Stamped!

Home of the Hoosiers

Indiana University Bloomington

Many of the campus buildings are built of Indiana limestone, the local stone the state is known for.

  • 5Buildings
  • 4Traditions
  • 1835Oldest · Wylie House
  • 2021Newest · Mies Building

Planning the visit

  • Fly intoIndianapolis International Airport (IND)

    Indianapolis International, north of Bloomington, is the nearest airport with airline service.

  • Getting aroundWalking / IU Campus Bus

    IU Campus Bus routes loop around the campus, and Bloomington Transit buses connect it with the rest of the city.

  • Colors and teams

    The school colors are cream and crimson, and the teams are the Hoosiers.

5 buildings to stamp

  1. Indiana Memorial Union
    Photo: Knnk417, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Indiana Memorial Union

    Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405

    Granger and Bollenbacher designed this Collegiate Gothic student union, dedicated in 1932. At nearly 500,000 square feet it is one of the largest student unions in the world and includes a hotel.

    Built
    1932
    Architect
    Granger and Bollenbacher
    Style
    Collegiate Gothic
    Today
    Student Union and Hotel
  2. Lilly Library
    Photo: User:Vmenkov, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Lilly Library

    Fine Arts Plaza, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405

    Eggers & Higgins designed this limestone rare book and manuscript library, dedicated in 1960 on the Fine Arts Plaza. It began with the collection of Josiah K. Lilly Jr. and now holds millions of manuscripts.

    Built
    1960
    Architect
    Eggers & Higgins
    Today
    Rare Book Library

  3. Eskenazi Museum of Art

    1133 E 7th St, Bloomington, IN 47405

    I. M. Pei and Partners designed the museum's building, completed in 1982 as a play on sharp angles. It was renovated and reopened in 2019 and holds about 45,000 objects.

    Built
    1982
    Architect
    I. M. Pei and Partners
    Style
    Modernist
    Today
    Art Museum
  4. Mies Building
    Photo: Victor Grigas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Mies Building

    321 N Eagleson Ave, Bloomington, IN 47405

    Ludwig Mies van der Rohe drew these plans in 1952 for a fraternity house that was never built. Rediscovered in 2013, they were finally built for the art and design school, with glass walls and white steel like his Farnsworth House.

    Built
    2021
    Architect
    Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
    Style
    Modernist
    Stories
    2
    Today
    Art, Architecture and Design School
  5. Wylie House
    Photo: HornColumbia, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Wylie House

    307 E 2nd St, Bloomington, IN 47401

    Built in 1835, this brick house was the home of Andrew Wylie, the first president of Indiana University. Its blend of Georgian and Federal styles was old-fashioned for its time, and the university runs it as a house museum.

    Built
    1835
    Style
    Georgian / Federal
    Today
    Historic House Museum

4 traditions to check off

Stamped! keeps these as a checklist, so you can tick each one off on the visit.

  • Rose Well House

    Campus legend says a kiss under the Rose Well House at midnight brings lasting romance. The little pavilion near Dunn Woods is also a favorite spot for proposals.

  • Sample Gates

    The limestone Sample Gates mark the entrance to the Old Crescent from Kirkwood Avenue. Walk through them and take a photo, as many new graduates do.

  • Herman B Wells Statue

    A bronze of the beloved former president sits on a bench with his hand held out. Shake it: the story goes that a student whose family shakes his hand will graduate on time.

  • Showalter Fountain

    The fountain in the Fine Arts Plaza shows the birth of Venus surrounded by bronze fish. Count the fish and look for the one that replaced a fish taken after the 1987 basketball title.

Know Indiana University Bloomington well?

Students and alumni know the traditions best. Suggest one we're missing, a building worth a stamp, or a fix. Every suggestion is checked against a source before it goes into the app.

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Stamp all 5 on your visit.

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