The Wylie House Museum is a historic house museum owned by Indiana University that provides a glimpse into the home life of a family in the 1840s. The museum is also one of the oldest homes in Bloomington and offers a collection of early to mid-19th-century American furnishings, including many original pieces from the Wylie family. Letters and personal papers from the Wylie family can also be found in the university's archives. The Wylies were a prominent family in Bloomington, Indiana during the 19th century. The house was built in 1835 and was home to Indiana University's first president, Andrew Wylie. After his death, cousin Theophilus Wylie purchased the home and generations of Wylie family resided there until 1913. Now, the Wylie House is a museum restored to its original appearance and the museum staff work. to preserve and study the house, artifacts, and documents in order to provide a deeper understanding of Bloomington's early years.
Seminary Square Park is the original location of Indiana University, which is now a large sprawling campus to the northeast. The university was founded here in 1838, but the first educational institution at the site was a seminary founded in 1816 (it didn't actually receive state approval until 1820 and the first building wasn't erected until 1824) four years after the granting of Indiana's statehood. Eventually, the school became a college in 1828 and by 1838 it became Indiana University. The University stayed here until it moved its current location in 1883 when it became clear that the site was too small for the growing institution. However, education remained an important activity here. A high school, junior high, and preparatory school (for the university) operated here. Finally in 1964 a fire destroyed the high school building and it was decided that it would not be rebuilt. The other structures at the park were demolished. The park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
The former Illinois Central Railroad Freight Depot played an integral role in Bloomington's development in the early twentieth century. Illinois Central Railroad built it in 1906 and its purpose was solely to facilitate the transportation of freight goods rather than passengers. The depot was therefore designed with efficiency and functionality in mind; there are no decorative elements. The building has in recent years been home to restaurants before transitioning into an office building. Given its role in the city's history, the depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
This local history museum is located within the former Monroe Carnegie Library. Constructed in 1917, the building has been listed on the National Register of Historic places since 1978. The museum has called this building home since 1980, a move that allowed for a significant expansion of the museum's holdings. Monroe County History Center currently boasts 8,000 square feet for its many galleries and exhibits, a genealogy and local history library, museum store, and education room. On the corners of the property stand two historical markers for the “Colored School” - or Center School - which opened its doors to African American children from 1874 to 1915 during the era of segregation. The second marker commemorates the building's role as Bloomington’s public library from the building's construction in 1918 to the creation of a new central library in 1970. Bloomington was one of 2500 communities that built a library with Andrew Carnegie's support as he donated an estimated $56 million for library construction. Though the town attempted many times to acquire public support and funds to build a library from 1897 to 1915, it wasn't until 1917 that the project finally came to fruition. Prior to that time, the library shared space with the courthouse. The library used the building from 1918 to 1970 and since 1994, the building has served as Monroe County History Center since that time.
The Well House is one of the oldest and most beloved structures on the IU campus. It was built in 1908 and covers the original well that served the college and community. In fact, water from this well saved old Wylie Hall from destruction during a fire in 1900. The structure was a gift from Theodore F. Rose in 1908.
The Lilly Library is the leading rare books, manuscripts, and special collections repository at Indiana University Bloomington. It serves as a resource for scholars throughout the world and is open to anyone who is interested in the library’s collections. Its holdings include 450,000 books, more than 150,000 pieces of sheet music, and more than 8.5 million manuscripts. Exhibits are on display throughout the year. Public tours are available every Friday at 2pm or by appointment. A multi-million dollar renovation was announced in the spring of 2019. The renovation will result in the library’s temporary closure.
The IU Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology is Indiana University’s newest museum. Opening to the public in 2022, IUMAA draws upon the strengths and rich collections of the former Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology and Mathers Museum of World Cultures. Together, these two collections of over 5 million artifacts span across a broad range of the human experience from Indiana’s first peoples to contemporary communities. Through cutting-edge technology and exhibition design, as well as special building features, the new museum will provide visitors a new way of seeing its collections, exhibits, and programs from the “inside-out.” And access to behind-the-scenes of the museum will enable visitors to understand the meaning and purpose of the museum collections, and the museum’s research and study of artifacts from Indiana’s past and around the world.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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The Mathers Museum of World Cultures' exhibit, 800 Seasons: Change and Continuity in Bloomington, 1818-2018, features various sites in our community. Starting at the Mathers Museum walk to a few other sites featured in the exhibit.
