Oolitic limestone from Owen County in southern Indiana.
Design and Construction
Numerous sculptures surround the monument. German designer Bruno Schmitz designed the monument, expanding on a design commenced by Alexander Ralston's 1821 plan. Governor Oliver Morton proposed the idea for the Monument. The Indiana General Assembly created a commission to build it in 1888. The Commission staged an international competition to pick artists to construct the monument. Renowned artists and architects Bruno Schmitz, George Brewster, Nicholas Geiger and Rudolf Schwarz designed various aspects of the cascading fountains, sculptures of sailors and soldiers, and other features of the magnificent monument. The memorial became a symbol of not only Indianapolis, but the State of Indiana as well.
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| Soldiers and Sailors Monument - Monument Circle, Indianapolis |
The monument houses the Eli Lily Civil War Museum in the lower level. The museum features numerous exhibits relating Indiana's role in the Civil War and the stories of some of these soldiers.
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| Downtown Indianapolis View of Capitol from Soldiers and Sailors Monument |
Visiting the Monument
After visiting the museum, you will find excellent views of downtown Indianapolis from observation decks just above street level. From here you can see the impressive tall buildings surrounding the circle and obtain great scenes down north and south Meridian Street, East Market Street towards City Market and West Market as it looks directly at the Indiana State Capitol Building. You may then either climb the 330 stairs, or take the elevator for a stunning vista of the city from the top of the monument.
The Soldiers and Sailors Monument is located at the intersection of Meridian and Market Streets in downtown Indianapolis.
Colonel Eli Lilly Civil War Museum
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| Colonel Eli Lilly Civil War Museum |
The Colonel Eli Lilly Civil War Museum, located on the lower level of the monument, houses a museum dedicated to veterans of the Civil War as well as a gift shop. For information about the hours of the museum, contact:
Colonel Eli Lilly Civil War Museum
To find more information about the monument and current operation hours, visit:
Soldiers and Sailors
Monument
Soldiers and Sailors Monument This article excerpted from the author's book:
A Day in Indiana History - May
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| Downtown Indianapolis from Soldiers and Sailors Monument |
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