In-Person Events

There are three types of registration for this year’s conference – Virtual Only, Virtual + Single Day, and Virtual + In-Person. No matter which one you selected, you may purchase tickets for add-ons like pre-conference tours, pre-conference workshops, and evening events.

Teaching amphitheater at Indiana Medical History Museum
View of Indy from Crown Hill

Opening Night

Wednesday, July 26

Featuring Indiana Medical History Museum and Crown Hill Cemetery and Arboretum

On our first evening in Indianapolis, we’ll visit two of the city’s most unique destinations to discover how they’re lifting up the human stories of their sites. We’ll first visit the Indiana Medical History Museum, located on the grounds of the former Central State Hospital on the near west side of Indianapolis. Explore the oldest surviving pathology facility in the nation with an historic teaching amphitheater, laboratories, and outdoor medicinal plant garden. We’ll then travel to the near north side of the city to Crown Hill Cemetery to explore this natural, cultural, and historical landmark. Get your steps in as we tour the cemetery’s stunning architecture, artistic memorials, and beautiful arboretum with over 10,000 inventoried trees and 134 unique species. Before we leave, we’ll be sure to take in one of the best views of downtown Indianapolis from The Crown, the highest hill in Indianapolis and burial site of poet James Whitcomb Riley, at sunset.

Food: Attendees will enjoy a variety of snacks and appetizers across the two host sites, along with one drink ticket that may be used for beverages at the cash bar available at Crown Hill. 

Getting Around: Bus(es) will depart the Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Downtown at 5:45 p.m. and return by approximately 9:15 p.m. We recommend wearing comfortable shoes for traversing the Crown Hill Cemetery grounds. Limited free parking is available at both sites, should any attendees need to drive separately. Outdoor activities may be limited if there is inclement weather.

Capacity: 75

Itinerary/Transportation Schedule (Subject to Change):

  • 5:30-5:45 p.m. – Bus(es) load at Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Downtown
  • 5:45 p.m. – Bus(es) depart hotel 
  • 6:15 p.m. – Bus(es) arrive at Indiana Medical History Museum
  • 6:15-7:15 p.m. – Explore Indiana Medical History Museum
  • 7:15 p.m. – Bus(es) depart to Crown Hill Cemetery
  • 7:30/7:40-8:45 p.m. – Explore Crown Hill Cemetery and View from The Crown
  • 8:45-9:00 p.m. – Bus(es) load and depart to hotel
  • Driving separately is also permitted

Your ticket fee contributes to the cost of producing the event, in most cases covering costs such as our host museum’s staff time, food and beverages, and transportation. A small portion of ticket revenue directly supports AMM and AIM. Thank you!

Eiteljorg Museum exterior sculpture
Indiana Historical Society on the Canal

Evening on the Canal

Thursday, July 27

Featuring Indiana Historical Society and Eiteljorg Museum

Explore one of the most unique cultural districts in Indianapolis – the White River Canal Walk – during a progressive evening event that highlights two of the city’s downtown museums. The first stop will be the Indiana Historical Society (or Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center??) to see their newest exhibit, Chuck Taylor, All Star, about the NBA all-star behind the famous shoe, and take in live music during the museum’s Concert on the Canal (weather permitting). Then we’ll meander along the canal walk, past public art and paddle boats, to the Eiteljorg Museum to see their new galleries, including the innovative and inspiring Expressions of Life: Native Art in North America. Attendees can choose to participate in guided tours or explore the galleries on their own.

Food: Attendees can enjoy Indiana-themed snacks, appetizers, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages at the Indiana History Center History, followed by a selection of snacks/sweets and beverages at the Eiteljorg Museum. The History Center’s cafe will also be open to the public until 8:00 p.m. for individuals who wish to purchase additional food onsite.

Getting Around: Bus(es) will depart the Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Downtown at 6:30 p.m. and return by approximately 9:45 p.m. Participants will walk the canal between the Indiana History Center and the Eiteljorg Museum. The Indiana History Center, canal walk, and Eiteljorg Museum are within a 15 minute walk from the Crowne Plaza, and participants are welcome to walk or drive separately to the event. Bus(es) will be available to take attendees who do not wish to walk to the Eiteljorg.

Capacity: 100

Itinerary/Transportation Schedule:

  • 6:15-6:30 p.m. – Bus(es) load at Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Downtown
  • 6:30 p.m. – Bus(es) depart hotel 
  • 6:45 p.m. – Bus(es) arrive at Indiana Historical Society
  • 6:45-8:00 p.m. – IHS visit – first floor exhibits, including new You Are There: Chuck Taylor, and Concert on the Canal (weather permitting, band TBA)
  • 8:00 p.m. – Walk the canal or ride bus between IHS and Eiteljorg, arriving at approximately 8:15 p.m. (attendees may walk to Eiteljorg later on their own, but may miss tours)
  • 8:15-9:30 p.m. – Eiteljorg visit- tours and/or free exploration of new galleries
  • 9:30 p.m. – Bus(es) depart Eiteljorg to hotel
  • Walking and driving separately is also permitted

Your ticket fee contributes to the cost of producing the event, in most cases covering costs such as our host museum’s staff time, food and beverages, and transportation. A small portion of ticket revenue directly supports AMM and AIM. Thank you!

Walker Theatre building exterior
Vonnegut Museum neon sign

A Night on Indiana Avenue

Friday, July 28

Featuring the Kurt Vonnegut Museum & Library and Madam Walker Legacy Center

With buildings constructed on Indigenous lands, a diverse community developed to the west of the Indianapolis city center during the 1800s. By the turn of the 1900s, many African Americans already living in this area and others who migrated north into Indianapolis settled on a stretch of land near the Central Canal known today as Indiana Avenue. A thriving community developed and the African American population grew quickly, making Indiana Avenue the epicenter for Black business, culture, and music in the city. Many famous figures had ties to Indiana Avenue – from Madam C.J. Walker to Wes Montgomery. Over time, a convergence of factors led to the decline of the Avenue as a business and community center, but many in Indy are working to restore and retain the Avenue’s heritage.

Join us as we tour Indiana Avenue with the people and organizations keeping the memory and spirit of this cultural hub alive today. We will start our night with free exploration at the Kurt Vonnegut Museum & Library, and learn more about how they are living the values of one famously satirical Hoosier author by lifting up the work of local artists and authors in their programs and advocating for freedom of speech. The Vonnegut will be the launching point for an optional one-hour walk & talk with Sampson Levingston, Through2Eyes Tours, during which you can visit the historic spaces and places of Indiana Avenue like Bethel AME, the city’s oldest African American congregation. To round out the night, we will catch live jazz music in the beautiful Walker Theatre, the last surviving historic building on Indiana Avenue and home of the Madam Walker Legacy Center. Its presence and programming both ensure that we do not forget the significance of Madam C.J. Walker, Indiana Avenue, or African-American cultural arts. Live music at the Walker Theatre is provided by the Percussive Arts Society and Rhythm! Discovery Center.

Food: Attendees will enjoy heavy hors d’euvres, soft drinks, a signature cocktail and a cash bar at the Vonnegut Museum & Library, and access to a cash bar and coffee lounge at the Madam Walker Legacy Center.

Getting Around: Bus(es) will depart the Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Downtown at 6:15 p.m. and will make return trips to the hotel every 15-30 minutes from the parking lots located east of Vonnegut Museum. We recommend wearing comfortable shoes if you plan to participate in the optional walk & talk tour. Limited free parking is available at the Vonnegut and street parking is available for a fee. Outdoor activities may be limited if there is inclement weather.

Capacity: 100

Itinerary/Transportation Schedule:

  • 6:00-6:15 p.m. – Bus(es) load at Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Downtown
  • 6:15 p.m. – Bus(es) depart hotel 
  • 6:30 p.m. – Bus(es) arrive at Vonnegut Museum & Library
  • 7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. – Bus(es) will make return trips to the hotel every 15-30 minutes.
  • 6:30-7:45 p.m. – Explore Vonnegut Museum & Library
  • 7:00-8:00 p.m. – Through2Eyes Indiana Avenue walk and talk tour with Sampson Levingston, departs from the Vonnegut Museum & Library and ends at Madam Walker Legacy Center
  • 8:00-9:00/9:30 p.m. – Live jazz performance at the Madam Walker Legacy Center
  • 9:30 p.m. – Bus(es) make their final return trip to hotel
  • Driving separately is also permitted

Your ticket fee contributes to the cost of producing the event, in most cases covering costs such as our host museum’s staff time, food and beverages, and transportation. A small portion of ticket revenue directly supports AMM and AIM. Thank you!