Adult Group Tours
Adult Group Tours can be arranged for groups with at least 10 members. Tours are led by trained educators who engage participants and stimulate discussion. Each tour lasts approximately one hour and can be tailored to meet a variety of interests.
All group tours should be scheduled at least three weeks in advance using the
Online Tour Request Form.
What Groups Need to Know
- Gallery tours are available year round.
- Lilly House tours are available April through December.
- Garden tours are available April through September, weather permitting.
- Comfortable shoes are advised for garden tours. Some areas of the grounds have steps.
- The Indianapolis Museum of Art is handicapped accessible; Lilly House is handicapped accessible, with an elevator available.
- Parking details can be found here.
- Reservations must be made at least three weeks in advance.
- Groups can choose to take self-guided tours with materials provided by the IMA.
Tour Topics
As one of the ten largest encyclopedic art museums in the United States, the Indianapolis Museum of Art gives visitors access to world-renowned collections. An IMA docent will share insights on the collection of your choice. Tours are 1 hour in length. Online Tour Request Form
Spotlight African
More than 400 works from a 2,000 piece collection representing African life across the entire continent.
Spotlight European
Eight centuries of paintings, sculpture, prints and decorative arts from notable artists such as Rembrandt, Turner, Van Gogh, Rodin and Gauguin.
Spotlight American
Early landscape painting and portraiture, Indiana art, American impressionism and modernism.
Spotlight Asian
One of the premier collections of Asian art outside Asia that features a comprehensive collection of Chinese art, Japanese paintings and Asian textiles.
Spotlight Contemporary
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.
Special Exhibition
Docents will lead groups through special exhibitions featured in IMA's Special Exhibition Gallery. Check our Online Tour Request Form for available exhibitions.
Her-story: Women Artists @ IMA
Introduce yourself to the many women artists who call the IMA home, and discover the important contributions they made to the history of art as you explore the galleries.
Money Talks: The Economics of Art in Europe
Open up the economy of Europe by looking at paintings from the 16th through the 20th centuries. See the kinds artwork that was being created, discover the people who were supporting different art movements, and investigate how works of art can tell us about the economics of Europe throughout history.
100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park
This tour will introduce visitors to some of the 8 inaugural art projects and highlight wildlife and plants found within the various ecosystems located on the site. Available through September.
Lilly House Tour
Step back in time with a docent-guided 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. Available April through December
Garden Tour
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. Garden tours are offered April through September.
Group Dining at the IMA
Nourish Café, the IMA's new restaurant, is a stylish, comfortable retreat serving contemporary fare, harvested locally and prepared in the freshest, most wholesome manner. Nourish Café is ideal for a quick bite or a leisurely meal. Executive Chef Ty Hunt will feed your spirit with hand-crafted soups, seasonal salads, artisan sandwiches and comforting pasta dishes and pizza. Nourish also serves espresso, cappuccino and fresh juice drinks. Other dining options are available, including the The Fountain Room.
