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Indiana History Center

4.7 out of 5 rating 14 reviews
Indianapolis, IN
Indiana History Center
Indiana History Center
Just Married!
Just Married!
Happy Couple!
Happy Couple!
Eli Lilly Hall Reception
Eli Lilly Hall Reception
Eli Lilly Hall Reception
Eli Lilly Hall Reception
Eli Lilly Hall Reception
Eli Lilly Hall Reception
Eli Lilly Hall Reception
Eli Lilly Hall Reception
Eli Lilly Hall Reception
Eli Lilly Hall Reception
Eli Lilly Hall Ceremony
Eli Lilly Hall Ceremony
First Dance Eli Lilly Hall
First Dance Eli Lilly Hall
Eli Lilly Hall Reception
Eli Lilly Hall Reception
Eli Lilly Hall Reception
Eli Lilly Hall Reception
Entrance to Eli Lilly Hall
Entrance to Eli Lilly Hall
Ceremony on Terrace
Ceremony on Terrace
Eli Lilly Hall reception
Eli Lilly Hall reception
Ceremony on Terrace
Ceremony on Terrace
Cole Porter Room bar
Cole Porter Room bar
Cole Porter Room bar
Cole Porter Room bar
Mezzanine Reception
Mezzanine Reception
Cake Table
Cake Table
Building exterior - canal
Building exterior - canal
Building exterior - Ohio Street
Building exterior - Ohio Street
Sparkler exit
Sparkler exit
Stardust Terrace Cafe
Stardust Terrace Cafe
Stardust Terrace Cafe
Stardust Terrace Cafe

Interested in this vendor?

Eli Lilly Hall Reception
1/25
Up to 250 guests
Ceremony/Reception
Outdoor/Indoor
Get Ready Rooms
4.7
Very good

"Our wedding was perfect with IHS! Katie was super helpful and flexible. She communicated with us..."

— Aaron

"What a beautiful place to have a wedding! The venue speaks for itself with its lovely architecture..."

— Kay
Aaron
Caitlin
Natalie
K
N

Recommended by 94% of couples

About this venue

The Indiana History Center is a wedding venue located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The venue’s classic decor and various rental spaces make it an ideal setting for engagement parties, showers, elopements, rehearsal dinners, ceremonies, and receptions.

Facilities and Capacity

The Indiana History Center’s elegant Eli Lilly Hall features a four-story vaulted ceiling, walnut columns, imported Italian marble floors, and a grand staircase. A second-floor mezzanine is also included here to add more floor space. Eli Lilly Hall accommodates 300 guests or 250 guests with the addition of a dance floor. The Stardust Terrace Café has a twinkling ceiling that will delight you and your guests, as it offers the illusion of dining under the stars. It includes seating for up to 125 guests and opens onto the Kruse Family Stardust Terrace. This outdoor terrace has seating for 200 guests and standing room for 400. Its location along the downtown Canal Walk provides a scenic and relaxed atmosphere for all attendees. For more intimate weddings, couples may enjoy the Mary O’Brien Gibson Boardroom, located on the fourth floor of the venue. This room has scenic views of downtown and White River State Park, and it seats 56 people, with room for 100 standing.

Services Offered

The Indiana History Center provides venue rental for weddings and other special events. Couples will appreciate the venue’s helpful team dedicated to making sure their big day is as stress-free as possible. When you book your wedding at the Indiana History Center, you’ll also have access to the following services and items:

  • Audio equipment
  • Free 135-space parking lot
  • Getting ready rooms
  • Outside vendors
  • Set up and cleanup
  • Tables and chairs
  • Wheelchair access
  • WiFi

Other Services

As part of the Indiana Historical Society, this venue offers plenty of activities for you and your guests to explore Indiana’s history and culture. Through various exhibits, you can experience historic photographs being brought to life, take a virtual journey in time, or enjoy the music of Cole Porter.

Features

Small team (2-10 members)

Experience

  • 27 years in business

  • We speak English

Links

Visit website

FAQ

Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during peak season?

$1,700

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during off-peak season?

$1,700

Do you have a site fee for wedding ceremonies at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during peak season?

$1,700

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during off-peak season?

$1,700

Which of the following are included in the starting site fee?

Bridal Suite
Clean Up
Parking
Set Up

Which of the following are included in the cost of wedding catering?

Dessert
Server(s)

Which of the following are included in the starting price for bar service?

House Beer
House Wine

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

3

Describe your venue:

Museum

What kind of settings are available?

Indoor
Uncovered Outdoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Ceremony
Reception
Bridal Shower
Engagement Party
Elopements
Rehearsal Dinner

What event services do you offer?

Bar Services
Clean Up
Event Rentals
Get Ready Rooms
Outside Vendors
Wifi

What catering services do you offer?

Buffet
Cocktail Reception
Dessert
Hors d'oeuvres
Server(s)
Stations

What bar services do you provide?

Bartender(s)
Champagne Toast
House Beer
House Liquor
House Wine
Limited Bar
Liquor License
Open Bar
Premium Liquor

What event items are available?

Audio Equipment
Chairs
Tables

What food and beverage items are available?

Barware
Flatware
Linens

What transportation and access is available?

Parking
Wheelchair Access

What months are included in your peak season?

April
May
June
July
August
September
October

What months are included in your off-peak season?

January
February
March
November
December

Still have questions?

Reach out about anything you didn't see answered here—no question is too small!

Wedding couple

Reviews of Indiana History Center

Write a review
Write a review
Weddingwire
4.7/5 14 reviews
Google
4.7/5 1194 reviews
Aaron
Aaron Sent on 09/12/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Perfect wedding day!

Our wedding was perfect with IHS! Katie was super helpful and flexible. She communicated with us throughout the process and even met with us on short notice a few times. In terms of the venue, what a gorgeous place! We got so many compliments on the venue itself. I highly recommend this venue and Katie!
K
Kay Sent on 02/22/2015
5 out of 5 rating
What a beautiful place to have a wedding! The venue speaks for itself with its lovely architecture , the canal, and the breathtaking clock themed ceiling. All of our guests commented to us that it was a perfectly gorgeous site!
N
Nicholas Sent on 03/23/2012
5 out of 5 rating
Amazing venue! Everything was very elegant and beautiful!
A
Andrea Sent on 07/25/2008
4.9 out of 5 rating
My husband and I could not have picked a better location to have our ceremony and reception. This place is so beautiful. The staff was very friendly and helpful. We recieved many compliments from guests about how elegant this place is.
C
Chris Sent on 10/23/2022
4.8 out of 5 rating

History Center is a gem

My husband and I got married at the IN History Center in Oct 2022. We had our ceremony and reception in Lilly Hall. The History Center was the highlight of a busy weekend and the perfect setting for our special night.

As you can imagine, having an event at a historic venue (that is also a working museum) comes with a lot of twists and turns. But Katie and Haley were there to help us navigate each one and went out of their way to make things as easy for us as they could throughout.

Lilly Hall is unexpectedly verstile. With brainstorming help from the staff, we were able to use that veratilty to have exactly the evening we wanted. Our guests were blown away by the venue and enjoyed the evening greatly.

One thing to consoder is that the History Center works exclusively with Jonathan Byrd catering. Many of our guests loved the foos and their staff is incredible as well. But, the food is very specific (WASPy) and not as forward leaning on vegetarian options as I would have thought.

The rental cost for Lilly Hall is on the higher end of medium priced venues. In the end, the cost was more than worth it. Given the venue's location on the Canal, the appeal of the space, and the great support from staff, we probably unpaid.
Caitlin
Caitlin Sent on 09/10/2019
4.8 out of 5 rating

Great experience!

