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The Ruins
The revitalized Ruins at Holliday Park reopened in September 2016 after more than twenty years behind a chain link fence. The project was made possible by Friends of Holliday Park with a $3.2 million campaign to fund and endow the project. The new attraction features a children’s water table, shimmer fountain, benches, an allee of trees, and a number of new gardens making it the perfect space for family fun, concerts, festivals, and weddings. The fountains and Ruins restrooms are open from March to October.
To learn more about weddings at The Ruins visit Facility and Outdoor Rental.
History of The Ruins:
In the 1950s, the St. Paul Building, at 220 Broadway in New York City, was torn down to make way for a modern skyscraper. Karl Bitter, one of the outstanding architectural sculptors of the late 19th century, had designed the facade of the original building, including three massive statues made of Indiana limestone called “the Races of Man.” To find a new home for the sculptures, the building’s owner, the Western Electric Company, held a competition among U.S. cities, which were required to submit plans for their display and preservation. Indianapolis proposed to place them in Holliday Park, which was then an arboretum, and the city was ultimately awarded the highly prized sculptures, valued at the time at $150,000.
Elmer Taflinger, who provided the sketches for the proposed structure, was chosen to carry out the design. He worked to complete the project over the next 20 years. For the complete story, download:
