Indianapolis City Market Catacombs Tours for NITE Ride

Indianapolis City Market and Indiana Landmarks in partnership with the NITE Ride stage tours of an unusual site hidden from public view. Our guided tour of the Catacombs shows NITE Ride participants a Roman-looking expanse of brick arches beneath the outdoor Whistler Plaza of City Market.

The Catacombs qualify as both a ruin and a redevelopment opportunity. They’re what remains of Tomlinson Hall, an imposing building whose main hall seated 3,500 people. Dietrich Bohlen designed the hall in 1886 to complement his earlier work at City Market. He also designed Indiana Landmarks’ Morris-Butler House. Tomlinson burned in January 1958, turning Market Street into an icy lake as firefighters battled the blaze. The city took down the remains later that year, but left the vast basement of brick arches intact. You won’t see bones or crypts, but scores of barrel-vaulted arches that once supported Tomlinson Hall.

The tour lasts approximately 30 minutes and departs from Whistler Plaza, the west plaza of City Market, 222 E. Market Street, Indianapolis. The tour check-in may be relocated inside the West Wing, depending on the weather.

Refund requests must be received seven days in advance of tour date.

Please note: City Market Catacombs are an undeveloped historic asset and are not accessible given the very rough, uneven dirt floor that is not navigable for guests with walkers, canes, strollers, or wheelchairs. Closed-toe shoes are REQUIRED for guest safety.

Alert to people with breathing sensitivities: the Catacombs are a musty, sometimes damp area. Guests are required to sign a waiver of liability to take the Catacombs tour.