Loved working with Katie and the team at IHS. Our wedding day went perfectly!
User1176719 Sent on 05/28/2013
4.8 out of 5 rating
I loved having my ceremony and reception at the Indiana History Center! We had the ceremony and reception in the Eli Lilly Hall and had cocktail hour in the Stardust Cafe (it would have been outside on the Stardust Terrace had the weather been nicer). I visited there a while before and when I saw Eli Lilly Hall, I knew that I wanted to have my wedding there. It is such a beautiful building and you don't need decorations since the building speaks for itself. I was a little nervous about the ceremony space being flipped into the reception space during the cocktail hour, but they know what they're doing and everything exceeded my expectations. My guests also loved the non-traditional venue, stating how beautiful and elegant it is. It also worked out well for doing photos, because you have the canal nearby.
S
Stacy Sent on 08/16/2016
4.7 out of 5 rating
I fell in love with this venue right away for our New Years Eve wedding. It's gorgeous and a great size with lots of different spaces to utilize. Plus it's especially beautiful during the holiday season when all the Christmas trees and lights are on display. It made our wedding feel cozy and festive which was exactly what I was hoping for. The staircases helped me make a great entrance and everyone at the venue worked well with my vendors. They weren't always as responsive to my queries and I would have hoped, but always got back to me eventually and my wedding planner worked great to pull it all together day of. It's a gorgeous venue for a wedding and I highly recommend it!
Natalie
Natalie Sent on 01/22/2016
4.7 out of 5 rating
The Indiana Historical Society is the perfect place for a wedding! I even brought my fiance here to see the venue before we got engaged, because I loved it so much. If you want all of your wedding to be in one spot- this is the place. You can hold your ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception all here and it's absolutely gorgeous. The best part for your guests is that the parking is on site and free. There are two hotels within walking distance down the canal as well for out of town guests.
B
Becca Sent on 02/20/2008
4.7 out of 5 rating
I chose the Stardust Terrace for my wedding, and it was beautiful. The lady I worked with in the events department was very nice, as was the lady from the Stardust Terrace Cafe that did our catering, and up until my wedding day, everything was perfect. The only complaint I have is that there was a new "person-in-charge" the day of my wedding that I hadn't et before, and she was very unpleasant. I had given specific instructions on how things were supposed to be set up, and she was deliberately doing things her way and being very rude when members of my family asked her about things. However, she was the only negative... the rest of my wedding went wonderfully, and everyone thought the Stardust Terrace was beautiful. I had a star-themed wedding, so I thought it was perfect! We just had appetizers catered from the Cafe, but they were very good and the lady was very accomodating to my price range. Overall, a wonderful experience!
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Awards

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Indiana History Center frequently asked questions

Indiana History Center includes the following items and services for wedding events in its starting site fee:
  • Bridal Suite
  • Clean Up
  • Parking
  • Set Up
Indiana History Center includes the following items and services in its wedding catering costs:
  • Dessert
  • Server(s)
The bar service starting price at Indiana History Center includes:
  • House Beer
  • House Wine
The space offered by Indiana History Center for wedding events is known for:
  • Museum
Indiana History Center offers the following indoor/outdoor options for weddings:
  • Indoor
  • Uncovered Outdoor
Indiana History Center offers the following types of wedding events:
  • Ceremony
  • Reception
  • Bridal Shower
  • Engagement Party
  • Elopements
  • Rehearsal Dinner
Indiana History Center offers the following services for wedding events:
  • Bar Services
  • Clean Up
  • Event Rentals
  • Get Ready Rooms
  • Outside Vendors
  • Wifi
Indiana History Center offers the following furniture and decor items for weddings:
  • Audio Equipment
  • Chairs
  • Tables
Indiana History Center is recommended by 94% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.7 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 4.9 in quality of service, 4.8 in professionalism, 4.6 in flexibility, 4.6 in value and 4.5 in average response time.
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