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All the United States Indiana Indianapolis Allison Mansion

Allison Mansion

This elaborate estate contains a stunning marble aviary, a sunken conservatory, and a magnificent music room with a two-story pipe organ.

Indianapolis, Indiana

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cmclark6
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The marble aviary.   Marian University Indianapolis/Used with Permission
Allison Mansion Cmclark6   cmclark6 / Atlas Obscura User
The aviary.   Bill Stanley/CC BY-ND 2.0
The stained glass ceiling in the aviary. Cmclark6   cmclark6 / Atlas Obscura User
basement   chili0208mw / Atlas Obscura User
basement   chili0208mw / Atlas Obscura User
basement   chili0208mw / Atlas Obscura User
basement   chili0208mw / Atlas Obscura User
ballroom   chili0208mw / Atlas Obscura User
ballroom   chili0208mw / Atlas Obscura User
from the dining area toward the ballroom   chili0208mw / Atlas Obscura User
dining area   chili0208mw / Atlas Obscura User
dining area   chili0208mw / Atlas Obscura User
music room   chili0208mw / Atlas Obscura User
music room and dining room view from the entry   chili0208mw / Atlas Obscura User
small hallway off the entry   chili0208mw / Atlas Obscura User
private dining area off the entry   chili0208mw / Atlas Obscura User
from the entry   chili0208mw / Atlas Obscura User
the entryway   chili0208mw / Atlas Obscura User
  chili0208mw / Atlas Obscura User
front of the mansion   chili0208mw / Atlas Obscura User
Indoor decor. Cmclark6   cmclark6 / Atlas Obscura User
Inside the mansion. Cmclark6   cmclark6 / Atlas Obscura User
  ski queen / Atlas Obscura User
stairs to the basement in the ballroom   chili0208mw / Atlas Obscura User
  ski queen / Atlas Obscura User
ballroom   chili0208mw / Atlas Obscura User
bar area above the basement   chili0208mw / Atlas Obscura User
basement   chili0208mw / Atlas Obscura User
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Sunlight filters through the ceiling’s Tiffany stained-glass windows, illuminating the swirling patterns that adorn the marble room’s walls and floor. Though the magnificent room looks like it was destined to entertain esteemed guests in formal attire, it was actually built for avian occupants. Exotic birds once filled the space, their vibrant plumage in sharp contrast to the relatively colorless marble.

The lavish aviary is but one extraordinary room inside Allison Mansion. The grand estate was built by James Allison, an early 20th-century automobile entrepreneur perhaps most famous for being a co-founder of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500 race. The mansion has since become part of a private Catholic university, but it still maintains much of its original grandeur.

Allison spared no expenses while having his two-story, red-brick, arts-and-crafts-style abode built. In addition to the marble aviary, which was built for his first wife’s exotic bird collection, the mansion also contains other wondrous features like an expensive chandelier imported from Germany, a sunken conservatory, and a magnificent music room complete with a two-story pipe organ.

The outside grounds, too, boast an elegance that matches the manor’s interior. Lush gardens fill the manicured landscape, some of which even include greenhouses, ponds, and orchards. The whole property rests atop a cliff, which overlooks a wetland now overseen by Marian University.

After Allison’s death in 1928, the mansion’s fate remained uncertain. It was eventually acquired by the Sisters of Saint Francis, who also founded Marian University. Allison Mansion is still part of the university. It is now houses the Office of the President and the Office of Conferences and Events. It is NOT open for public tours. The Allison Mansion can be rented to host special events. 

Update as of October 2019: The mansion now houses the Office of the President and is no longer open for public tours, but can still be booked for events.

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cmclark6

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erjeffery, Okashirama, jonikki2011, Kerry Wolfe...

  • erjeffery
  • Okashirama
  • jonikki2011
  • Kerry Wolfe
  • ski queen
  • chili0208mw

Published

January 16, 2018

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Sources
  • https://www.theclio.com/web/entry?id=32486
  • https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/indianapolis/allisonmansion.htm
  • https://tclf.org/allison-mansion
Allison Mansion
3200 Cold Spring Rd
Indianapolis, Indiana
United States
39.816875, -86.201584
Get Directions

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