About this Event
Enjoy a guided tour of the preserved home of the "Hoosier Poet," James Whitcomb Riley. Completed in 1872, the James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home remains one of the finest preservations in the U.S. of a Victorian, Italianate home. Owned by the Nickum and Holstein families, Mr. Riley lived there as a guest from 1893 until his death in 1916. The Museum Home opened to the public six years later, and the support of generous donors allowed its caretakers to carefully preserve the original décor, furniture, art and architecture of this rare, historic space.
Tours must be reserved 24 hours ahead of the scheduled tour time.
Please note, tour capacity is ten guests. When purchasing tickets, if not enough slots remain at a specific tour time the purchase will not finalize.
For larger tours please call the JWR Museum Home at 317-631-5885 to make a group tour reservation.
Step inside from the historic Lockerbie Square neighborhood and in to Mr. Riley’s Victorian world. It’s easy to imagine the poet sitting in the parlor, pictured above, playing violin under the crystal gasolier or reading aloud from Charles Dickens in the library, as he did every Christmas Eve. Visitors will tour the entire home, including both dining rooms and all five upstairs bedrooms.
During his lifetime, James Whitcomb Riley became a nationally renowned author and an Indiana icon. Known as the “Hoosier Poet,” Riley celebrated the people and culture of rural Indiana in his poetry and spent the last 23 years of his life residing in this grand, Italianate home. A talented performer, his poetry readings in sold-out theaters across the country combined with the sale of thousands of his poetry anthologies spurred his rise to prominence.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
528 Lockerbie St, 528 Lockerbie Street, Indianapolis, United States
USD 1.00 to USD 10.00
