Thank you for your interest, but this event is full!
Additional reservations received will be placed on a wait list.
The 2026 Fall Pilgrimage will be an exclusive opportunity to go “behind the scenes” of the new Indiana Archives building in downtown Indianapolis. This event will be on Friday, October 2, 2026, from 1 to 4 p.m.
We’ll have the privilege of being the first organization to tour the long-awaited, $102 million Indiana Archives building, with its beautiful skylight, on the canal in downtown Indianapolis. For more than twenty years, the Indiana Constitution and many of our most important documents, as well as genealogical records and landmark court cases, have been in a warehouse on the east side of Indianapolis. This arrangement was only intended to be temporary, but it’s continued for over two decades. The new Archives building began construction in August 2023.
Our special, introductory visit will include:
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- A tour of the four-story building (including its rooftop garden), with a welcome and overview of the Indiana Archives and Records Administration with director Chandler Lighty. The new building is being designed to transform the public experience of engaging with Indiana’s past through primary sources and state-of-the-art features.
- A presentation about the treasures in the Indiana State Archives with archivist Keenan Salla.
- A special tour of the lab and overview of conservation with conservator Elizabeth Hague.
- An overview of doing Pioneer genealogy at the Archives by assistant director Claire Alderfer.
- A talk about founding documents tied to the 175th anniversary of lndiana’s 1851 Constitution and the commemoration of America 250. This presentation, “Indiana’s Foundation of lndependence” with historian Jill Weiss Simins, will explore how the state constitution is grounded in the founding ideals of civic virtue and explore its history, importance, and independence from the U.S. Constitution.
This event is already full and has a wait list. If you complete the form and mail it in, you will be added to the wait list and are not guaranteed an opportunity to attend.
Cost is $25 per person and guests are welcome.
Participants must provide their own transportation to the Indiana Archives building, located at 350 W. Ohio Street in Indianapolis. Parking is available at the Indiana History Center, 450 W. Ohio St., with parking lot access from W. New York Street. Or you may also park at the Senate Avenue Parking Garage, 220 N. Senate Avenue. Parking is free at either location by having your ticket validated at the Archives.
We’ll gather by 1 p.m. at the welcome desk on the main level of the Indiana History Center, 450 W. Ohio St., which is next to the Archives building currently under construction.
You may optionally enjoy a pre-tour lunch at 11:30 a.m. at the Stardust Cafe, located in the lower level of the History Center. Lunch is not included in the cost of the tour; simply pay the cashier at the Cafe.
To make a reservation, download and complete the form and mail it, along with a check payable to “Society of Indiana Pioneers,” to:
The Society of Indiana Pioneers
140 North Senate Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2207
