Posted in Indianapolis October 17, 2017 by

What Lies Beneath The Streets Of Indianapolis Is Creepy Yet Amazing

If you’re like this author, there are still things about the city of Indianapolis that surprise you, despite being born and raised here. One of the crazy sights that took me by surprise was the 22,000 square feet of catacombs located underneath downtown’s City Market. That’s right. One of city’s most creepy yet amazing attractions lies beneath the surface and you can tour it today:

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The City Market Catacombs are all that remain of Tomlinson Hall, a public meeting hall that tragically burned down in 1958.
Ken N./Yelp
Completed in 1886, Tomlinson Hall stood alongside City Market on the East side of Market Street, providing a stunning location for events, concerts, and meetings. As popular a place as you’d find in downtown Indy at the time, Tomlinson was all but destroyed by a fire on January 30, 1958. Months of outcry and debate followed but, in the end, the building was razed in June of the same year.
All that remains of the iconic building is an arch of the hall from its west side.
Ken N./Yelp
Oh…and the 22,000 square feet of underground catacombs, of course.
Porthos7/TripAdvisor
If you’ve ever perused the wonderful City Market, you’ve been — very likely unknowingly -- standing atop the Catacombs, which were used as storage for Tomlinson Hall for nearly 70 years.
You maybe haven’t realized that because there’s no public entrance, and the sole entry is completely hidden from view.
Ken N./Yelp
There’s a set of doors leading to a set of stairs leading down to the basement, where paved concrete floors are immediately replaced by dirt ones.
140 columns create a labyrinth-like setting in these Catacombs.
Dave H./Yelp
It’s easy to get lost in this giant, underground area, which is probably why you’re not allowed down there without a guide.
Luckily, the Indiana Landmarks organization offers guided tours on 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month, as well as a third Saturday during October.
Porthos7/TripAdvisor
You can find all the information on the Indiana Landmarks website but we recommend taking advantage of the spooky atmosphere during the Saturdays in October.

Did you have any idea that these Catacombs were directly below City Market? Have you checked them out? Let us know in the comments below.