Guided tours
Situated on 152 acres of spectacular gardens and grounds, IMA is home to the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park (set to open in 2009) and Oldfields-Lilly House & Gardens. With unique exhibitions, multiple shopping experiences and outstanding dining, IMA offers a full day's worth of fun.
To schedule a tour, please contact the IMA tourism coordinator at least three weeks in advance at 317-920-2679 or grouptours@imamuseum.org
Online form to pre-book a tour
To schedule a tour for students preschool through university age, visit the "For Educators" section of our Web site.
All tours are offered during regular IMA hours:
Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, 11 am to 5 pm
Thursday and Friday, 11 am to 9 pm
Sunday, noon to 5 pm
The gardens and grounds are open from dawn until dusk, and guided group tours of the gardens can be arranged at any time during daylight hours. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, there is an option for groups to start their tour at 10 am. Contact IMA's Tourism Coordinator to learn more.
To schedule an adult group tour, please contact the IMA tourism coordinator at 317-920-2679 at least three weeks in advance. Or, use our online pre-booking form to submit your requirements, and we will quickly respond. Payment is due upon your visit to the IMA.
As one of the 10 largest art museums in the U.S., the Indianapolis Museum of Art gives you access to world-renowned collections. An IMA docent will share insights on the collection of your choice. Tours are approximately 45-60 minutes in length.
Asian art
One of the premier collections of Asian art outside Asia that features a comprehensive collection of Chinese art, Japanese paintings and Asian textiles.
African art
More than 400 works from a 2,000 piece collection representing African life across the entire continent.
European art
Eight centuries of paintings, sculpture, prints and decorative arts from notable artists such as Rembrandt, Turner, Van Gogh, Rodin and Gauguin.
American art
Early landscape painting and portraiture, Indiana art, American impressionism and modernism.
Contemporary art
25,000 square feet dedicated to contemporary painting, sculpture, works on paper and studio glass, including changing exhibitions by emerging and established artists from around the world.
Textile & Fashion Arts
Showcasing masterpieces from IMA's 6,000 piece textile and costume collection, spanning 2,000 years and covering a wide range of cultures.
Available during run of exhibition
Docents will lead groups through traveling, loaned or special exhibitions featured in IMA's Special Exhibition Gallery.
Step back in time with a docent-guided or audio guide tour of Lilly House, the restored mansion of late Indianapolis businessman, collector and philanthropist J. K. Lilly Jr. Located on the grounds of IMA, Lilly House is the heart of the 26-acre Oldfields estate, a National Historic Landmark. Walk through eight furnished rooms that reflect the 1930s splendor during the Lilly family's occupancy.
Stroll through the beautiful historical landscape of the Oldfields estate. The 26-acre estate's landscape was designed in the 1920s by Percival Gallagher of the famous Olmsted Brothers firm. Oldfields features the Formal Garden with its colorful seasonal display and the Ravine Garden with its flowering shrubs, wildflowers and streams. Leading up to Lilly House is the tree-lined Allée, flanked by the charming Border Gardens. The Border Gardens are referred to as the "gardener's garden" as they include unusual combinations of bulbs, perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees.
IMA offers several options for group dining.
The IMA Café offers soups, salads, sandwiches and more. Groups can reserve tables and have vouchers for their meals or can eat on their own.
Puck‘s restaurant offers a more elegant option. Groups can enjoy innovative cuisine in a fine dining atmosphere. Reservations are required; the Tourism Coordinator can assist with arrangements.
- Greeting upon arrival Galleries: 60-minute tour with docent or audio guide (if applicable)
- Gardens: 60-minute tour through gardens with a guide (walking is at an easy pace)
- Lilly House: 60-minute tour through house
- Coupons for the Greenhouse Shop, Lilly House shop and The IMA Store as well other gifts in a bag for each person
- Free parking including escort to reserved spot in lot
- Confirmation of visit from tour coordinator and advance materials to prepare for visit
- Opportunity for early admittance (10 am Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays)
- Complementary admission for driver and operator (when applicable)
Arrangements for dining on site (including special seating times at Puck‘s)
Personalized service to help plan rest of visit in the Indianapolis area
- Lilly House and Gallery tours are available year round.
- Garden tours are available from April through the end of October, weather permitting.
- Comfortable shoes are advised for garden tours. Some areas of the grounds have steps.
- IMA is handicap accessible, Lilly House is handicap accessible, including an elevator.
- Free parking is available in underground garage and surface lots. Bus parking is available on surface lots.
- IMA‘s tour coordinator can help with dining, hotel and other area packages.
- Reservations should be made at least three weeks in advance.
There is a group handling fee for any tour booked through IMA‘s tour coordinator; fee based on group size and covers basic administrative costs.
Group fees
- Up to 25 people in the group $25
- 26 to 50 people in the group $50
- 51 to 75 people in the group $75
- 76 to 100 people in the group $100
- 101 or more people in the group $150
Groups can chose to take self-guided tours. Please note that groups opting for a self-guided tour cannot be guaranteed parking or admittance at time of arrival.
Self-guided tours include:
- free parking
- audio guide (if available)
- gardens map available at Lilly House and Museum of Art
