Crown Hill Heritage Foundation

Best of Indy Tours

Join the thousands who visit Crown Hill each year and experience the incredible beauty, history, and heritage of the nation's third largest cemetery on a guided walking or driving tour. Twice voted "Best of Indy Walking Tour" by Indianapolis Monthly magazine, our Public and Private guided group tours offer an interesting and detailed look into the lives of many of the famous and infamous, fascinating, and sometimes ordinary people buried and entombed here.
MORE TOUR INFORMATION

Memorial Day 2013: Honoring the Courage of Heroes

Please join us for our very special 145th Annual Memorial Day Ceremony on May 27, 2013 at the Crown Hill National Cemetery, located directly behind the historic Gothic Chapel (1875). The Indiana Army National Guard's 38th Division Band will perform a patriotic concert beginning at 1:30 pm and the ceremony will begin at 2:00 pm.
We're very honored to have two very special speakers this year: Governor Mike Pence and Brigadier General Jeffery W. Hauser, our keynote speaker.
Also included in this special ceremony are the Roll Call of Fallen Hoosier Heroes, a 21-gun salute conducted by the Indiana Army National Guard, patriotic music provided by "The Central Sound," a Lawrence Central High School choir, and more. Following the ceremony will be a free one-hour "Veterans" Walking Tour with Crown Hill Tour Guide Tom Davis.
Our ceremony wouldn't be possible without generous community support. We're grateful for the support of the Indiana Army National Guard, Central Indiana Young Marines, and the JROTC Cadets at George Washington Community High School who will place over 2,000 flags on the soldier's graves.

Civil War Memorial Service
Be sure to attend our Civil War Memorial Service at 12:45 pm, located off the main drive (yellow line), at the Confederate Mound on Section 32.This ceremony will be conducted by blended regiments of Confederate and Union Civil War Reenactors. Join them as they march to the National Cemetery and honor the Union fallen soldiers buried there. Prior to their 12:45 pm ceremony they will gather in the large field off of the main drive. While not guaranteed at this point, the reenactors are likely to remain there for several hours following the Civil War Memorial Service.
We invite you to bring a chair or blanket and a picnic lunch and plan to spend the day with us.
Please visit our EVENT PAGE for more information.

"The Charm, The Harm, and the Daring of Dillinger"
Join us on July 20 for a fun evening of storytelling, refreshments and a guided walking tour of historic Crown Hill Cemetery! Presented by the Crown Hill Heritage Foundation, "The Charm, The Harm, and the Daring of Dillinger" by Sally Perkins is part of the Sharing Hoosier History through Stories series sponsored by the Indiana Historical Society and Storytelling Arts of Indiana, Inc. For more info, visit the Event Webpage or go directly to our Eventbrite Ticket Sales Page.

Check out this great article, "A Cemetery to Die For" [PDF] from the AAA Home & Away Magazine's website! This great article was written by Chicago travel writer Susan Ward who joined us on a Public Tour last fall. You'll learn some great info about Crown Hill and its residents, as well as about our very popular Public Tours, held the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Saturdays of the month throughout the summer and fall.

"TERRIFIC TOURS!" ~ we're so proud to be featured as a "TERRIFIC TOUR" in MIDWEST LIVING magazine! (Click here to read the article on Midwest Living's website.) Again in 2013 we'll offer our extremely popular PUBLIC TOURS throughout the summer and fall. New this year will be two "TREASON IN INDIANAPOLIS" Civil War walking tours developed and conducted by Nikki Schofield, our Civil War expert tour guide. You can count on sunset tours on the second, third, and fourth Saturday evenings of the month from June through November, with a few exceptions. Most will be walking tours and a few will be driving tours. Ms. Schofield will be leading her three Civil War tours on Saturday mornings. The fees are just $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, and $3 for school age youth. Reservations are NOT required! And if you can't make it on one of our weekend Public Tours, or would just like to have a tour for your group, we also offer PRIVATE WALKING TOURS which can be scheduled at any time (as long as a tour guide is available). The same per person rates apply with a minimum fee of $50 per tour.

Our Current Newsletter

NEW! 2013 PUBLIC TOUR SCHEDULE
NEW! 2013 BEYOND THE BADGE 5K Run/Walk on September 22!
NEW! 2013 MUSIC OF THE NIGHT Concerts will be held on October 17, 18, 19 & 24, 25, 26!
How to Search our Site Using Google

For additional tour information please check us out on the
Indianapolis Convention and Visitor's Association's (ICVA) website!

"As a cemetery it is unique in Indiana, for its size and the historical context it provides to the families it serves and to Indianapolis. As an outdoor museum and park it is a place of reflection and education for thousands of visitors who come to it each year. There is no other property, in this city or state that, offers the pastoral tranquility and texture it does. Dignity, reverence, and peace are among many other words that define Crown Hill."